Systemic chemical sympathectomy does not alter the long-term course of disease in a murine model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

The effect of sympathetic innervation on the process of liver steatosis and development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is poorly understood. Our aim was to investigate the effect of systemic chemical sympathectomy (SE) by utilizing 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on the course of a Paigen-diet induced steatohepatitis in mice. Steatosis was assessed semiquantitatively by histology, intrahepatic measurement of triglycerides, cholesterol and free fatty acids. Inflammation and fibrosis were graded on histology and key modulators (TNF, collagen alpha1) determined by Taqman-PCR. Results: At 12 and 24 weeks, Paigen-diet i…