Resveratrol improves alcoholic fatty liver disease by downregulating HIF-1α expression and mitochondrial ROS production

Oxidative stress has been demonstrated to be involved in the etiology of alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD). Previous studies had demonstrated that resveratrol (RES) could reduce oxidative stress by different mechanisms. However, the effect of RES on alcohol-induced fatty liver remains unclear. In the present study, a total of 48 male SD rats were divided into three groups: Control, AFLD, and RES groups. Rats were administered with either nothing or 65% vol/vol alcohol (5 ml/kg/day in the first three days, and then 10 ml/kg/day in the following days) with or without RES supplementation (250 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Blood and liver tissue samples were collected and subjected to biochemical assays, histological examination, Western blot, and mitochondrial radical oxygen species (ROS) assays. In RES group, significant decreases in serum ALT and AST concentrations, fat deposition, triglyceride (TG) content, HIF-1 alpha protein expression as well as mitochondrial ROS production in liver were observed when compared with AFLD group (all p < 0.05). These results indicated that RES could alleviate the liver injury induced by alcohol and prevent the progression of AFLD. Down regulation of HIF-1 alpha protein expression and mitochondrial ROS production in liver might be, at least part of, the underlying mechanisms.