Effect of Omega-3 Drug and Virgin Coconut Oil in Histopathological and Molecular Changes in Liver of Experimentally Obese Pregnant Albino Rats

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the role of omega-3 and coconut oil in the histological changes caused by obesity in the liver of pregnant obese female rats and to evaluate the molecular change by estimating the gene expression of the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP-1) genes. The study used 50 albino female rats aging (90-110) and weighting (185-200gr). The experiment included two stages. First stage was to induce obesity by adding (45% fat) to the standard diet, except for the control group. In the second stage, female rats were left to mate and were divided into 5 groups (10 for each group) as follows: G1 was the Control group that remained on a standard diet, G2 was fed a high-fat diet only, G3 was orally dosed with Omega-3 (260 g/kg), G4 was orally dosed with coconut oil (200 mg/kg), G5 was orally dosed with both Omega 3 and coconut oil with the same doses. Animals were sacrificed on the 18th day of pregnancy. Histological examination of the G2 liver showed severe steatosis in hepatocytes, cellular swelling, and congestion in the central portal vein; lipid profile results showed a reduction in total Cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C in the blood serum of groups treated with both omega3 and Coconut oil. Liver in the group treated with Omega 3 alone or with coconut oil showed the normal histological features of the liver tissue. The liver of the G4 group, treated with coconut oil, showed slight cloudy degeneration of some hepatocytes with individual necrosis of some of the others and congestion in the portal vein. Groups treated with omega-3 and coconut oil separately or together showed an increase in the gene expression of IGF-1 and IGFBP-1.