Abstract
Hyperlipidemia and insulin-resistance are often associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) thereby representing a true issue worldwide due to increased risk of developing cardiovascular and systemic disorders. Although clear evidence suggests that circulating fatty acids contribute to pathophysiological mechanisms underlying NAFLD and hyperlipidemia, further studies are required to better identify potential beneficial approaches for counteracting such a disease. Recently, several artichoke extracts have been used for both reducing hyperlipidemia, insulin-resistance and NAFLD, though the mechanism is unclear. Here we used a wild type of Cynara Cardunculus extract (CyC), rich in sesquiterpens and antioxidant active ingredients, in rats fed a High Fat Diet (HFD) compared to a Normal Fat Diet (NFD). In particular, in rats fed HFD for four consecutive weeks, we found a significant increase of serum cholesterol, triglyceride and serum glucose. This effect was accompanied by increased body weight and by histopathological features of liver steatosis. The alterations of metabolic parameters found in HFDs were antagonised dose-dependently by daily oral supplementation of rats with CyC 10 and 20 mg/kg over four weeks, an effect associated to significant improvement of liver steatosis. The effect of CyC (20 mg/kg) was also associated to enhanced expression of both OCTN1 and OCTN2 carnitine-linked transporters. Thus, present data suggest a contribution of carnitine system in the protective effect of CyC in diet-induced hyperlipidemia, insulin-resistance and NAFLD.
Highlights
Hyperlipidemia, which includes hypercholesterolemia either associated or not associated with increased serum triglyceride levels, is often associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseNutrients 2020, 12, 1435; doi:10.3390/nu12051435 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients (NAFLD) [1,2,3]
In rats fed an High Fat Diet (HFD) over a period of four consecutive weeks, an increase of serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride levels, SteatoTest, and MDA was found compared to rats receiving standard diet (NFD) (Table 1)
In animals fed a HFD and supplemented with 10 mg/kg of Cynara Cardunculus extract (CyC) in a single daily administration via gastric gavage, serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, SteatoTest and MDA levels were significantly lower than the concentrations found in rats receiving only HFDs
Summary
Hyperlipidemia, which includes hypercholesterolemia either associated or not associated with increased serum triglyceride levels, is often associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseNutrients 2020, 12, 1435; doi:10.3390/nu12051435 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients (NAFLD) [1,2,3]. NAFLD is closely associated with insulin-resistance and extra-hepatic disorders that involve the cardiovascular system, adipose tissue, intestines and muscles. For this reason, NAFLD may be defined as a systemic metabolic imbalance that increases cardio-metabolic risk [4,5,6,7]. Clear evidence exists that NAFLD is characterized by liver steatosis that is due to accumulation of fat in more than 5% of hepatocytes [7]. Clear evidence exists that imbalanced regulation of fat traffic in the liver is crucial for developing the disease and that elevated levels of circulating free fatty acids (FFAs) are associated with increased The pathophysiological mechanisms leading to accumulation of fat in the liver are still unknown and the development of novel therapeutic resources for approaching NAFLD still represents an unmet need.
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