[Model of experimental nonalcoholic steatohepatitis from use of methionine and choline deficient diet].
BACKGROUND
There are still many unknown aspects about nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, especially regarding its pathophysiology and pharmacological treatment. Thus, experimental models are important for a better understanding of this disease and the evaluation of the effects of drugs.


OBJECTIVE
To develop a model of experimental nonalcoholic steatohepatitis from use of methionine and choline deficient diet.


METHODS
Fifty Wistar male rats were studied. A methionine and choline deficient diet has been processed in a craft. A group of 40 animals received the deficient diet for 90 days, and a group of 10 rats (control group) received the standardized ration in the same period. After, the animals were killed by decapitation, and laparotomy was performed. Hepatectomy was performed and the liver was studied by macroscopy and microscopy. The level of significance considered was of 0,05.


RESULTS
The rats that received the deficient diet showed significant loss of weight with findings from malnutrition and all of them had at least some degree of macrovesicular steatosis. The diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis was performed in 27 (70%) of the 39 rats that received this deficient diet (1 rat died during the study). None of the 10 rats that received the standardized diet had histological abnormalities.


CONCLUSIONS
The diet restricted in methionine and choline induced steatosis and steatohepatitis in an animal model with low cost.
Zamin
Idilio
I
Fundação Faculdade Federal de Ciências Médicas de Porto Alegre, RS. izamin@terra.com.br
Mattos
Angelo Alves de
AA
Mattos
Angelo Zambam de
AZ
Migon
Eduardo
E
Soares
Ernesto
E
Perry
Marcos Luiz Santos
ML
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D002796:Choline Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000172:deficiency*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D008715:Methionine