Experimental non-alcoholic fatty liver disease causes regional liver functional deficits as measured by the capacity for galactose metabolism while whole liver function is preserved.
BMC Gastroenterol
; 22(1): 541, 2022 Dec 27.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36575375
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Increasing incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) calls for improved understanding of how the disease affects metabolic liver function.AIMS:
To investigate in vivo effects of different NAFLD stages on metabolic liver function, quantified as regional and total capacity for galactose metabolism in a NAFLD model.METHODS:
Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet for 1 or 12 weeks, modelling early or late NAFLD, respectively. Each NAFLD group (n = 8 each) had a control group on standard chow (n = 8 each). Metabolic liver function was assessed by 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-galactose positron emission tomography; regional galactose metabolism was assessed as standardised uptake value (SUV). Liver tissue was harvested for histology and fat quantification.RESULTS:
Early NAFLD had median 18% fat by liver volume. Late NAFLD had median 32% fat and varying features of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Median SUV reflecting regional galactose metabolism was reduced in early NAFLD (9.8) and more so in late NAFLD (7.4; p = 0.02), both significantly lower than in controls (12.5). In early NAFLD, lower SUV was quantitatively explained by fat infiltration. In late NAFLD, the SUV decrease was beyond that attributable to fat; probably related to structural NASH features. Total capacity for galactose elimination was intact in both groups, which in late NAFLD was attained by increased fat-free liver mass to 21 g, versus 15 g in early NAFLD and controls (both p ≤ 0.002).CONCLUSION:
Regional metabolic liver function was compromised in NAFLD by fat infiltration and structural changes. Still, whole liver metabolic function was preserved in late NAFLD by a marked increase in the fat-free liver mass.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
Aspects:
Patient_preference
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
BMC Gastroenterol
Journal subject:
GASTROENTEROLOGIA
Year:
2022
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: