The Root Extract of Rosa multiflora Ameliorates Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Development via Blockade of De Novo Lipogenesis and Inflammation

Abstract

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by severe inflammation and fibrosis due to an excessive accumulation of triglycerides (TGs) in the liver with a dysregulated de novo lipogenesis (DNL) pathway. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of YC-1102, an extract obtained from the roots of Rosa multiflora, as a nutritional supplement in a diet-induced NASH mouse model. C57BL/6 wild-type mice were fed a fructose, palmitate, and cholesterol (FPC)-containing diet for 16 weeks to induce experimental NASH. A daily oral gavage of YC-1102 and obetichoic acid (OCA) was conducted for 9 weeks. After sacrifice, disease parameters related to hepatic lipids, inflammation, and fibrosis were evaluated. The treatment with YC-1102 significantly decreased the liver/body weight ratio, epididymal fat weight, and plasma ALT and AST levels, which are indicators of NASH injuries. YC-1102 attenuated hepatic lipid accumulation by inhibiting the transcription of DNL genes in the livers exhibiting NASH. Additionally, we found that YC-1102 blocked the development of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis by directly disturbing macrophage activation, resulting in an amelioration of hepatic fibrosis. Our findings suggest that YC-1102 could ameliorate NASH progression by inhibiting uncontrolled DNL and inflammation.