Is vitamin D receptor a druggable target for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis?

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressed stage of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and available therapeutic strategies for NASH are limited. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is proposed as a druggable target for NASH due to the discovery of vitamin D deficiency in NASH patients. To date, vitamin D supplementation has not consistently conferred expected therapeutic benefits, raising the question of whether VDR can serve as a proper drug target for NASH.

Autophagy activation by Jiang Zhi Granule protects against metabolic stress-induced hepatocyte injury.

Aim: To elucidate the potential role of autophagy and the protective effects of Jiang Zhi Granule (JZG) in metabolic stress-induced hepatocyte injury.

Methods: An and approach was used in this study. HepG2 cells were incubated in culture medium containing palmitate (PA; 0, 0.

Qinggan Huoxue Recipe suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in alcoholic liver fibrosis through TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Aim: To investigate the mechanism by which Qinggan Huoxue Recipe (QGHXR) inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in rats with alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF).

Methods: A total of 75 male SD rats were used to induce ALF. Serum biochemical indicators, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, laminin and hyaluronidase, were measured.