Liver Cholesterol Concentrations Research Articles

Molecular characterization of farnesoid X receptor alpha in Megalobrama amblycephala and its potential roles in high-carbohydrate diet-induced alterations of bile acid metabolism

Farnesoid X receptorα (FXRα) plays a central role in maintaining the bile acid homeostasis in mammals, while relevant processes are still poorly interpreted in aquatic species. This study was conducted to characterize the fxrα gene in a cyprinidae species: blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), and investigate its potential roles in bile acid metabolism. The Fxrα protein contains one DNA binding domain, one ligand binding domain, one His-Try “switch” and two modifies residues. A high degree of conservation (53.18–100.00 %) was observed in the Fxrα protein among most aquatic species and higher vertebrates. The transcription of fxrα was mainly observed in intestine, liver and kidney. Then fish (35.0 ± 0.15 g) were fed two diets containing 33 % and 45 % carbohydrate levels for 12weeks. High-carbohydrate diet significantly elevated the total cholesterol concentrations in plasma, liver and hindgut as well as the triglyceride concentrations in both liver and hindgut, but decreased the total bile acid concentrations in plasma, liver and hindgut. High dietary carbohydrate levels also significantly enhanced hepatic transcriptions of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis), and those of fxrα (a bile acid receptor) and multidrug resistance associated protein 2 (a bile acid transporter) in hindgut. Furthermore, high dietary carbohydrate levels significantly decreased the transcriptions of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (the rate-limiting enzyme in bile acid synthesis) and organic anion-transporting polypeptides (a bile acid transporter) in liver as well as that of takeda G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor in hindgut. The results demonstrated that the fxrα gene of blunt snout bream is highly conserved compared with other vertebrates. Besides, high dietary carbohydrate levels increased total cholesterol concentrations, and up-regulated the transcription of fxrα, thus decreasing the biosynthesis and reabsorption of bile acids by mediating various target genes.

Expressing the Human Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Minigene Improves Diet-Induced Fatty Liver and Insulin Resistance in Female Mice.

Mounting evidence has shown that CETP has important physiological roles in adapting to chronic nutrient excess, specifically, to protect against diet-induced insulin resistance. However, the underlying mechanisms for the protective roles of CETP in metabolism are not yet clear. Mice naturally lack CETP expression. We used transgenic mice with a human CETP minigene (huCETP) controlled by its natural flanking region to further understand CETP-related physiology in response to obesity. Female huCETP mice and their wild-type littermates were fed a high-fat diet for 6 months. Blood lipid profile and liver lipid metabolism were studied. Insulin sensitivity was analyzed with euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies combined with 3H-glucose tracer techniques. While high-fat diet feeding induced obesity for huCETP mice and their wild-type littermates lacking CETP expression, insulin sensitivity was higher for female huCETP mice than for their wild-type littermates. There was no difference in insulin sensitivity for male huCETP mice vs. littermates. The increased insulin sensitivity in females was largely caused by the better insulin-mediated suppression of hepatic glucose production. In huCETP females, CETP in the circulation decreased HDL-cholesterol content and increased liver cholesterol uptake and liver cholesterol and oxysterol contents, which was associated with the upregulation of LXR target genes in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and PPARα target genes in fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver. The upregulated fatty acid β-oxidation may account for the improved fatty liver and liver insulin action in female huCETP mice. This study provides further evidence that CETP has beneficial physiological roles in the metabolic adaptation to nutrient excess by promoting liver fatty acid oxidation and hepatic insulin sensitivity, particularly for females.

Dietary Phospholipids Prepared From Scallop Internal Organs Attenuate the Serum and Liver Cholesterol Contents by Enhancing the Expression of Cholesterol Hydroxylase in the Liver of Mice.

