Alleviative effects of deep-seawater drinking water on hepatic lipid accumulation and oxidation induced by a high-fat diet.
BACKGROUND
Hepatic steatosis is defined as excessive amounts of triglyceride and other fats inside liver cells and has become an emergent liver disease in developed and developing countries.


METHODS
Deep seawater (DSW)300, DSW900, and DSW1500 drinking waters were formulated via a combination of reverse osmosis and electrodialysis. Hamsters on a high-fat diet were assigned to drink the following solutions: (1) normal distilled water, (2) DSW300, (3) DSW900, or (4) DSW1500. Serum, liver, and fecal biochemical values, expression of hepatic genes related to fatty-acid homeostasis, as well as liver antioxidative levels were measured after a 6-week feeding period. Additionally, hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to investigate the liver histopathology.


RESULTS
Serum/liver lipids, liver sizes, liver malondialdehyde content, and serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase of high-fat diet hamsters were reduced (p < 0.05) by drinking DSW, while daily fecal lipid and bile acid outputs were increased (p < 0.05). DSW drinking water maintained (p < 0.05) higher liver glutathione and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity levels. Although hepatic sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, and malic enzyme gene expression were not (p > 0.05) altered, DSW drinking water upregulated (p < 0.05) hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha, retinoid X receptor alpha, and uncoupling protein-2 gene expression in high-fat diet hamsters. The lipid droplets in livers were also reduced in DSW-drinking-water groups as compared to those only drinking distilled water.


CONCLUSIONS
DSW shows a preventive effect on development of hepatosteatosis induced by a high-fat diet.
Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
I-Shu
IS
Chen
Yuan-Yen
YY
Chang
Chin-Lin
CL
Hsu
Hui-Wen
HW
Lin
Ming-Hsu
MH
Chang
Jr-Wei
JW
Chen
Sheng-Shih
SS
Chen
Yi-Chen
YC
Chen
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D060766:Drinking Water; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D008647:Mesocricetus; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012623:Seawater
D060766:Drinking Water; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005978:Glutathione