3,3'-Diindolylmethane Suppresses the Progression of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

By Kyle J. Norton


Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an advanced form of inflammatory non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) caused by a buildup of fat in the liver.

NASH has been found to induce the formation of scars of the liver, a leading cause of cirrhosis associated with the onset of liver cancer and liver failure.

The progression of NASH has been a leading cause of liver transplant.

Patients with NASH are asymptomatic. However, some patients may experience vague pain and discomfort in the abdomen.

The causes of NAFLD are identified. Some researchers suspected that long-term unhealthy diet accompanied by physical inactivity may have a strong impact in accelerating the onset of the disease.

Dr. Kristen Stephenson in the investigation of the western diet in the risk NAFLD, wrote, "Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease of increasing interest, as its prevalence is on the rise. NAFLD has been linked to metabolic syndrome, which is becoming more common due to the Western diet".

And, "WD mouse models consisting of high fat, cholesterol, and a combination of high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, or glucose not only lead to metabolic syndrome but also induce NAFLD".

3,3'-Diindolylmethane or DIM are phytochemicals derived from the digestion of indole-3-carbinol, belonging to the group of Indoles, found abundantly in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale, etc.

On finding the natural ingredient for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), researchers at the joint investigation led by the Fudan University examined the effects of 3, 3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) on methionine-choline-deficient (MCD)-diet induced mouse nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

NASH mice were administrated with or without DIM at different concentrations for 8 weeks 

In vivo, DIM treatment alleviated hepatic steatosis and inflammation and restored the Treg/Th17 imbalance from MCD diet-induced Th17 dominance to Treg dominance.

In-vitro, instead of suppressing the expression of Th17m, DIM not only significantly promoted the expression of the mRNAs that purify spleen CD4(+) T cells, but also enhanced the immunosuppressive function of these Treg cells.

In MCD-diet mice, DIM significantly exhibited the function of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 in metabolizing liver toxicity, whereas down-regulated those of TLR4 on CD4(+) T cells in the promotion of autoimmune inflammation, leading to Treg/Th17 imbalance.

In other words, DIM treated NASH by dramatical induction of Treg dominance to alleviate intra-hepatic inflammation.

Dr. Liu Y, the lead scientist wrote, "dietary cruciferous vegetables (containing abundant DIM) might exist as a protective factor for patients with NASH-related liver diseases".

Taken altogether, 3,3'-Diindolylmethane derived from the digestion of indole-3-carbinol may be considered a supplement for the prevention and treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of 3,3'-diindolylmethane in form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) 3, 3'-Diindolylmethane alleviates steatosis and the progression of NASH partly through shifting the imbalance of Treg/Th17 cells to Treg dominance by Liu Y1, She W1, Wang F1, Li J2, Wang J1, Jiang W. (PubMed)
(2) Updates on Dietary Models of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Current Studies and Insights by Kristen Stephenson,* 1 Lindsey Kennedy,†‡ 1 Laura Hargrove,‡ Jennifer Demieville,†Joanne Thomson,† Gianfranco Alpini,*†‡ and Heather Francis. (PMC)