Bitter Melon Powder Protects against Obesity-associated Fatty Liver Disease by Improving Colonic Microenvironment in Rats with High-fat Diet-induced Obesity

This study explored how bitter melon powder （BMP） alters the colonic microenvironment during the development of obesity-associated fatty liver in rats. We observed that BMP effectively inhibited the body weight gain and lipid accumulation in the liver, ameliorated glucose intolerance, and increased the colon weight after an 8-week treatment compared to that in the high-fat diet （HFD） group. BMP significantly decreased fecal water toxicity towards HT-29 cells, as revealed by the cell counting kit （CCK）-8 assay results, and the mRNA expression of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） in colon mucosa. Additionally, gut permeability in the BMP group was restored to normal levels. Finally, BMP alleviated the inflammatory state of the rat colon mucosa and liver tissues as well as the systemic inflammation.

Effect of Cholesterol Content in Diet on Atorvastatin(ATO)-induced Liver Injury in Golden Hamsters

[Objectives]The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cholesterol content in high-fat diet on atorvastatin(ATO)-induced liver injury in golden hamsters and compare the degree of liver injury caused by two high-fat diets with different cholesterol proportions.[Methods]Male golden hamsters were randomly and evenly divided into different groups and given different high-fat diets for 14 consecutive days by gavage to establish hyperlipidemia models.From the 15th d on,the hamsters in the model groups were given ATO at a dose of 5 mg/kg,one a day,for 9 consecutive days.Blood was sampled from the orbital veins of the hamsters for the determination of biochemical indicators.Liver tissues of the hamsters were sampled,paraffin-embedded,sliced,stained by HE(hematoxylin-eosin)method and observed under an optical microscope.[Results]Compared with standard diet group,the body weight increased significantly(P<0.05),the serum TC,TG and LDL-C levels increased significantly(P<0.05),the serum HDL-C level declined significantly(P<0.05),and the ALT and AST levels increased significantly(P<0.05)in the high-fat diet groups.This trend was more obvious in the high-fat II group than the high-fat I group.After ATO intervention,the HDL-C,TBIL and TBA levels increased significantly(P<0.05),and the liver ALT and AST levels further increased(P<0.05)in the model groups.This trend was more obvious in the model II group than the model I group.The morphological inspection shows that the fat deposition in the liver tissues was severe;the hepatocytes in the model groups were obviously damaged;the liver injury in the hamsters fed high-fat diet containing 0.2%cholesterol and intervened with ATO was relatively mild but severer than the high-fat diet groups.[Conclusions]Hamster models of hyperlipidemia were successfully established in this study.High-fat diet could cause liver injury.While lowering blood lipid level,ATO aggravated liver injury.Among the high-fat diets with different proportions of cholesterol,the diet containing 0.2%cholesterol had little effect on ATO-induced liver injury.

Apoptosis induced by a low-carbohydrate and high-protein diet in rat livers

AIM: To determine whether high-protein, high-fat, and low-carbohydrate diets can cause lesions in rat livers.METHODS: We randomly divided 20 female Wistar rats into a control diet group and an experimental diet group. Animals in the control group received an AIN-93 M diet, and animals in the experimental group received an Atkins-based diet(59.46% protein, 31.77% fat, and 8.77% carbohydrate). After 8 wk, the rats were anesthetized and exsanguinated for transaminases analysis, and their livers were removed for flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and light microscopy studies. We expressed the data as mean ± standard deviation(sd) assuming unpaired and parametric data; we analyzed differences using the student's t-test. statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.RESULTS: We found that plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. According to flow cytometry, the percentages of nonviable cells were 11.67% ± 1.12% for early apoptosis, 12.07% ± 1.11% for late apoptosis, and 7.11% ± 0.44% for non-apoptotic death in the experimental diet group and 3.73% ± 0.50% for early apoptosis, 5.67% ± 0.72% for late apoptosis, and 3.82% ± 0.28% for non-apoptotic death in the control diet group. The mean percentage of early apoptosis was higher in the experimental diet group than in the control diet group. Immunohistochemistry for autophagy was negative in both groups. sinusoidal dilation around the central vein and small hepatocytes was only observed in the experimental diet group, and fibrosis was not identified by hematoxylin-eosin or Trichrome Masson staining in either group.CONCLUSION: Eight weeks of an experimental diet resulted in cellular and histopathological lesions in rat livers. Apoptosis was our principal finding; elevated plasma transaminases demonstrate hepatic lesions.

Effects of feeding a diet containing Gymnema sylvestre extract: attenuating progression of obesity in C57BL/6J mice

Objective: To investigate the effect of Gymnema sylvestre extract(GS) on initial anti-obesity, liver injury, and glucose homeostasis induced by a high-fat diet(HFD). Methods: The dry powder of GS was extracted with methanol, and gymnemic acid was identified by high performance liquid chromatography as deacyl gymnemic acid. Male C57BL/6J mice that fed on either a normal diet, normal diet containing 1 g/kg GS(CON+GS) HFD, or HFD containing 1.0 g/kg GS(HFD+GS) for 4 weeks were used to test the initial anti-obesity effect of GS. Body weight gain and food intake, and serum levels about lipid and liver injury markers were measured. Histopathology of adipose tissue and liver stained with hematoxylin and eosin(H&E) and oil-red O were analyzed. After 4 weeks of GS extract feeding, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test(IPGTT) was performed. Results: The methanol extracts of GS exerted significant anti-obesity effects in HFD+GS group. They decreased body weight gain, a lower food and energy efficiency ratio, and showed lower serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low-density lipoprotein(LDL)-cholesterol, very-low density lipoprotein(VLDL)-cholesterol and leptin compared with the HFD group. The decreases of abdominal as well as epididymal fat weight and adipocyte hypertrophy, lipid droplets in liver, and serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alanine transaminase(ALT) were also observed. The CON+GS group showed an effect of glucose homeostasis compared to the CON group. Conclusions: This study shows that GS provide the possibility as a key role in an initial anti-obesity effects feeding with a HFD.