Abstract
This study investigated the efficacy of the plant-based n−3 fatty acid, α-linolenic acid (ALA), a dietary precursor of eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for modulating hepatic steatosis. Rats were
fed high fat (55% energy) diets containing high oleic canola oil, canola oil, a canola/flax
oil blend (C/F, 3:1), safflower oil, soybean oil, or lard. After 12 weeks, C/F and
weight-matched (WM) groups had 20% less liver lipid. Body mass, liver weight, glucose
and lipid metabolism, inflammation and molecular markers of fatty acid oxidation,
synthesis, desaturation and elongation did not account for this effect. The C/F group
had the highest total n−3 and EPA in hepatic phospholipids (PL), as well as one of the highest DHA and lowest
arachidonic acid (n−6) concentrations. In conclusion, the C/F diet with the highest content of the plant-based
n−3 ALA attenuated hepatic steatosis and altered the hepatic PL fatty acid profile.
Abbreviations:
(ACC1) (acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1), (ACOX1) (acetyl-CoA oxidase 1), (ALA) (α-linolenic acid), (ALT) (alanine aminotransferase), (AST) (aspartate aminotransferase), (DIO) (diet-induced obese), (EPA) (eicosapentaenoic acid), (DHA) (docosahexaenoic acid), (HOMA-IR) (homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance), (MCP-1) (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1), (MUFA) (monounsaturated fatty acids), (NAFLD) (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), (PPAR-α) (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α), (PL) (phospholipids), (PUFA) (polyunsaturated fatty acids), (SFA) (saturated fatty acids), (SREBP-1c) (sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c), (TAG) (triacylglycerols)Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 21, 2013
Accepted:
September 16,
2013
Received in revised form:
September 12,
2013
Received:
July 16,
2013
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
