Different Effects of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Acids on Atherogenic High-Fat Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 6; p. e0157580
• Main Authors: Suzuki-Kemuriyama, Noriko, Matsuzaka, Takashi, Kuba, Motoko, Ohno, Hiroshi, Han, Song-Iee, Takeuchi, Yoshinori, Isaka, Masaaki, Kobayashi, Kazuto, Iwasaki, Hitoshi, Yatoh, Shigeru, Suzuki, Hiroaki, Miyajima, Katsuhiro, Nakae, Dai, Yahagi, Naoya, Nakagawa, Yoshimi, Sone, Hirohito, Yamada, Nobuhiro, Shimano, Hitoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 22-06-2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Alcoholic liver diseases; Animals; Atherosclerosis - pathology; Biology and Life Sciences; Cancer; Cardiovascular disease; Care and treatment; Cholesterol - metabolism; Cirrhosis; Complications and side effects; Diabetes; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Docosahexaenoic acid; Docosahexaenoic Acids - pharmacology; Docosahexaenoic Acids - therapeutic use; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - pharmacology; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - therapeutic use; Endocrinology; Fatty acids; Fatty liver; Fibrosis; Fish oils; Food safety; Health aspects; Hepatology; High fat diet; Hypotheses; Inflammation; Inflammation - complications; Inflammation - pathology; Internal medicine; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids; Liver; Liver - injuries; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; Liver diseases; Male; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolism; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - chemically induced; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - drug therapy; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - metabolism; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - pathology; Obesity; Oxidative Stress; Phenotype; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Proteins; Risk factors; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Rodents; Science; Transaminase; Triglycerides; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157580

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, can progress to steatohepatitis (NASH) and advanced liver damage, such as that from liver cirrhosis and cancer. Recent studies have shown the benefits of consuming n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for the treatment of NAFLD. In the present study, we investigated and compared the effects of the major n-3 PUFAs-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6)-in preventing atherogenic high-fat (AHF) diet-induced NAFLD. Mice were fed the AHF diet supplemented with or without EPA or DHA for four weeks. Both EPA and DHA reduced the pathological features of AHF diet-induced NASH pathologies such as hepatic lobular inflammation and elevated serum transaminase activity. Intriguingly, EPA had a greater hepatic triacylglycerol (TG)-reducing effect than DHA. In contrast, DHA had a greater suppressive effect than EPA on AHF diet-induced hepatic inflammation and ROS generation, but no difference in fibrosis. Both EPA and DHA could be effective for treatment of NAFLD and NASH. Meanwhile, the two major n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids might differ in a relative contribution to pathological intermediate steps towards liver fibrosis.