Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3 protein interacts with the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2000;278:38-43. [PMID: 11071852 DOI: org/10.1006/bbrc.2000.3762]

Effect of combined prescription and separate prescription of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis traditional Chinese medicine on expression of SOCS-3 and SREBP-1c in diabetic fatty liver in rats

AIM: To investigate the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis traditional Chinese medicine on the expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling protein-3 (SOCS-3) and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) in diabetic fatty liver in rats and to explore potential mechanisms involved.

METHODS: Fifty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: a normal group, a model group, a promoting blood circulation group (salvia miltiorrhiza, rhizoma ligustici, wallichii), a removing blood stasis group (leech, lumbricus), and a combination group (salvia miltiorrhiza, rhizoma ligustici, wallichii, leech, lumbricus). Diabetes was induced with streptozocin (50 mg/kg i.p.) in all the groups except for the normal group. The three treatment groups were intragastrically treated with Chinese traditional medicine which can promote blood circulate and/or remove stasis once a day for 12 wk. Triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol (TC) were measured using biochemical methods. The expression of SOCS-3 and SREBP-1c mRNAs was determined by RT-PCR.

RESULTS: Compared to the normal group, the levels of TG and TC were significantly increased in the model group (6.80 mmol/L ± 0.19 mmol/L, 5.36 mmol/L ± 0.24 mmol/L, 5.37 mmol/L ± 0.25 mmol/L, 5.01 mmol/L ± 0.22 mmol/L vs 3.55 mmol/L ± 0.28 mmol/L, all P < 0.05; 2.26 mmol/ ± 0.27 mmol/L, 1.83 mmol/L ± 0.25 mmol/L, 1.82 mmol/L ± 0.23 mmol/L, 1.58 mmol/L ± 0.19 mmol/L vs 1.35 mmol/L ± 0.16 mmol/L, all P < 0.05); however, the levels of TG and TC were significantly lower in each drug intervention group than in the model group (5.36 mmol/L ± 0.24 mmol/L, 5.37 mmol/L ± 0.25 mmol/L, 5.01 mmol/L ± 0.22 mmol/L vs 6.80 mmol/L ± 0.19 mmol/L, all P < 0.05; 1.83 mmol/L ± 0.25mmol/L, 1.82 mmol/L ± 0.23 mmol/L, 1.58 mmol/L ± 0.19 mmol/L vs 2.21 mmol/L ± 0.21 mmol/L, all P < 0.05). The levels of TG and TC were significantly higher in the promoting blood circulation group and removing blood stasis group than in the combination group (5.01 mmol/L ± 0.22 mmol/L vs 5.36 mmol/L ± 0.24 mmol/L, 5.37 mmol/L ± 0.25 mmol/L, both P < 0.05; 1.58 mmol/L ± 0.19 mmol/L vs 1.83 mmol/L ± 0.25 mmol/L, 1.82 mmol/L ± 0.23 mmol/L, both P < 0.05). There was no significant change in the levels of TG and TC between the promoting blood circulation group and removing blood stasis group. Compared to the model group, liver steatosis was significantly reduced in each drug intervention group; however, liver steatosis was significantly more serious in the promoting blood circulation group and removing blood stasis group than in the combination group. Compared to the normal group, the expression of SOCS-3 and SREBP-1c mRNAs was significantly increased in the model group (0.885 ± 0.227, 0.778 ± 0.005, 0.633 ± 0.678, 0.475 ± 0.012 vs 0.189 ± 0.002, all P < 0.05; 0.861 ± 0.020, 0.751 ± 0.003, 0.600 ± 0.005, 0.382 ± 0.014 vs 0.176 ± 0.001, all P < 0.05). However, the expression of SOCS-3 and SREBP-1c mRNAs was significantly lower in each drug intervention group than in the model group (0.778 ± 0.005, 0.633 ± 0.678, 0.475 ± 0.012 vs 0.885 ± 0.227, both P < 0.05; 0.751 ± 0.003, 0.600 ± 0.005, 0.382 ± 0.014 vs 0.861 ± 0.020, both P < 0.05). The expression of SOCS-3 and SREBP-1c mRNAs was significantly higher in the promoting blood circulation group and removing blood stasis group than in the combination group (0.751 ± 0.003, 0.600 ± 0.005 vs 0.382 ± 0.014, both P < 0.05; 0.778 ± 0.005, 0.633 ± 0.678 vs 0.475 ± 0.012, both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Both combined prescription and separate prescription of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis traditional Chinese medicine can alleviate fatty liver in rats possibly by decreasing the expression of SOCS-3 and SREBP-1c mRNAs. Combined prescription is better than separate prescription in alleviating fatty liver.