In this study, we successfully prepared scallop oil (SCO), which contains high levels of phospholipids (PL) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis), one of the most important underutilized fishery resources in Japan. The intake of SCO lowers the serum and liver cholesterol contents in mice; however, whether the fatty acids (FA) composition or PL of SCO exhibits any cholesterol-lowering effect remains unknown. To elucidate whether the cholesterol-lowering function is due to FA composition or PL of SCO, and investigate the cholesterol-lowering mechanism by SCO, in the present study, mice were fed SCO's PL fraction (SCO-PL), triglyceride (TG)-type oil with almost the same FA composition as SCO-PL, called SCO's TG fraction (SCO-TG), soybean oil (SOY-TG), and soybean's PL fraction (SOY-PL). Male C57BL/6J mice (5-week-old) were fed high-fat and cholesterol diets containing 3% (w/w) experimental oils (SOY-TG, SOY-PL, SCO-TG, and SCO-PL) for 28 days. The SCO-PL diet significantly decreased the serum and liver cholesterol contents compared with the SOY-TG diet, but the intake of SOY-PL and SCO-TG did not show this effect. This result indicated that the serum and liver cholesterol-lowering effect observed in the SCO intake group was due to the effect of SCO-PL. The cholesterol-lowering effect of SCO-PL was in part related to the promotion of liver cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) expression, which is the rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid synthesis. In contrast, the expression levels of the ileum farnesoid X receptor (Fxr) and fibroblast growth factor 15 (Fgf15), which inhibit the expression of liver CYP7A1, were significantly reduced in the SCO-PL group than the SOY-TG group. From these results, the increase in the liver CYP7A1 expression by dietary SCO-PL was in part through the reduction of the ileum Fxr/Fgf15 regulatory pathway. Therefore, this study showed that SCO-PL may be a health-promoting component as it lowers the serum and liver cholesterol contents by increasing the liver CYP7A1 expression, which is not seen in SOY-PL and SCO-TG.

Hypomorphic ASGR1 modulates lipid homeostasis via INSIG1-mediated SREBP signaling suppression.

A population genetic study identified that the asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1) mutation carriers had substantially lower non–HDL-cholesterol (non–HDL-c) levels and reduced risks of cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanism behind this phenomenon remained unclear. Here, we established Asgr1-knockout mice that represented a plasma lipid profile with significantly lower non–HDL-c and triglyceride (TG) caused by decreased secretion and increased uptake of VLDL/LDL. These 2 phenotypes were linked with the decreased expression of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, 2 key targeted genes of sterol regulatory element–binding proteins (SREBPs). Furthermore, there were fewer nuclear SREBPs (nSREBPs) on account of more SREBPs being trapped in endoplasmic reticulum, which was caused by an increased expression of insulin-induced gene 1 (INSIG1), an anchor of SREBPs. Overexpression and gene knockdown interventions, in different models, were conducted to rescue the ASGR1-deficient phenotypes, and we found that INSIG1 knockdown independently reversed the ASGR1-mutated phenotypes with increased serum total cholesterol, LDL-c, TG, and liver cholesterol content accompanied by restored SREBP signaling. ASGR1 rescue experiments reduced INSIG1 and restored the SREBP network defect as manifested by improved apolipoprotein B secretion and reduced LDL uptake. Our observation demonstrated that increased INSIG1 is a critical factor responsible for ASGR1 deficiency–associated lipid profile changes and nSREBP suppression. This finding of an ASGR1/INSIG1/SREBP axis regulating lipid hemostasis may provide multiple potential targets for lipid-lowering drug development.

Vitamin D modulates hepatic microRNAs and mitigates tamoxifen-induced steatohepatitis in female rats.

Tamoxifen (TAM) is a life-saving and cost-effective drug widely used in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. However, the adverse effects of tamoxifen can lead to non-adherence and poor patient outcomes. Therefore, exploring novel strategies to improve TAM safety profile is crucial. Given the key role that vitamin D (VD) plays in modulating lipid metabolism and inflammation, in addition to its benefits in reducing risk and progression of breast cancer, we evaluated the protective potential of VD against TAM-induced hepatotoxicity focusing on lipid metabolism and microRNAs (miRNAs) regulation. Female rats were pretreated with VD as cholecalciferol (500 IU/kg/day, po) for 4weeks before receiving TAM (40 mg/kg/day, po) concurrently with VD during the fifth and sixth weeks. Liver histology, lipid profile and expression of genes, proteins, and miRNAs involved in lipid metabolism and inflammation were examined. TAM-induced steatohepatitis was evidenced by elevated liver triglycerides and cholesterol contents, increased serum miRNA-122 level, and ALT activity, in parallel with accumulation of lipid droplets, focal necrosis, and inflammatory cells infiltration in hepatocytes. Prophylactic use of VD mitigated TAM-induced steatohepatitis by modulating key transcription factors in the liver: PPAR-α, Srebf1, and NF-κB and their downstream genes/proteins Fas, CPT-1A, and TNF-α resulting in reduced hepatic lipids and suppressed pro-inflammatory signaling. Notably, VD pretreatment mitigated TAM-induced alterations in the expression of serum miRNA-122, hepatic miRNA-21, and miRNA-33. The combination therapy of VD and TAM has complementary benefits in terms of safety and not only efficacy and should be further investigated clinically.

