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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #289306
Title: Medium chain triglycerides dose-dependently prevent liver pathology in a rat model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Author
item RONIS, MARTIN - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item BAUMGARDNER, JANUARY - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS)
item SHARMA, NEHA - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item VANTREASE, JAMIE - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item FERGUSON, MATTHEW - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item TONG, YUDONG - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item WU, XIANLI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item CLEVES, MARIO - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item Badger, Thomas

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/13/2013
Publication Date: 4/15/2013
Citation: Ronis, M.J., Baumgardner, J., Sharma, N., Vantrease, J., Ferguson, M.E., Tong, Y., Wu, X., Cleves, M.A., Badger, T.M. 2013. Medium chain triglycerides dose-dependently prevent liver pathology in a rat model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [abstract]. FASEB Journal. 27(Meeting Abstracts):112.2.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Obesity is often associated with a cluster of increased health risks collectively known as "Metabolic Syndrome" (MS). MS is often accompanied by development of fatty liver. Sometimes fatty liver results in damage leading to reduced liver function, and need for a transplant. This condition is known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Replacement of corn oil with medium chain fats (MCT) in the diets of alcohol-fed rats has been shown to protect against development of fatty liver and alcoholic liver injury. The current study was designed to determine if a similar effect of MCT occurs in a rat model of NAFLD. Groups of male rats were overfed diets containing increasing proportions of corn oil or a high fat diet in which corn oil was replaced with increasing concentrations of saturated fat (18:82, beef tallow: MCT oil) for 21 days using a stomach tube. As dietary content of corn oil increased, liver fat and markers of liver damage were increased. This was accompanied by higher levels of proteins which generate damaging products and higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (FA) in the liver. Increasing the proportion of MCT-enriched saturated fat resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in liver fat and liver damage. Increasing the ratio of MCT to corn oil reduced liver polyunsaturated FA concentrations, reduced membrane susceptibility to injury, and stimulated FA breakdown. These data suggest that replacing unsaturated fats like corn oil with MCT oil in the diet could be utilized as a potential treatment for NAFLD.