No transfats

Abstract

The recent report of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis–like features and liver fibrosis in mice fed a diet high in saturated fats and high-fructose corn syrup by Kohli et al.1 is another important addition to our understanding of the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. However, readers should be aware that there is an error in this article's title, which indicates that the mice were fed a diet containing transfats. The fat fed to the mice in these experiments came from fully hydrogenated coconut oil. According to materials available from the manufacturer, Research Diets, the naturally low monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat content of coconut oil (8.2%) is reduced to 0.8% through hydrogenation, and the rest (99.2%) is saturated fat. The unsaturated fat (0.8%) is monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, so the diet does not contain transfats. This error in describing the composition of the diet highlights the importance of including as much detail as possible in the Materials and Methods section with respect to the sources of fat, carbohydrates, and protein in animal diets used to induce features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Brent A. Neuschwander-Tetri M.D.*, * Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO.