Objective: To observe the effects of Soothing liver and Invigorating spleen recipes on PPARα mRNA and TNF-α protein expression in hepatic tissue of rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to explore the molecular mechanism. Method: NAFLD model was established by feeding high fat diet for 12 weeks.Then rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: model group

Soothing liver group

Invigorating spleen group

integrated group

Sanqi Zhigan Pill group and natural recovery group.Rats in model group were continuously given high fat diet while all other rats were given normal diet.Meanwhile

rats in medication groups were administrated i.g.with corresponding herbs.Eight weeks after the treatment

all rats were anesthetized by 3% pentobarbital sodium through intraperitoneal injection.TC

TG

AST

ALT content in the serum and TC

TG content in liver tissue was detected by automatic biochemical analyzer.The pathological changes of hepatic tissue were observed by HE staining.The peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha(PPARα) mRNA expression in liver tissue was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). tumor necrosrs factor-α(TNF-α) protein expression in the liver tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Result: Compared with the model group

the hepatic steatosis degree was alleviated obviously in all treatment groups and natural recovery group.TC

TG

AST

ALT content in serum

and TC

TG content in liver tissue were dramatically declined (P<0.01).PPARα mRNA expression in treatment groups and natural recovery group was up-regulated (P<0.05)

especially in the soothing liver and invigorating spleen group

whose expression was much higher compared with model group (P<0.01);.Compared with that in model group

TNF-α positive cell numbers were significantly decreased in treatment groups and natural recovery group (P<0.01). Conclusions :Soothing liver and invigorating spleen methods and recipes showed certain therapeutic effect on NAFLD

which might be linked to up-regulating PPARα mRNA and down-regulating TNF-α protein expression.