Effect of Supplementation of Fermented Yeast Culture on Hormones and Their Receptors on Exposure to Higher Temperature and on Production Performance after Exposure in Nicobari Chickens.

Heat stress (HS) affects the production performance in chickens and causes economic loss to the producers. Most of the studies have been conducted on and for the welfare of broilers. We still lack information on the physiological parameters being affected during chronic heat stress in layers. To fill this gap, the present study evaluated the effect of heat stress (induced in the chamber) during the prelaying period (21–23 weeks) on plasma levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin and GH and expression of the respective receptors and heat stress markers. Three groups were considered, one at room temperature (CR) and the other two groups (SH and CH) subjected to heat stress at 39°C for four hours for three weeks (21–23 weeks of age). The SH group (SH) feed was supplemented with fermented yeast culture (FYC, 700 mg/kg), whereas the CH group was devoid of it. After that, all the groups were shifted to shed under natural ambient conditions till 31 weeks of age. Studies were restricted to production performance only. Feed offered without yeast culture (CH group) had a smaller concentration of plasma hormones (P < 0.01) and increased expression fold of the hormone receptors (P < 0.01). Further, the group also presented higher liver AMP kinase enzyme, plasma MDA (malondialdehyde), and cholesterol concentrations. These changes likely explained the decrease in feed intake and the CH group's body weight and further reduced the production performance during the laying period. Supplementation with FYC to birds had an opposite effect on the above-mentioned parameters, reducing HS effects. In summary, supplementation with FYC (700 mg/kg) maintained physiological parameters as in the CR group under HS conditions and negated adverse effects on parameters both before and during laying periods.

Spirulina liquid extract prevents metabolic disturbances and improves liver sphingolipids profile in hamster fed a high-fat diet.

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by hyperglycemia, hyperlipemia and exacerbated oxidative stress. The aim of the study was to determine whether Spirulysat®, a Spirulina liquid extract (SLE) enriched in phycocyanin, would prevent metabolic abnormalities induced by high-fat diet. The effect of acute SLE supplementation on postprandial lipemia and on triton-induced hyperlipidemia was studied in hamster fed control diet (C). The effect of chronic SLE supplementation on lipid content in plasma, liver and aorta, and on glycemia and oxidative stress was studied in hamster fed control (C) or high-fat diet (HF) for two weeks and then treated with SLE for two weeks (CSp and HFSp) or not (C and HF). The acute SLE supplementation lowered plasma cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations after olive oil gavage (P < 0.05) in CSp, while no effect was observed on triglyceridemia. HFD increased plasma MDA, basal glycemia, triglyceridemia, total plasma cholesterol, VLDL, LDL and HDL cholesterol, ceramide, sphingomyelin and glucosylceramide content in liver in HF compared to C (P < 0.05). SLE did not affect SOD and GPx activities nor total antioxidant status in HFSp group but lowered glycemia, glucoceramide and cholesterol in liver and cholesterol in aorta compared to HF (P < 0.05). SLE also decreased HMGCoA and TGF-β1 gene expression in liver (P < 0.05) and tended to lower G6Pase (P = 0.068) gene expression in HFSp compared to HF. Although 2-week SLE supplementation did not affect oxidative stress, it protected from hyperglycemia and lipid accumulation in liver and aorta suggesting a protective effect against metabolic syndrome.

Lipolysis and lipophagy play individual and interactive roles in regulating triacylglycerol and cholesterol homeostasis and mitochondrial form in zebrafish

Neutral lipases-mediated lipolysis and acid lipases-moderated lipophagy are two main processes for degradation of lipid droplets (LDs). However, the individual and interactive roles of these metabolic pathways are not well known across vertebrates. This study explored the roles of lipolysis and lipophagy from the aspect of neutral and acid lipases in zebrafish. We established zebrafish strains deficient in either adipose triglyceride lipase (atgl−/−; AKO fish) or lysosomal acid lipase (lal−/−; LKO fish) respectively, and then inhibited lipolysis in the LKO fish and lipophagy in the AKO fish by feeding diets supplemented with the corresponding inhibitors Atglistatin and 3-Methyladenine, respectively. Both the AKO and LKO fish showed reduced growth, swimming activity, and oxygen consumption. The AKO fish did not show phenotypes in adipose tissue, but mainly accumulated triacylglycerol (TAG) in liver, also, they had large LDs in the hepatocytes, and did not stimulate lipophagy as a compensation response but maintained basal lipophagy. The LKO fish reduced total lipid accumulation in the body but had high cholesterol content in liver; also, they accumulated small LDs in the hepatocytes, and showed increased lipolysis, especially Atgl expression, as a compensatory mechanism. Simultaneous inhibition of lipolysis and lipophagy in zebrafish resulted in severe liver damage, with the potential to trigger mitophagy. Overall, our study illustrates that lipolysis and lipophagy perform individual and interactive roles in maintaining homeostasis of TAG and cholesterol metabolism. Furthermore, the interactive roles of lipolysis and lipophagy may be essential in regulating the functions and form of mitochondria.

Effect of vitamin E supplementation to diet containing herbal mixture on performance and carcass quality of broiler chickens

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of vitamin E supplementation to diet containing herbal mixture on performance, meat quality, hematological status and fat deposition of broiler chickens. Eighty 15-day-old female broilers were distributed into 2 treatment groups with 4 replications (10 female broilers of each replication) as follows. Feed with FSBL plus 1 g of turmeric and 2 g garlic (P1) and Feed of P1 plus vitamin E (P2). Vitamin E supplementation had no effect on performance, carcass weight, meat bone ratio, drip loss and cooking loss, gizzard, spleen, proventriculus, gallbladder, heart, caecum, intestine, fat depot in abdomen, sartorial, neck, heart, proventriculus, and liver as expressed by fatty liver score, blood triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL and HDL concentrations, moisture, and fat and ash contents of meats. However, it reduced liver weight, toxicity score, gizzard fat depot and meat protein. In conclusion, vitamin E supplementation to diet containg herbal mixture reduced meat protein, toxicity score, and gizzard fat depot.

Increased Hepatic Lipogenesis Elevates Liver Cholesterol Content.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most common cause of death in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dyslipidemia is considered at least partially responsible for the increased CVD risk in NAFLD patients. The aim of the present study is to understand how hepatic de novo lipogenesis influences hepatic cholesterol content as well as its effects on the plasma lipid levels. Hepatic lipogenesis was induced in mice by feeding a fat-free/high-sucrose (FF/HS) diet and the metabolic pathways associated with cholesterol were then analyzed. Both liver triglyceride and cholesterol contents were significantly increased in mice fed an FF/HS diet. Activation of fatty acid synthesis driven by the activation of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1c resulted in the increased liver triglycerides. The augmented cholesterol content in the liver could not be explained by an increased cholesterol synthesis, which was decreased by the FF/HS diet. HMG-CoA reductase protein level was decreased in mice fed an FF/HS diet. We found that the liver retained more cholesterol through a reduced excretion of bile acids, a reduced fecal cholesterol excretion, and an increased cholesterol uptake from plasma lipoproteins. Very low-density lipoprotein-triglyceride and -cholesterol secretion were increased in mice fed an FF/HS diet, which led to hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in Ldlr-/- mice, a model that exhibits a more human like lipoprotein profile. These findings suggest that dietary cholesterol intake and cholesterol synthesis rates cannot only explain the hypercholesterolemia associated with NAFLD, and that the control of fatty acid synthesis should be considered for the management of dyslipidemia.

Effects of Dietary Cottonseed Oil and Cottonseed Meal Supplementation on Liver Lipid Content, Fatty Acid Profile and Hepatic Function in Laying Hens.

Simple SummaryCottonseed by-products have been considered for use as nutrients in animal diets for a long time. However, the antinutrients, such as free gossypol and cyclopropene fatty acids, from cottonseed have caused numerous adverse effects on animal production. Commonly studies were concentrated on the toxicity of free gossypol, while the toxicity of cyclopropene fatty acids in cottonseed oil was neglected. The current study showed that dietary supplementation of degossypolized cottonseed oil containing cyclopropene fatty acids in diets contributed to dramatic changes in the fatty acid profile in tissues and elevated serum cholesterol level in hens. Therefore, it should raise public concerns about the application of cottonseed oil in both animal and human diets because of its long tradition of use in human food processing.Antinutrients, such as cyclopropene fatty acids (CPFAs) and free gossypol (FG), present together in cottonseed have caused numerous adverse effects on liver health and egg quality of laying hens, which are both likely to be related to a disturbance in lipid metabolism. This experiment employed a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement using corn–soybean-meal-based diets supplemented with different levels of cottonseed oil (0%, 2%, or 4% CSO) containing CPFAs and cottonseed meal (0%, 6%, or 12% CSM) containing FG to elucidate the effects of them or their interaction on fatty acid profile, lipid content, and liver health of laying hens. An overall increase in fatty acid saturation and an overall significant decrease (p < 0.05) in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were shown in the livers of hens fed diets with either 2% or 4% CSO. Meanwhile, the concentration of liver cholesterol, serum cholesterol, and serum LDL-c of hens fed a diet supplemented with a high level of CSO (4%) were noticeably increased (p < 0.05). Even though the supplementation of 4% CSO in diets aroused beneficial influences on liver function, a high level of CSO inclusion in laying hens’ diets is not recommended due to its hypercholesterolemia effect. In conclusion, supplementation of CSO, which contains 0.20% CPFAs, was the primary cause of alteration in fatty acid composition and cholesterol content in hens, while no interaction between CSM and CSO nor CSM effect was found for lipid profile and liver health in laying hen.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, bentonite, and kaolin as adsorbents for reducing the adverse impacts of mycotoxin contaminated feed on broiler histopathology and hemato-biochemical changes

Background and Aim:Saccharomyces cerevisiae, bentonite and kaolin were used to reduce the adverse effects of mold-contaminated diet on broilers. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of S. cerevisiae, bentonite, and kaolin in reducing the adverse effects of mold (fungal) contaminated diet on broilers. Specifically, we investigated the histopathological, hematological, and serum biochemical changes associated with broilers fed mold-contaminated diets supplemented with these three adsorbents. We also isolated and identified the common fungal contaminants in the poultry feeds as well as the mycotoxins they produced.Materials and Methods:Hundred broilers (3-weeks-old) were randomly grouped into five dietary treatments, basal feed (negative control), feed contaminated with mold, mold-contaminated feed+S. cerevisiae, mold-contaminated feed+bentonite, and mold-contaminated feed+kaolin. The fungal contaminants in the feeds were isolated and molecularly identified while the mycotoxins in the feed where analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Blood samples of birds from each group were analyzed for hematology and serum biochemistry. The liver, spleen, kidney, and bursa of Fabricius of the birds were excised and analyzed for histopathological changes.Results:The most common fungal contaminants in the feeds were Penicillium (33.3%) species, followed by Aspergillus species (22.2%). The mold-contaminated feed had the highest number of fungal contaminants, 55.6%, while the negative control (basal feed group) had none. Total aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol were high in the mold-contaminated feed (53.272 μg/kg and 634.5 μg kg, respectively), but these were reduced by the addition of adsorbents to the feed. The birds fed mold-contaminated feed had significantly (p<0.05) reduced red blood cell count counts, packed cell volume, and hemoglobin but increased white blood cell count compared to the negative control. Liver enzyme activity (alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase) and cholesterol concentration increased significantly (p<0.05) in the group fed mold-contaminated feed while the serum albumin and total protein decreased significantly (p<0.05) in comparison with the negative control. Adverse histopathological changes were observed in the liver, kidney, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius in the group fed mold-contaminated feed. Addition of S. cerevisiae, bentonite or kaolin in the mold-contaminated feed ameliorated these toxic effects.Conclusion:The observed histopathological lesions were consistent with mycotoxicosis in birds and were mild in the adsorbent treated groups. Kaolin had a higher protective effect against mycotoxicosis than the two other adsorbents.

Dietary Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid Ethyl Esters Influence the Gut Microbiota and Bacterial Metabolites in Rats.

Dietary fish oil containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been reported to affect the diversity and composition of gut microbiota and bacterial metabolites. However, few reports have focused on the effects of EPA and DHA on gut microbiota diversity and bacterial metabolites. This study evaluated the effects of dietary EPA-ethyl ester (EE) and DHA-EE on steroid metabolism, gut microbiota, and bacterial metabolites in Wistar rats. Male rats were fed the experimental diets containing 5% (w/w) soybean oil-EE (SOY diet), EPA-EE (EPA diet), and DHA-EE (DHA diet) for four weeks. The lipid contents in the serum and liver, mRNA expression levels in the liver, and the diversity, composition, and metabolites of the gut microbiota were evaluated. The EPA and DHA diets decreased serum and liver cholesterol contents compared to the SOY diet. In addition, there were no significant changes in gene expression levels related to steroid metabolism in the liver between the EPA and DHA groups. Rats fed the DHA diet had lower microbiota diversity indices, such as Simpson and Shannon indices, than rats fed the SOY and EPA diets. In addition, rats fed EPA and DHA had significant differences in the relative abundance of microbiota at the genus level, such as Phascolarctobacterium, Turicibacter, and [Eubacterium]. Therefore, it was concluded that EPA and DHA have different effects on the diversity and composition of gut microbiota under the experimental conditions employed herein.

Use of Chou’s 5-steps Rule to Study the Effect of Cereal Dietary Protein on Liver and Coronary Heart Disease Prevention

Background: The liver is a vital organ in the human body involved in the metabolic processes. The liver can be damaged due to factors such as protein deficiency, viral infection, as well as consumption of alcohol, chemical contaminants, and adulterated food. High blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, lack of exercise, poor diet, obesity and cigarette smoking are the major risk factors for stroke, heart attack and coronary heart disease (CHD). In medical science, several synthetic drugs have been discovered and used for the treatment of people suffering from liver injury and CHD, but these are not always effective and sometimes difficult to manage by medical therapies and also found to be accompanied by other side effects. Objective: The study aimed to critically review the recent research and studies of epidemiological and randomized controlled trials to find out the effective cereal protein as an alternative preventive food to reduce the risk of CHD and protect the liver from viral hepatic diseases, focusing on daily food intake, body weight, liver weight, serum enzyme activities and cholesterols. Methods: A few of the data from our experiment were used. A literature search was performed for a reliable source of published research articles, review papers, and epidemiological and randomized controlled trials on the effects of cereal protein on animals and human intervention on Google, Google scholar, Redcube, Endnote, Scopus, SpringerDirect.com, PubMed and Web of Science. Then, the data was organized, summarized and analyzed. Results: In medical science, serum enzyme activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and lipid peroxidation stress malondialdehyde (MDA) are commonly used as biochemical markers of the liver-damaging agents. Blood cholesterols (total cholesterol-TC, triglyceride-TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-LDLC and highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol-HDLC) are used as the markers of heart diseases. The review shows that daily food intake and body weight data are not significantly differed among normal diet, casein (CAS) and cereals protein. The millet and wheat protein increase the liver weight, whereas the rice protein lowers the liver weight. The intake of cereal protein significantly reduces the activities of serum AST, ALT, LDH, MDA, TC, TG and LDLC, whereas it increases the HDLC. Conclusion: Experimental, review and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) data confirm that cereal protein appears to be beneficial in reducing the hepatic liver injury and CHD by maintaining body weight, liver weight, blood pressure, serum enzyme activities of AST, ALT and LDH, lipid peroxidation stress MDA and cholesterol concentrations both in plasma and liver.

Effects of dietary oils prepared from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) on cholesterol metabolism in obese type-II diabetic KK-Ay mice.

Our research team has successfully prepared high‐quality scallop oil (SCO), containing high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and phospholipids (PL) from the internal organs of Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) which is the largest unutilized marine resource in Japan. In this study, we prepared SCOs from scallop internal organs obtained from Mutsu (Aomori) and Uchiura (Hokkaido) bays in Japan, and named them SCO‐M and SCO‐U, respectively. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary SCO‐M and SCO‐U on cholesterol metabolism in obese type‐II diabetic KK‐Ay mice. Four‐week‐old male KK‐Ay mice were divided into four groups. The Control group was fed with AIN93G‐modified high‐fat (3 wt% soybean oil + 17 wt% lard) diet, and the other groups were fed with high‐fat diet, in which 7 wt% of the lard contained in the Control diet was replaced with SCO‐M, SCO‐U, or tuna oil (TO). After the mice had been fed with the experimental diet for 49 days, their serum, liver, and fecal lipid contents, as well as their liver messenger ribonucleic acid expression levels, were evaluated. The SCO‐M and SCO‐U groups were significantly decreased liver cholesterol contents compared to those of the Control and TO groups, partially through the enhancement of the fecal neutral sterol excretions and the tendency to increase the cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase expression level of the liver. These results indicated that dietary SCO‐M and SCO‐U exhibited cholesterol‐lowering functions in the liver that can help prevent the development of lifestyle‐related diseases.

Ezetimibe Enhances Macrophage-to-Feces Reverse Cholesterol Transport in Golden Syrian Hamsters Fed a High-Cholesterol Diet

The aim of this work was to evaluate reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in hamster, animal model expressing CETP under a high cholesterol diet (HF) supplemented with Ezetimibe using primary labelled macrophages. We studied three groups of hamsters (n=8/group) for 4 weeks: 1) chow diet group: Chow, 2) High cholesterol diet group: HF and 3) HF group supplemented with 0.01% of ezetimibe: HF+0.01%Ezet. Following intraperitoneal injection of 3H-cholesterol-labelled hamster primary macrophages, we measured the in vivo macrophage-to-feces RCT. .HF group exhibited an increase of triglycerides (TG), cholesterol, glucose in plasma and higher TG and cholesterol content in liver (p<0.01) compared to Chow group. Ezetimibe induced a significant decrease in plasma cholesterol with a lower LDL and VLDL cholesterol (p<0.001) and in liver cholesterol (p<0.001) and TG (p<0.01) content compared to HF. In vivo RCT essay showed an increase of tracer level in plasma and liver (p<0.05) but not in feces in HF compared to Chow group. The amount of labelled total sterol and cholesterol in liver and feces was significantly reduced (p<0.05) and increased (p=0.05) respectively with Ezetimibe treatment. No significant increase was obtained for labelled feces bile acids in HF+0.01%Ezet compared to HF. Ezetimibe decreased SCD1 gene expression and increased SR-B1 (p<0.05) in liver but did not affect NPC1L1 nor ABCG5 and ABCG8 expression in jejunum. In conclusion, ezetimibe exhibited an atheroprotective effect by enhancing RCT in hamster and decreasing LDL cholesterol. Ours findings showed also a hepatoprotective effect of ezetimibe by decreasing hepatic fat content. Significance Statement This work was assessed to determine the effect of ezetimibe treatment on high cholesterol diet induced disturbances and especially the effect on reverse cholesterol transport in animal model with CETP activity and using labelled primary hamster macrophages. We were able to demonstrate that ezetimibe exhibited an atheroprotective effect by enhancing RCT and by decreasing LDL cholesterol in hamster. We showed also a hepatoprotective effect of ezetimibe by decreasing hepatic fat content.

Impact of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) seeds in fattener diets on pig performance and carcass traits and fatty acid profile and cholesterol of meat, backfat and liver

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of milk thistle seed supplementation in pig fattener diets on productive traits, slaughter carcass traits, and meat quality as well as meat, backfat and liver fatty acid composition. The experiment was carried out using 60 barrows, with an initial body weight of 25.0 ± 0.5 kg. The experiment lasted for 100 days. The animals were divided into 3 groups, with 20 pigs in each. The diet of the control group (group I) did not have thistle supplementation, while the remaining groups received 3% (group II) or 6% (group III) thistle in the mixture. Analysis showed that the milk thistle seeds contained relatively high contents of protein, fat, lysine, linoleic acid, oleic acid, and active flavonolignans – specifically silybin A and B (26.4 g), isosilybin (5.3 g), silychristin (10.6 g) and a low amount of silydianin (0.1 g). The 3% milk thistle seed addition improved the average daily weight gains by about 2% and 6% addition improved the gains by 3.8% during the grower period. There was no significant effect of milk thistle seeds on carcass meat content but the backfat layer was thinner. The meat of pigs which received milk thistle was more saturated in red (significantly higher a* values) and less saturated in yellow (significantly lower b* values) for both fresh and cooked samples and its texture, water-holding capacity and oxidative capacity were all improved (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) index lower by more than 30%). The addition of milk thistle seeds decreased the cholesterol content in lumborum muscle, backfat and liver, and these tissues were also characterised by higher polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) content and lower PUFA n-6 : n-3 ratio. Milk thistle seeds increased the hypocholesterolemic : hypercholesterolemic (h : H) index in all tissues and reduced the thrombogenic (TI) and atherogenic (AI) indices. Summing up the results, milk thistle seeds at supplementation levels of 3 and 6% are indicated to be a useful feed admixture for fattened pigs to improve meat quality and oxidative stability. The higher dose of milk thistle seeds (6%) appeared to be more effective in improving weight gains, feed utilisation, PUFA content in tissues, and water-holding and antioxidant capacities.

Influência da vitamina C na lipoperoxidação hepática e muscular de camundongos C57BL/6 submetidos à dieta de cafeteria

Analisar o efeito do tratamento com vitamina C sobre a lipoperoxidação hepática e muscular, assim como sobre parâmetros bioquímicos de camundongos C57BL/6 submetidos à dieta de cafeteria durante nove semanas. Dezessete camundongos da linhagem C57BL/6, com dois meses de idade foram alocados em três grupos: 1) Controle, 2) Cafeteria e 3) Cafeteria + Vitamina C. O ensaio biológico foi conduzido por nove semanas, os animais foram mantidos em jejum de doze horas, e depois de sacrificados, o sangue e os tecidos foram coletados para dosagens bioquímicas. A partir de amostras de fígado e músculo sóleo, foram quantificados os teores de espécies reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) e de lipídeos totais. Os fígados dos camundongos alimentados com dieta de cafeteria tratados ou não com vitamina C apresentaram maiores teores de TBARS comparados aos controles (p&lt;0,05). Já o teor de TBARS muscular foi maior nos camundongos do grupo Cafeteria + Vitamina C comparado àquele encontrado para os animais Cafeteria e Controle (p&lt;0,05). As concentrações de colesterol hepático e muscular foram mais elevadas no grupo Cafeteria + Vitamina C comparadas às dos grupos Controle e Cafeteria (p&lt;0,05). O tratamento com vitamina C aumentou a lipoperoxidação muscular, mas não influenciou esse parâmetro no fígado de camundongos C57BL/6 alimentados com dieta de cafeteria. Além disso, a vitamina C elevou a concentração de colesterol nos tecidos hepático e muscular, mas não alterou a glicemia e os lipídeos séricos dos animais após nove semanas de tratamento.

The Protective Effect of Cinnamon against Thermally Oxidized Palm Oil in Broiler Chickens

The present study was planned to investigate the extent of the protective effect of cinnamon against the possible damage effect of thermally oxidized palm oil on broiler chicks. A total number of 150 one d-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly divided into three treatment groups. The first group was served as control and fed the basal diet with tap water. While the 2ndgroup fed the basal diet supplemented with 2g cinnamon/kg diet, the 3rd group fed the basal diet supplemented with 5% thermally oxidized palm oil in combination with 2g cinnamon/kg diet. The experiment has lasted till chicks were 42 d old. Bodyweight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio was estimated. Estimation of the effect of different treatments on the PPAR-α gene expression, Estimation of the lipid profile in serum, Estimation of the cholesterol level in the liver tissue. Correlation between the cholesterol level in both serum and liver tissue and determination of oxidative stress markers in serum. The results showed that the addition of cinnamon increases body weight and feed consumption plus improving the feed conversion ratio. Cinnamon also causes a significant increase in the PPAR-α gene expression in liver tissue, decreases the cholesterol concentrations in serum and liver, decreases triglycerides in serum and decreases the oxidative stress markers.

Effects of native or partially defatted hemp seeds on hindgut function, antioxidant status and lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese rats

The aim was to compare the effects of a small amount of native and partially defatted hemp seeds on hindgut function, antioxidant status and lipid metabolism in rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet. After 8 weeks of experimental feeding, HF dietary feeding induced obesity and a series of metabolic disorders in rats. Supplementation of the HF diet with both seed forms increased the cecal SCFA concentrations and improved the antioxidant status of rats, especially glutathione metabolism in the liver. Dietary consumption of the defatted seeds decreased liver triglyceride accumulation, whereas it unfavorably increased the liver cholesterol content. By contrast, dietary consumption of the native seeds decreased the plasma cholesterol concentration, especially the non-HDL fraction, and increased hepatic expression of PPARγ. This study demonstrates that low and regular consumption of both seed forms attenuates disorders associated with an unbalanced diet, although their consumption is unable to prevent the development of obesity itself.