title: Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor prevents the development of hepatic steatosis in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previously, we reported that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) improves hepatic steatosis in experimental animals. It may also have preventive effects on the development of hepatic steatosis. Therefore, we investigated the preventive effects of G-CSF by using a high-fat diet (HFD) rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve rats were fed HFD and 6 rats were fed control diet from 10 weeks of age. Once little steatosis was confirmed in the liver (after 10 weeks of feeding the HFD; at 20 weeks of age), HFD rats were randomly divided into two groups and treated with either G-CSF (100 μg kg-1 day-1 for 5 consecutive days every other week; HFD/G-CSF rats) or saline (HFD/saline rats) for 10 weeks at 20 weeks of age. All rats were sacrificed at 30 weeks of age. Histology was examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H-E) and Oil Red O staining, and the expression levels of genes of associated with lipogenesis and β-oxidation enzymes were determined by qRT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histological examinations revealed that HFD/G-CSF rats had significantly lower lipid accumulation in their hepatocytes than did HFD/saline rats (p < 0.05). HFD/G-CSF rats also showed lower expression levels of genes associated with lipogenesis and higher expression levels of genes associated with β-oxidation than HFD/saline rats (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, we found that G-CSF prevented development of hepatic steatosis in an HFD rat model. The preventive effect may be associated with the regulation of gene expression involved in hepatic lipogenesis and β-oxidation.
authors: Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Yi-Sun
authors: YS
authors: Song
authors: Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Hyun-Woo
authors: HW
authors: Joo
authors: Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: In-Hwa
authors: IH
authors: Park
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Guang-Yin
authors: GY
authors: Shen
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Yonggu
authors: Y
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Jeong Hun
authors: JH
authors: Shin
authors: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Hyuck
authors: H
authors: Kim
authors: Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors: Kyung-Soo
authors: KS
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D050155:Lipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016188:Receptors, Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016188:Receptors, Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor