Comparison the Effects of Vitamin E and Propolis on Interleukin-5 and STAT1 Gene Expression in Wistar Rats with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing health concern worldwide. Unfortunately, scientists have not succeeded in finding a suitable treatment method for this disease, and more research is needed. Studies have shown that treatment with antioxidants is effective in this disease. In this study, the effect of two different antioxidants on NAFLD induced in male Wistar rats was evaluated. This study was conducted on 32 male Wistar rats weighing 200 grams, which were randomly divided into four groups of eight. Mice were fed by gavage with high-fat emulsion at the rate of 2 mg/kg for 40 days. After suffering from fatty liver, the level of interleukin-5 (IL-5) in the serum was measured and also the expression level of STAT1 gene was determined using real-time PCR. The results showed that the level of serum IL-5 in the patient group significantly increased compared to the control group, and the treatment groups with vitamin E and propolis, significantly decreased the level of interleukin-5 compared to the patient group (p < 0.05). In addition, the greatest decrease was related to the propolis group (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the level of STAT1 gene expression in the fatty liver group is significantly increased compared to the control group (p < 0.05); Whereas, after treatment with antioxidants, the expression of this gene decreased (p < 0.05). Based on the obtained results, the use of propolis and also vitamin E as natural antioxidants by reducing the inflammatory interleukin and also reducing the expression of genes effective in the formation of NAFLD, have a promising therapeutic role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.