Title:Natural Compounds with Aldose Reductase (AR) Inhibition: A Class of
Medicative Agents for Fatty Liver Disease
Volume: 26
Issue: 11
Author(s): Tong Wang*Zi-hui Xu
Affiliation:
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
Keywords:
Fatty liver disease, aldose reductase, natural AR inhibitors, inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism.
Abstract: Fatty liver disease (FLD), which includes both non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
(NAFLD) and alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD), is a worldwide health concern. The etiology of
ALD is long-term alcohol consumption, while NAFLD is defined as an abnormal amount of lipid
present in liver cells, which is not caused by alcohol intake and has recently been identified as a
hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome (such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and
obesity). Inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid metabolic dysregulation are all known to play a
role in FLD progression. Alternative and natural therapies are desperately needed to treat this disease
since existing pharmaceuticals are mostly ineffective. The aldose reductase (AR)/polyol
pathway has recently been shown to play a role in developing FLD by contributing to inflammation,
oxidative stress, apoptosis, and fat accumulation. Herein, we review the effects of plantderived
compounds capable of inhibiting AR in FLD models. Natural AR inhibitors have been
found to improve FLD in part by suppressing inflammation, oxidative stress, and steatosis via the
regulation of several critical pathways, including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor
(PPAR) pathway, cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) pathway, AMP-activated protein kinase
(AMPK) pathway, etc. This review revealed that natural compounds with AR inhibitory effects are
a promising class of therapeutic agents for FLD.
