title: The soluble fiber complex PolyGlycopleX lowers serum triglycerides and reduces hepatic steatosis in high-sucrose-fed rats.
abstract: Viscous soluble fibers have been shown to reduce risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The novel functional fiber, PolyGlycopleX (PGX) (InovoBiologic Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada) displays greater viscosity than other currently identified soluble fibers. The objective of this study was to determine if PGX lowers serum and hepatic triglycerides (TGs) in a high-sucrose-fed rat model. In this rodent model, feeding a high-sucrose diet consistently increases serum TGs. We hypothesized that consumption of PGX would attenuate hypertriglyceridemia and reduce hepatic steatosis compared with cellulose in rats fed a high-sucrose background diet. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 65% sucrose and supplemented with either 5% cellulose (control) or 5% PGX (wt/wt) for 43 weeks. At study termination, serum insulin and TGs, hepatic steatosis, and hepatocellular injury were assessed. Body weight increased over time in both groups, but weight gain was attenuated in rats fed PGX vs cellulose in weeks 2 through 22 (P < .05). Serum TGs did not differ from baseline for the first half of the study but consistently increased in the cellulose group thereafter. PolyGlycopleX significantly reduced serum TG to near-baseline levels. At study termination, rats fed PGX had significantly lower hepatic steatosis scores (measured by Sudan black staining) compared with rats fed cellulose. Hepatocellular injury scores did not differ between the groups. In conclusion, PGX reduced serum TG and lipid accumulation in the liver of sucrose-fed rats. Further examination of its potential as a fiber supplement aimed at lessening the burden of hepatic steatosis is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4. reimer@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Raylene A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Reimer
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Koetzner
authors.forename: Roland J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gahler
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D001786:Blood Glucose; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D004338:Drug Combinations; D007328:Insulin; C540519:PolyGlycoplex; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D014280:Triglycerides