Fig. 8

Schematic diagram of the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of RYR against NAFLD. RYR attenuates HFD-induced hepatic NF-κB signaling activation and then reduces the production of pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18. Simultaneously, RYR blocks HFD-triggered activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, resulting in decreased maturation and secretion of IL-1β and IL-18. The suppression of the aberrant inflammatory signaling by RYR regulates SREBP-1c, SREBP-2, and their target genes related to lipid synthesis. Meanwhile, monacolin K in RYR, acting as a competitive inhibitor of HMCGR, directly decreases the cholesterol synthesis in the liver