Dietary docosahexaenoic acid-rich diacylglycerols ameliorate hepatic steatosis and alter hepatic gene expressions in C57BL/6J-Lep(ob/ob) mice

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research 2008-08, Vol.52 (8), p.965-973
• Main Authors: Kim, Hye-Jin, Lee, Ki-Teak, Park, Yong Bok, Jeon, Seon-Min, Choi, Myung-Sook
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Body Weight; Diglycerides - administration & dosage; Docosahexaenoic Acids - administration & dosage; Fatty Liver - drug therapy; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases - metabolism; Liver - metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Obese; PPAR gamma - genetics; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 - genetics; Triglycerides - metabolism
• ISSN: 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.200700315

We examined the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-enriched structured lipids-diacylglycerol (SL-DG), which were synthesized using soybean oil (SO) and algae oil (AO), on hepatic lipid metabolism and the mRNA expression of genes involved in hepatic steatosis of C57BL/6J-Lep(ob/ob) compared to the SL-triacylglycerol (TG). The animals were fed a high-fat (10% lard and 10% test oils) and high-cholesterol (0.2% cholesterol) diet for 12 weeks. Mice fed SL-DG showed a lower total white adipose tissue weight and plasma triglyceride concentration than the SO group. Reduction of hepatic triglyceride content in the SL-DG group was related with the suppression of hepatic enzyme activities for fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis along with fecal triglyceride excretion compared to the SL-TG. SL-DG also lowered hepatic cholesterol levels by suppressing cholesterol regulating enzyme activity compared to the SO group. Moreover, SL-DG lowered the mRNA expressions of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 and its target genes than TG-form oils (SO, AO and SL-TG) in the liver. Thus, the current results suggest that DHA-enriched SL-DG oil used in this study is beneficial for ameliorating hepatic steatosis in obese animal model by improving hepatic fatty acid and cholesterol metabolic enzyme activity and their gene expression.