Regulation of hepatic PNPLA3 gene expression by aerobic exercise and echium officinalis in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disorder caused by excessive fat accumulation in hepatocytes. PNPLA3 is one of the most important genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism, and its dysregulation contributes to triglyceride accumulation and the development and progression of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of eight weeks of interval aerobic training and Echium officinalis on PNPLA3 gene expression and liver function in male Wistar rats with Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats (8-10 weeks old, 250-300 g) were randomly assigned to four groups: control, interval training, echium officinalis, and interval training + echium officinalis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was induced by feeding the rats a high-fat diet for four weeks. Interval aerobic training was performed on a rodent treadmill, five days per week for eight weeks. Echium officinalis(200 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally by gavage five days per week before exercise sessions. After the end of the protocol, rats were euthanized and sampled, liver enzyme levels (ALT and AST) were measured, and PNPLA3 gene expression in liver tissue was assessed using real-time PCR. RESULTS: Eight weeks of interval training and echium officinalis significantly reduced ALT levels compared with the control group, while AST changes were less pronounced. PNPLA3 gene expression was significantly downregulated in all experimental groups, with the greatest reduction observed in the combined training + echium officinalis group(p < 0.05). Body weight changes were influenced by echium officinalis consumption, while interval training alone did not significantly affect weight. CONCLUSION: Integrating herbal supplementation with structured exercise may provide a synergistic approach to ameliorate hepatic steatosis and modulate genes involved in lipid metabolism.