The expression of osteopontin in the liver of rats with alcoholic fatty liver

Objective To investigate the expression of osteopontin in the liver of rats with alcoholic fatty liver. Methods SD rats were treated with high fatty diet in combination with ethanol intake for 6 weeks to establish the model of alcoholic fatty liver. By the end of the 6th week,all rats were sacrificed,and the levels of ALT,AST,TG,TC,HDL-C in sera was measured respectively,and the slides of liver were stained with oil red O and observed by microscope. The expressions of osteopontin were detected by Western blot. Results Serum levels of ALT,AST,TG,TC in model groups increased significantly compared with controls(P0.05);the liver histological examination demonstrated the apparent fat accumulation in liver of rats with alcohol treatment. When combined with high fatty diet,ethanol could significantly improve the expression of osteopontin (P0.05). Conclusion The increased expression of osteopontin might play a role in the pathogenesis of alcolhol-induced fatty liver.