he Effects of Rosmarinic Acid on the Liver Fibrosis Induced by Non-alco-holic Steatohepatitis in Male Mice

Background and Objectives: Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is a serious and increasing liver dis-ease, which develops into cirrhosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Rosmarinic Acid (RA) is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the role of RA on a mouse model of NASH-induced liver fibrosis. Methods: In this research, C57/BL6 mice were divided into 4 equal groups, as follows: the control, RA, NASH, and NASH+RA groups. In the third and fourth groups, NASH was induced by Methionine-Choline Deficient (MCD) diet for 8 weeks. In the RA and NASH+RA group, RA was intraperitoneally injected daily for 8 weeks in mice. After 8 weeks, the explored animals were sacrificed and the blood and liver samples were obtained. Then, Trichrome-Masson staining, serum, and molecular analyses were performed. Results: After RA administration, the plasma levels of ALT and AST decreased. RA administration also reduced TGFβ and α-SMA genes expression. Finally, the histopathological evaluation revealed that RA administration decreased NASH-induced liver fibrosis. Conclusion: It seems that RA administration improves NASH-induced liver fibrosis through the inhibition of the α-SMA/ TGF-β signaling pathway.