Figure 4

Decreased KLF10 mRNA expression and improved NASH upon UDCA administration with HFSD. C57BL/6 mice were fed with either standard diet (SD) or high fat, sucrose diet (HFSD) for 24 weeks upon which mice on HFSD were divided into two groups, and fed with either 20 mg/kg UDCA diluted in 0.78% Tween-80 or 0.78% Tween-80 only. Mice fed with SD were also given 0.78% Tween-80 as vehicle. These three groups of mice namely SD with vehicle, HFSD with vehicle and HFSD with UDCA, were fed for another 24 weeks. Total RNA was extracted from the liver. A, Expression of Colα(I) mRNA was increased by HFSD feeding but reversed when HFSD was given in combination with UDCA (P = 0.004). KLF10 (P = 0.002) along with TGFβ (P = 0.003) mRNA expression also reduced upon UDCA administration with HFSD. B, TGFβ downstream signaling Smad 2 (P = 0.024), and 3 (P = 0.004) expression significantly diminished by UDCA feeding in combination with HFSD although inhibitory Smad7 (P = 0.002) also reduced when UDCA was given. C, Expression of ChREBP mRNA was decreased by HFSD feeding but partially recovered when UDCA was given in combination with HFSD (P = 0.007). D, Expression of inflammatory cytokine TNFα mRNA which was up-regulated by HFSD feeding, reduced by UDCA administration (P = 0.002). *P < 0.05, when compared with that of mice fed with SD. **P < 0.05 when compared with that of mice fed with HFSD.