title: Effects of a low-fat diet on the hepatic expression of adiponectin and its receptors in rats with NAFLD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is correlated with obesity, but specific therapeutic interventions are lacking. Adiponectin is an adipokine with anti-inflammatory activity and is considered a hepatic protector. We aimed to investigate effects of a low-fat diet on the hepatic expression of adiponectin and its receptors in rats with NAFLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen male SD rats were fed a high-fat diet for 8 weeks (HFD1 group) or 16 weeks (HFD2 group) to induce NAFLD, and these rats were compared with rats on a normal diet for 8 weeks (NC1 group) or 16 weeks (NC2 group). Another group of 8 rats was fed an HFD for 8 weeks and then switched to a low-fat diet (DIET group) until the 16th week. The expression of hepatic adiponectin and its receptors was detected by western blotting, immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The NAFLD activity score (NAS) in the HFD groups increased from 3.2 ± 0.45 (8th week) to 6.2 ± 0.84 (16th week) (P < 0.001), reflecting the progression in the NAFLD histology. In contrast to the HFD2 group, the low-fat diet ameliorated the steatosis, ballooning degeneration and inflammation. Dietary intervention augmented the expression of adiponectin and its receptors, which was down-regulated in the HFD2 group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NAFLD rat model was successfully developed by feeding the animals a high-fat diet. Adiponectin may play a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, especially in the progression from steatosis to NASH. The low-fat diet alleviated the histological lesions associated with NAFLD by up-regulating the expression of adiponectin and its receptors.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endocrinology, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Xiamen Zhongshan Teaching Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endocrinology, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endocrinology, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Lu-Fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endocrinology, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Jiu
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterology Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Li-Gang
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Hua-Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Endocrinology, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Qiang
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; C499920:Adipoq protein, rat; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin; C504339:adiponectin receptor 1, rat; C506573:adiponectin receptor 2, rat; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase