Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and possible mechanism involved of naringenin liposome on lipid metabolism in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by high glucose and fat diet. Methods Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into control, model, naringenin, naringenin liposome group I and naringenin liposome group II with 10 rats in each. Except the rats in the control, the rats in other four were fed with high-sugar and high-fat diets, receiving intraperitoneal injection of normal salt, 30 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 naringenin, 20 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 and 30 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 of naringenin liposomes, respectively, for 12 weeks. Serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels were detected by ELISA, and Nrf2 mRNA and its protein were assayed by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Results The body weight, liver mass, serum TC, TG, ALT, AST, SOD, CAT and MDA levels in the model group were (547.6±19.8) g, (12.9±0.3) g, (1.2±0.2) mmol/L, (2.6±0.2)mmol/L, (69.8±5.3) U/L, (229.6±18.2) U/L, (29.9±6.4) U/L, (26.5±2.4) U/mg and (11.7±1.1) nmol/mL, and they all, but SOD and CAT, decreased in naringin-intervened, naringin liposome group I and naringin liposome group II (P<0.05); Nrf2 protein and Nrf2 mRNA in the liver tissues in naringenin group, naringenin liposome group I and naringenin liposome group II increased as compared to those in the model group. Conclusion Naringenin liposome effectively reduce the blood lipid levels in rats with NAFLD, which might be related to the production of SOD and CAT and activation of Nrf2 gene.

Key words: Nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases, Naringenin, Liposomes, Nrf2 gene, Rats