Allium victorialis L. Extracts Promote Activity of FXR to Ameliorate Alcoholic Liver Disease: Targeting Liver Lipid Deposition and Inflammation

Allium victorialis L. (AVL) is a traditional medicinal plant recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica (the Ming Dynasty). In general, it is used for hemostasis, analgesia, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and to especially facilitate hepatoprotective effect. In recent years, it has received more and more attention due to its special nutritional and medicinal value. The present study investigates the effect and potential mechanism of AVL against alcoholic liver disease (ALD). C57BL/6 mice were fed Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 5% ethanol plus a single ethanol gavage (5 g/kg), and followed up with the administration of AVL or silymarin. AML12 cells were stimulated with ethanol and incubated with AVL. AVL significantly reduced serum transaminase and triglycerides in the liver and attenuated histopathological changes caused by ethanol. AVL significantly inhibited SREBP1 and its target genes, regulated lipin 1/2, increased PPAR alpha and its target genes, and decreased PPAR gamma expression caused by ethanol. In addition, AVL significantly enhanced FXR, LXRs, Sirt1, and AMPK expressions compared with the EtOH group. AVL also inhibited inflammatory factors, NLRP3, and F4/80 and MPO, macrophage and neutrophil markers. In vitro, AVL significantly reduced lipid droplets, lipid metabolism enzymes, and inflammatory factors depending on FXR activation. AVL could ameliorate alcoholic steatohepatitis, lipid deposition and inflammation in ALD by targeting FXR activation.