Basic Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2003. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 15, 2003; 9(9): 2045-2049
Published online Sep 15, 2003. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i9.2045
Effects of low-calorie diet on steatohepatitis in rats with obesity and hyperlipidemia
Jian-Gao Fan, Lan Zhong, Zheng-Jie Xu, Li-Yan Tia, Xiao-Dong Ding, Min-Sheng Li, Guo-Liang Wang
Jian-Gao Fan, Lan Zhong, Zheng-Jie Xu, Li-Yan Tia, Xiao-Dong Ding, Guo-Liang Wang, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai First People’s Hospital, Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200080, China
Min-Sheng Li, Department of Pathology, Medical School, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Fundation of China, No: 3980051; Shanghai Youth Scientic and Technological Moring Star Plan, No: 2000QB14010
Correspondence to: Jian-Gao Fan, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai, First People’s Hospital, Shanghai 200080, China. fanjg@citiz.net
Telephone: +86-21-63240090 Fax: +86-21-63240825
Received: March 10, 2003
Revised: April 6, 2003
Accepted: April 19, 2003
Published online: September 15, 2003
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the effects of low calorie diet (LCD) on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in rats with obesity and hyperlipidemia.

METHODS: 29 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups. The animals in control (n = 9) and NASH group (n = 10) were fed on standard rat diet and high fat diet respectively for 12 weeks, ten rats in LCD group were fed on high fat diet for 10 weeks and then low calorie diet for 2 weeks. At the end of the experiment, body weight, abdominal adipose content, liver function, and hepatopathological changes were examined to evaluate the effect of different feeding protocols on the experimental animals.

RESULTS: There was no death of animal in the experimental period. All rats in the NASH group developed steatohepatitis according to liver histological findings. Compared with the control group, body weight (423.5 ± 65.2 vs 351.1 ± 43.0 g, P < 0.05), abdominal adipose content (14.25 ± 1.86 vs 9.54 ± 1.43, P < 0.05), liver index (3.784 ± 0.533 vs 2.957 ± 0.301%, P < 0.01), total serum cholesterol (1.60 ± 0.41 vs 1.27 ± 0.17 mmol/L, P < 0.05) and free fatty acids (728.2 ± 178.5 vs 429.2 ± 96.7 mmol/L, P < 0.01), serum alanine aminotransferase (1257.51 ± 671.34 vs 671.34 ± 118.57 nkat/L, P < 0.05) and aspartic aminotransferse (2760.51 ± 998.66 vs 1648.29 ± 414.16 nkat/L, P < 0.01) were significantly increased in the NASH group. Whereas, when rats were fed on LCD protocol, their body weight (329.5 ± 38.4 g, P < 0.01), abdominal adipose content (310.21 ± 1.52 g, P < 0.05), liver index (3.199 ± 0.552%, P < 0.05), and serum alanine aminotransferase (683.03 ± 245.49 nkat/L, P < 0.05) were significantly decreased, and the degree of hepatic steatosis (P < 0.05) was markedly improved compared with those in the NASH group. However, no significant difference was found in serum lipid variables and hepatic inflammatory changes between the two groups.

CONCLUSION: LCD might play a role in the prevention and treatment of obesity and hepatic steatosis in SD rats, but it exerts no significant effects on both serum lipid disorders and hepatic inflammatory changes.

Keywords: $[Keywords]