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Protective Roles of Shilajit in Modulating Resistin, Adiponectin, and Cytokines in Rats with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the effect of Shilajit, a medicine of Ayurveda, on the serum changes in cytokines and adipokines caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods

After establishing fatty liver models by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks, 35 Wistar male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, including control (standard diet), Veh (HFD + vehicle), high-dose Shilajit [H-Sh, HFD + 250 mg/(kg·d) Shilajit], low-dose Shilajit [L-Sh, HFD + 150 mg/(kg·d) Shilajit], and pioglitazone [HFD + 10 mg/(kg·d) pioglitazone] groups, 7 rats in each group. After 2-week of gavage administration, serum levels of glucose, insulin, interleukin 1beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), adiponectin, and resistin were measured, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated.

Results

After NAFLD induction, the serum level of IL-10 significantly increased and serum IL-1β, TNF-α levels significantly decreased by injection of both doses of Shilajit and pioglitazone (P<0.05). Increases in serum glucose level and homeostasis model of HOMA-IR were reduced by L-Sh and H-Sh treatment in NAFLD rats (P<0.05). Both doses of Shilajit increased adiponectin and decreased serum resistin levels (P<0.05).

Conclusion

The probable protective role of Shilajit in NAFLD model rats may be via modulating the serum levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, adipokine and resistin, and reducing of HOMA-IR.

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Acknowledgment

This study is part of a PhD degree dissertation in Physiology. Authors are grateful for support of the administrators at Physiology Research Center and Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, 7616914115, Iran

    Baran Ghezelbash & Nader Shahrokhi

  2. Endocrinology, and Metabolism Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, 7616914115, Iran

    Mohammad Khaksari

  3. Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, 7616914115, Iran

    Gholamreza Asadikaram

  4. Department of Medical Science, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 713414336, Iran

    Maryam Shahrokhi

  5. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, 7616914115, Iran

    Sara Shirazpour

Authors
  1. Baran Ghezelbash
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  2. Nader Shahrokhi
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  3. Mohammad Khaksari
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  4. Gholamreza Asadikaram
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  5. Maryam Shahrokhi
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Contributions

Ghezelbash B conducted research and provided assistance in writing the paper and data analysis. Shahrokhi N designed research, analyzed data and wrote the paper. Khaksari M and Asadikaram G contributed to paper writing and data analysis. Shahrokhi M and Shirazpour S contributed new reagents/analytic tools and wrote the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nader Shahrokhi.

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Conflict of Interest

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Supported by Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

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Ghezelbash, B., Shahrokhi, N., Khaksari, M. et al. Protective Roles of Shilajit in Modulating Resistin, Adiponectin, and Cytokines in Rats with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 28, 531–537 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-022-3307-3

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