title: Rapid development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in Psammomys obesus (Israeli sand rat).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A major impediment to establishing new treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is the lack of suitable animal models that accurately mimic the biochemical and metabolic characteristics of the disease. The aim of this study was to explore a unique polygenic animal model of metabolic disease as a model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by determining the effects of 2% dietary cholesterol supplementation on metabolic and liver endpoints in Psammomys obesus (Israeli sand rat).
  
  
  METHODS
  P. obesus were provided ad libitum access to either a standard rodent diet (20% kcal/fat) or a standard rodent diet supplemented with 2% cholesterol (w/w) for 4 weeks. Histological sections of liver from animals on both diets were examined for key features of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The expression levels of key genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism were measured by real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P. obesus fed a cholesterol-supplemented diet exhibited profound hepatomegaly and steatosis, and higher plasma transaminase levels. Histological analysis identified extensive steatosis, inflammation, hepatocyte injury and fibrosis. Hepatic gene expression profiling revealed decreased expression of genes involved in delivery and uptake of lipids, and fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis, and increased expression of genes involved in very low density lipoprotein cholesterol synthesis, triglyceride and cholesterol export.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  P. obesus rapidly develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis when fed a cholesterol-supplemented diet that appears to be histologically and mechanistically similar to patients.
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Briana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spolding
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.affiliation: Amylin Pharmaceuticals, LLC., San Diego, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wittmer
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Lelia L F
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Antony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaspi
authors.affiliation: Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziemann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Gunveen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Shona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gibert
authors.affiliation: Amylin Pharmaceuticals, LLC., San Diego, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Trevaskis
authors.affiliation: Amylin Pharmaceuticals, LLC., San Diego, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jonathon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.affiliation: Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Assam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Osta
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Standish
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005849:Gerbillinae; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary