Abstract
BackgroundTwo major risk factors for the onset of fatty liver disease are excessive alcohol intake and obesity, the latter being associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of black rice extract (BRE) on hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed mice, providing a model of NAFLD.MethodsTwenty-four mice were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8 in each group): normal fat diet (ND), high fat diet (HF), and high fat diet supplemented with 1% (w/w) BRE (HF +1% BRE). The experimental diets were fed for seven weeks.ResultsA HF induced hepatic steatosis with significant increases in the serum levels of free fatty acids (FFAs), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and insulin. By contrast, supplementary BRE (10 g/kg of diet) included in the HF alleviated hepatic steatosis and significantly decreased serum TG and TC levels (p < 0.01 for both). Dietary BRE also increased expression of fatty acid metabolism-related genes, including carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT1A), acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO), cytochrome P450 (CYP4A10), and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-α (p < 0.05 for all).ConclusionsDietary BRE supplementation improved serum lipid profiles and significantly enhanced mRNA expression levels of fatty acid metabolism-related genes, primarily via β-oxidation and ω-oxidation in the liver. Taken together, these findings suggest that a BRE-supplemented diet could be useful in reducing the risks of hepatic steatosis and related disorders, including hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia.
Highlights
Two major risk factors for the onset of fatty liver disease are excessive alcohol intake and obesity, the latter being associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
In the absence of alcohol consumption, viral infection, or other specific etiologies, hepatic neutral lipid accumulation has been defined as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [5], which is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndromes such as obesity, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia [1]
Body weight change did not differ among the groups in our study, we did observe a significant increase in relative liver weight and hepatic steatosis accompanied by a partial mild inflammationin the high fat diet (HF) group
Summary
Two major risk factors for the onset of fatty liver disease are excessive alcohol intake and obesity, the latter being associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In the absence of alcohol consumption, viral infection, or other specific etiologies, hepatic neutral lipid accumulation has been defined as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [5], which is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndromes such as obesity, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia [1]. Multiple metabolic abnormalities may contribute to the development of fatty liver disease, insulin resistance is strongly associated with NAFLD [3,4,6]. NAFLD has become a major challenge to healthcare systems worldwide because of the increasing prevalence of its major risk factors, namely obesity and type 2 diabetes, which are closely linked to overeating, physical inactivity, and metabolic syndrome [7,8]. An important consideration of current research should be whether salutary metabolic effects, such as prevention of hepatic lipid accumulation and improvement of lipid profile, could be produced by phytochemicals in food
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