The metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension. It is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes. Consumption of fructose is linked to increased prevalence of MS. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a steroid bile acid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities and has been shown to improve insulin resistance. The current study aims to investigate the effect of UDCA (150 mg/kg) on MS induced in rats by fructose administration (10%) in drinking water for 12 weeks. The effects of UDCA were compared to fenofibrate (100 mg/kg), an agonist of PPAR-α receptors. Treatment with UDCA or fenofibrate started from the 6th week after fructose administration once daily. Fructose administration resulted in significant increase in body weight, elevations of blood glucose, serum insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), uric acid levels, insulin resistance index and blood pressure compared to control rats. Moreover, fructose increased oxidative stress in aortic tissues indicated by significant increases of malondialdehyde (MDA), expression of iNOS and reduction of reduced glutathione (GSH) content. These disturbances were associated with decreased eNOS expression, increased infiltration of leukocytes and loss of aortic vascular elasticity. Treatment with UDCA successfully ameliorated the deleterious effects of fructose. The protective effect of UDCA could be attributed to its ability to decrease uric acid level, improve insulin resistance and diminish oxidative stress in vascular tissues. These results might support possible clinical application of UDCA in MS patients especially those present with liver diseases, taking into account its tolerability and safety. However, further investigations on human subjects are needed before the clinical application of UDCA for this indication.

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Hepatic fibrosis is a significant health problem that may progress to cirrhosis and cancer. It may be caused by viruses or chemicals such as dimethylnitrosamine, which is used as a preservative in processed meats and industrial products. The present study was designed to investigate the antifibrotic effect of hesperidin (100 or 200 mg/kg, a flavanone glycoside with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities) against liver fibrosis in rats compared to silymarin (100 mg/kg). Liver fibrosis was induced in rats using dimethylnitrosamine (10 mg/kg/day, i.p.) three times per week on alternating days for 4 weeks. After 28 days, tissue and blood samples were collected to assess the protective effect of hesperidin. Dimethylnitrosamine caused liver fibrosis as evidenced by the elevation in the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total and direct bilirubin, as well as hepatic malondialdehyde content, gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, α-smooth muscle actin and caspase-3. In addition, dimethylnitrosamine caused a reduction in serum total protein, albumin and hepatic glutathione content. Treatment with hesperidin (100 or 200 mg/kg) successfully ameliorated the deleterious effects of dimethylnitrosamine on all tested parameters. Our study indicates a novel protective effect of hesperidin against dimethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis. Interestingly, the protection evoked by hesperidin (200 mg/kg) was superior to that of the standard silymarin.