A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF ( + )-CATECHIN AND 3-PALMITOYL-( + )-CATECHIN ON ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER IN THE RAT

Abstract

Administration of a liquid diet containing 36% of the total calories as ethanol to male Wistar rats for three weeks caused a threefold increase in total hepatic lipid, a tenfold increase in hepatic triglycerides, a twofold increase in hepatic unesterfied fatty acids, and elevated the serum activities of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase, when compared with control data from animals pair-fed an isocaloric amount of glucose instead of ethanol. Simultaneous administration of either ( + )-catechin (200mg/kg by gastric tube) or 3-palmitoyl-( + )-catechin (l00mg/kg daily by gastric tube) to ethanol treated animals caused significant reductions in the extent of fat accumulation and hepatocellular damage as assessed by both biochemical and histological means. 3-Palmitoyl-( + )-catechin was more effective than ( + )-catechin, even though it was administered at only half the dose of that of the former. Pharmacokinetic studies in which [U-14C] labelled 3-palmitoyl-( +)-catechin and (+ )-catechin were given orally (150mg/kg each) to male rats showed that 3-palmitoyl-( + )-catechin achieved a higher peak tissue concentration and remained in the liver for a longer period than (+ )-catechin. These properties of 3-palmitoyl-( + )-catechin are thought to be due to its greater lipid solubility, thereby explaining its greater potency in the chronic fatty liver studies.