Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder in Western countries, with a high prevalence, and has been shown to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), etc. Tomato products contain several natural antioxidants, including lycopene—which has displayed a preventive effect on the development of steatosis and CVD. Accordingly, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of tomato juice consumption on the urinary peptide profile in rats with NAFLD induced by an atherogenic diet and to identify potential peptide biomarkers for diagnosis. Urine samples, collected weekly for four weeks, were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled to a mass spectrometer (MS). A partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was carried out to explore the association between differential peptides and treatments. Among the 888 peptides initially identified, a total of 55 were obtained as potential biomarkers. Rats with steatosis after tomato juice intake showed a profile intermediate between that of healthy rats and that of rats with induced hepatic steatosis. Accordingly, tomato products could be considered as a dietary strategy for the impairment of NAFLD, although further research should be carried out to develop a specific biomarkers panel for NAFLD.
Highlights
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder in Western countries and has a high prevalence, affecting between 14% and 24% of the population and reaching higher incidence (25%–75%) in cases of obesity and type 2 diabetes individuals
We have shown that the consumption of tomato juice by rats with NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet ameliorated the steatosis, improving the metabolic pattern in the animals—which reached a state more similar to that of healthy rats [21,24]
The capillary electrophoresis (CE)-mass spectrometer (MS) approach is rapid, sensitive and automated [29]. This platform allows the detection of differences between the urinary proteomes from healthy and unhealthy individuals; it is a useful tool for the diagnosis and prevention of diseases
Summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder in Western countries and has a high prevalence, affecting between 14% and 24% of the population and reaching higher incidence (25%–75%) in cases of obesity and type 2 diabetes individuals. NAFLD has affected the adult population; it is extending to children and adolescents, due to the increased prevalence of obesity in these sub-populations [1,2]. The hallmark of NAFLD is hepatic lipid accumulation, mainly triglycerides, in the absence of significant ethanol consumption or viral hepatitis. It covers a spectrum of pathologies, ranging from hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis and even cirrhosis. Significant progress in understanding the pathogenesis of NAFLD has been achieved in recent years, the mechanisms leading to liver steatosis and further progress to NASH still remain unclear [3,4]
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