Ezetimibe: Its Novel Effects on the Prevention and the Treatment of Cholesterol Gallstones and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Figure 7

Histological characterization of the hepatic response to ezetimibe in mice fed a chow versus a lithogenic diet for 4 weeks. The liver samples from mice fed with different diets and treated with or without ezetimibe were isolated and subjected to histological analysis. Panels (a)–(c) show representative liver histology with hematoxylin-eosin staining and panels (d)–(f) show Oil Red O staining. (a) and (d) Mice fed with the chow diet. (b) and (e) Mice fed with the lithogenic diet without ezetimibe. (c) and (f) Mice fed eith the lithogenic diet with ezetimibe. The lithogenic diet induced a significant accumulation of triglyceride and cholesteryl ester in the liver as well as hepatocyte damage and inflammation. Interestingly, ezetimibe treatment markedly reduced the accumulation of lipids and prevented hepatic inflammation. Reproduced with modifications and with permission from [52].