Effect Of Hydrogen Sulfide On Hepatic Lipid Accumulation In Obese Mice

Background Hydrogen sulfide plays an important role in physiology and pathophysiology of liver. However, the effect of hydrogen sulfide on hepatocyte lipid metabolism is not clear.Aim To investigate the effect of hydrogen sulfide on hepatic lipid accumulation in obese mice.Methods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, and NaHS group. The mice of the control group were fed with normal diet. The mice of the model group and the NaHS group were fed with high-fat diet. From the thirteenth week, the mice of NaHS group were received intraperitoneal injection with NaHS(H2S donor) in a dose of 50umol·kg-1 per day for 4 weeks and the mice of the model group were injected with the same volume of saline. All mice were sacrificed at the end of 16 weeks. Weighing the liver, white fat, and brown fat weight; Testing the content of ALT and AST in plasma; The tissue of liver were homogenized and centrifugated. The supernatants were used for the determination of triglyceride and cholesterol, and determination of lipid peroxidation products and anti peroxidase activity in liver. The morphology of liver was tested by H&E staining. Liver lipid accumulation was determined by oil red staining. Total RNA was extracted from frozen tissue of liver. PCR was used to detect CPT-1, FAS gene expression, and ELISA method was used to detect CPT-1, FAS activity in mice liver.The protein of CBS, CSE and 3-MST was examined by Western blotting.Results The body weight of the mice from NaHS group and model group was higher than that of control group. Compared with the model group, the body weight of the mice from NaHS group was less; the content of triglyceride and cholesterol in liver was lower; the liver weight, white fat weight, brown fat weight and the liver index, white fat index was decreased significantly; liver tissue pathological changes degree and lipid accumulation were alleviate; Compared with the model group, CPT-1 expression and activity increased, FAS expression and activity decreased. Additionally, antioxidant capacity is improved obviously in NaHS group. Compared with the control group, the protein expression of CBS and CSEwere increased in model group, after interintion by hydrogen sulfide,the protein expression of CBS and CSE were decreased.Conclusions1. Exogenous hydrogen sulfide has therapeutic effect on fatty liver induced by high fat diet in mice.2. The mechanism may be associated with increased the level of CPT-1 and decreased the level of FAS in liver.3. Additionlly, the mechanism may be associated with the increased antioxidant activity.