Effect of Pioglitazone on Hepatic Ultra- Structure and Metabolic Changes Induced by a High Sucrose Diet in Rats

Pioglitazone (Pio) is a PPAR-γ agonist insulin sensitizer has anti-inflammatory activity. Our novel aspect was to investigate its hepatic anti-inflammatory activity at the level of ultra-structure and enzymatic changes in a high sucrose diet animal model. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four equal groups: Control; control Pio; high sucrose diet; high sucrose diet Pio treated groups. Fourteen weeks later, serum glucose, insulin, lipogram, gamma glutamyle transferase, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, fetuin-A and adiponectin levels were measured. Hepatic tissue homogenate levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and myeloperoxidase activity were determined. Microscopic and ultra-structure hepatic changes were conducted in all animal groups. Administration of Pio in HS+Pio group reduced significantly the hepatic inflammatory markers and the hepatic enzymes compared with HS group. Both light and electron microscopic examination revealed a great improvement of the hepatic tissue with Pio treatment. This study suggested that Pio treatment in obesity; in addition to insulin sensitizing activity; could protect the liver from the development of hepatic inflammation induced by a high sucrose diet not only at the enzymatic but also at ultra-structure levels.