Effects of a Supplementation with Ketogenic Amino Acids on Hepatic Steatosis Induced by Fructose in Healthy Humans

Abstract

High protein intake blunts the deposition of intrahepatocellular lipids (IHCL) in fat‐overfed human volunteers. The aim of this study was to assess whether essential amino acids (EAA) supplementation also inhibits IHCL synthesis induced by a high fructose (HFr) diet.9 healthy males were studied on 3 occasions, after 6 days of either: isocaloric balanced diet (C), the same diet supplemented with HFr or with HFr and EAA (HFrAA). IHCL content was measured by 1H nuclear magnetic spectroscopy and the effects of oral 13C fructose loads on VLDL‐13C palmitate production were monitored. HFr, compared to C, increased IHCL (2.7 ± 0.6 vs 1.3 ± 0.3 vol%) and plasma VLDL‐TG concentration (1.4 ± 0.2 vs 0.5 ± 0.1 mmol/L), both P < 0.05. It tended to increase VLDL production (16.7 ± 1.2 vs 12.0 ± 1.2 μmol/min), and enhanced VLDL‐13C palmitate production (195.2 ± 58.3 vs 4.0 ± 3.8 mmol/540 min, P < 0.05). Compared to HFr, HFrAA decreased IHCL (2.3 ± 0.5 vol%, P < 0.05), and further increased VLDL‐TG production to 21.2 ± 3.2 μmol/min (P < 0.05 vs C), but did not change VLDL‐13C palmitate production (326.6 ± 108.1 nmol/540 minutes).We conclude that a supplementation with EAA significantly blunts the IHCL synthesis induced by fructose overfeeding, possibly by enhancing hepatic VLDL‐TG secretion.Swiss National Science Foundation and Ajinomoto supported this work.