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Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of curcumin supplementation on inflammatory indices, and hepatic features in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)., Methods: Fifty patients with NAFLD were randomized to receive lifestyle modification advice plus either 1500 mg curcumin or the same amount of placebo for 12 weeks., Results: Curcumin supplementation was associated with significant decrease in hepatic fibrosis (p < 0.001), and nuclear factor-kappa B activity (p < 0.05) as compared with the baseline. Hepatic steatosis and serum level of liver enzymes, and tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α) significantly reduced in both groups (p < 0.05). None of the changes were significantly different between two groups., Conclusion: Our results indicated that curcumin supplementation plus lifestyle modification is not superior to lifestyle modification alone in amelioration of inflammation., Trial Registration: IRCT20100524004010N24, this trial was retrospectively registered on May 14, 2018.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major global health problem. The most common cause of death in these patients is due to cardiovascular disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of curcumin supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with NAFLD., Methods and Materials: In this randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial, fifty two patients with NAFLD were randomly assigned to receive life style recommendations plus either 1500 mg curcumin or placebo for 12 weeks. Anthropometric indices, blood lipid profile, insulin resistance, as well as hepatic steatosis and fibrosis scores were measured at the beginning and the end of the study, and compared between and within groups., Results: Hepatic fibrosis, serum cholesterol, glucose and alanin aminotransferase (ALT) reduced significantly only in curcumin group (p < 0.05). Anthropometric indices, blood lipid profile, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis decreased significantly in both groups (p < 0.05), without any significant difference between two groups., Conclusion: Our results showed that daily intake of 1500 mg curcumin plus weight loss is not superior to weight loss alone in amelioration of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with NAFLD. Further studies with different dosages of curcumin are needed to be able to conclude about the effects of this dietary supplement on cardiovascular risk factors and NAFLD characteristics.

Background & Aim: A new subset of macrophages has been found to be involved in process of hepatic fibrosis, which is called Ly-6C. This group of macrophages shows differences in terms of cytokines compared to common macrophages classification. The most important feature of this group is the low expression of TGF-β cytokine in comparison with macrophage M2, which can be a positive factor in stopping the process of liver fibrosis. In the present study, the role of mesenchymal stem cells in the polarization of Ly-6C macrophages through the CX3CL1 pathway was investigated in the healing process of liver fibrosis. Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were used for inducing experimental model of liver fibrosis by using CCL4. The rats were divided into 3 groups including; mesenchymal stem cell recipient group, Fibrotic experimental group as well as healthy group. Serological, molecular, pathological tests, Western blotting, flow cytometry and IHC were used to evaluate the development and stopping of the disease. The expression levels of macrophage and chemokine markers were evaluated using Real-time PCR. Rats adjacent to CCL4 based on Metavir index showed mainly fibrosis with F3 and F4 degrees. Also, changes in ALT/AST, ALb and fibrotic markers including; procollagen I and III, as well as α-sma at the molecular and protein levels showed significant differences between healthy and fibrotic samples. In the mesenchymal stem cell-treated group, there was a significant decrease of extracellular matrix components α-sma and serum markers (p<0.01). Also by measuring the level of CX3CL1 chemokine in MSC-treated group, there was an increase of about 6 fold in molecular level compared to the fibrosis group(p<0.001). In comparison, by examining the expression level of Ly-6C in different experimental groups, the mesenchymal stem cell recipient group showed a low level of Ly-6C expression, at the level of the healthy sample, while, the fibrotic model group showed a 5-fold increase in the level of Ly-6C. There was also a significant correlation between CX3CL1 expression and Ly-6C down regulation in MSC-treated animals (p<0.01). In the present study, it has been shown that in the process of fibrosis amelioration, mesenchymal stem cells can play a role in polarization of macrophages from Ly-6C-high (inflammatory) to Ly-6C low (anti-inflammatory) by elevating the level of CX3CL1, which can have a significant impact on the improving of liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]