Do Omega‐3 Fatty Acids Prevent the Development of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity in the United States is at an all‐time high. It is estimated that 80–90% of the obese population has nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is characterized by excess lipid accumulation in the liver (when lipid exceeds >7% of total liver mass). NAFLD can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that includes development of hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and cell death. Omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish oils exhibit beneficial effects on regulating inflammation and may hold therapeutic potential as a preventative treatment of NAFLD.PURPOSEAssess the preventative effects of omega‐3 fatty acids on the development of NAFLD in high‐fat fed mice.METHODSMale C57BL/6 mice were randomized into four diet groups (n = 12/group) for 32 weeks: 10% low fat fish oil (LFFO), 41% high fat‐fish oil (HFFO), 10% low fat‐lard (LFL), or 41% high fat‐lard (HFL). At study completion, mice were euthanized and livers were frozen in O.C.T. compound in 2‐methylbutane while submerged in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80°C. Livers were cryosectioned at a thickness of 10 μm at −21°C. Fluorescence immunohistochemistry using Nile Red then allowed for the microscopic localization and quantification of neutral lipid droplets. The area of positive staining was calculated as a percentage of total section area, and an average neutral lipid droplet size was determined using Nikon Elements. A glucose tolerance test was performed at end study and the trapezoidal method was used to calculate total area under the curve (AUC).RESULTSBody weight in the HFL group was significantly greater than all other groups but glucose total AUC was only greater in HFL compared LFFO (p < 0.05). In addition, body weight (p < 0.05) and fasting glucose (p < 0.05) was greater in HFFO compared to LFFO. Based on this data, we expect a diet rich in omega‐3 fatty acids will mitigate hepatic lipid accumulation during prolonged feeding of a high fat diet. It is expected that HFL will have significantly greater liver lipid accumulation than HFFO, LFFO, and LFL.CONCLUSIONSThese findings would suggest a protective effect of omega‐3 fatty acids on development of NAFLD.Support or Funding InformationSupported by NIH R21NS090282‐01This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.