Aqueous extract of Pinbeimu improves symptoms in a mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through activation of the AMPK/ACC pathway and modulation of intestinal flora

OBJECTIVE Exploring the effect and mechanism of action of Pingbeimu in anti-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.METHODS The association between Pingbeimu and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was analysed by network pharmacology, and a mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was constructed by using HFD high-fat chow + 10% fructose drinking water induced mice, and three doses of Pingbeimu aqueous extracts were given to the mice for intervention and treatment. The serum levels of AST, ALT, TG, TC, HDL-C and LDL-C were detected by colorimetric assay; H&E staining was used to assess the pathological and histological changes in the livers of the mice, and to clarify the effect of Pingpeimu on the anti-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; liver tissue proteins were extracted, and the expression of proteins related to the AMPK/ACC pathway was detected by Western-blot, and to clarify the anti-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease effect of Pingpeimu. The protein expression of AMPK/ACC pathway related proteins was detected by Western-blot to clarify the mechanism of Pingbeimu's anti-non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The microbiological composition of cecum contents was explored using 16S rRNA sequencing technology, etc., to reveal the modulating effect of aqueous extract of Pingbeimu on the structure of intestinal flora in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.RESULTS The aqueous extract (high) was able to improve adipocyte infiltration and significantly reduce the number of lipid droplets in the livers of mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (P <0.05). The levels of AST, ALT, TG, TC and LDL-C in the aqueous extract (high) group were significantly decreased (P <0.05), and the level of HDL-C was significantly increased (P <0.05); the aqueous extract (high) was able to significantly increase the expression levels of p-AMPKα, AMPKα and p-ACC proteins in the livers of the model mice (P <0.05), and significantly decrease the expression level of ACC protein (P <0.05); and significantly increased the relative abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus_Johnson, Ligilactobacillus_muciniphila and Akkermansia_muciniphila (P <0.05).CONCLUSION The aqueous extract of Pingbeimu may ameliorate the symptoms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in model mice by activating the AMPK/ACC pathway and modulating the structure of intestinal flora.