生化学と薬理学: オープンアクセス
オープンアクセス

概要

Oral Intake of Krill Oil Has Prophylactic and Potential Therapeutic Effects on Alcoholic Fatty Liver in Rats Fed With High-Fat Diet

Hong-ling Wang, Mao-wu Guo, Qin Liao, Hui Wang, Wei-juan Zhang, Yun-xia Sun, Li Han, Tomoko Tsuji and Conglin Zuo

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic and therapeutic effects of Krill Oil on alcohol induced fatty liver in rats on high-fat diet. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (7-8 weeks old) were gavaged with alcohol and fed with high-fat diet for six weeks to induce alcoholic fatty liver. The concentration of the alcohol formulation had a step increase to have the animal acclimated, with 8% in week 1, 12% in week 2, 20% in week 3, 30% in week 4, and 40% alcohol in the following weeks, and the dose volume was 10 ml/kg. Krill oil at daily oral dose of 10, 100 or 1000 mg/kg was given to animals along with alcohol gavage in a prophylactic experiment, or at 100 and 1000 mg/kg after six weeks of alcohol gavage in a therapeutic experiment, with or without continuing oral gavage of alcohol for four weeks. Blood samples and liver tissues were taken for triglyceride and total cholesterol assays, liver tissues were taken for microarray analysis and histopathological evaluation of hepatosteatosis at the end of the treatment. Results: Krill Oil dose-dependently inhibited the elevation of liver triglyceride level from 17. 8% to 66.3% compared with control, and the incidence and severity of liver cytoplasmic vacuolization. In the therapeutic experiment, Krill Oil group showed an accelerated reduction of liver tissue triglyceride level and incidence and severity of liver cytoplasmic vacuolization. Krill Oil also reversed the elevated liver tissue triglyceride and the elevated incidence and severity of liver cytoplasmic vacuolization in rats which had been given alcohol for ten weeks with Krill Oil treatment initiated at the beginning of week 7. Conclusion: Our results suggest that Krill Oil supplementation not only has prophylactic effects on alcoholic fatty liver formation, but also has potential therapeutic effects on the alcoholic fatty liver.