Chlorogenic Acid and Geniposide Combination Prevents NASH in Rats Fed High-fat diet via Microbiota and TLR4-LPS Pathway

Objective: Chlorogenic acid and geniposide (CG) are derived from traditional Chinese medicine, Yinchenhao Recipe (QCHR), and can improve the clinical efficacy of NASH patients. This study investigated the effects of CG on NASH and expounded its Potential mechanism of action through the LPS-TLR4 pathway and microbiota. Methods: Rats were randomized into Control (C), Model (M), Chlorogenic Acid and Geniposide (CG), Pioglitazone (PH) and Bifico (B) groups. After an 8-week high-fat diet (HFD), CG, PH and B oral treatment were initiated and carried out for a further 8 weeks. The stool samples were used in a16S rDNA V4 highly variable region measurement method in order to regulate the role of CG in gut microbiota. The concentrations of triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in LPS were detected by the corresponding methods. Results: Observations were made that CG significantly improved the pathology of the liver and terminal ileum tissue. The accumulation of TG and the content of inflammatory cytokines in the liver were significantly decreased and the abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly down-regulated. The expression of TLR4, AP-1, MyD88, and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 were significantly decreased. All the findings above indicated that CG was highly effective in improving the composition of gut microbiota, decreasing the production of endogenous LPS, and reducing the secretion of inflammatory cytokines through the gut-liver axis.Conclusion: CG can regulate the abundance and diversity of the intestinal microbial community and improve liver inflammation and steatosis in NASH rats by reducing LPS-TLR4-mediated inflammation.