Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2228-5881 12 1 2022 01 01 Protective Role of trans-Chalcone against the Progression from Simple Steatosis to Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis: Regulation of miR-122, 21, 34a, and 451 200 205 10.34172/apb.2022.022 EN Elham Karimi-Sales https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1644-5058 Sajad Jeddi Abbas Ebrahimi-Kalan Mohammad Reza Alipour https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6484-4267 Journal Article 10.34172/apb.2022.022 2020 05 14 2021 01 29 Purpose: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an inflammatory disorder and an aggressiveform of fatty liver disease. Certain microRNAs, including miR-122, 21, 34a, and 451, areinvolved in the transition from steatosis to NASH. This study examined how trans-chalcone (thecore of chalcone derivatives) affects non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression byregulating miRNAs.Methods: Male rats were divided into three groups (n = 7/group) as follows: control, rats weregavaged with 10% tween 80 (for two weeks); NASH, rats were gavaged with a high-fat liquiddiet (HFD; for six weeks) and 10% tween 80 (for two weeks); NASH + Chal, rats were gavagedwith the HFD (for six weeks) and trans-chalcone (for two weeks). Hepatic expression levels ofmiR-122, 21, 34a, and 451 were determined.Results: trans-Chalcone reversed histological abnormalities, reduced liver injury markers,and attenuated insulin resistance in HFD-fed rats. In the liver, HFD-induced NASH increasedthe expression level of miR-34a and decreased expression levels of miR-122, 21, and 451.However, trans-chalcone inhibited HFD-induced changes in expression levels of these miRNAs.Conclusion: trans-Chalcone could inhibit the transition from steatosis to NASH through themodulation of miR-122, 21, 34a, and 451 expression levels in the liver.