Journal Article

Fortifying Butterfat with Soybean Oil Attenuates the Onset of Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis and Glucose Intolerance

Rajcic, Dragana, Baumann, Anja, Jung, Finn, Sánchez, Victor, Engstler, Anna Janina, Brandt, Annette, Jin, Cheng Jun, Nier, Anika, Bergheim, Ina

2021

Overview

The addition of plant oils such as soybean oil (S) to a diet rich in saturated fatty acids is discussed as a possible route to prevent or diminish the development of metabolic disease. Here, we assessed whether a butterfat-rich diet fortified with S affects the development of early non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and glucose intolerance. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a standard-control diet (C); a fat-, fructose-, and cholesterol-rich diet (FFC, 25E% butterfat, 50% (wt./wt.) fructose, 0.16% (wt./wt.) cholesterol); or FFC supplemented with S (FFC + S, 21E% butterfat + 4E% S) for 13 weeks. Indicators of liver damage, inflammation, intestinal barrier function, and glucose metabolism were measured. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged J774A.1 cells were incubated with linolenic and linoleic acids (ratio 1:7.1, equivalent to S). The development of early NASH and glucose intolerance was significantly attenuated in FFC + S–fed mice compared to FFC-fed mice associated with lower hepatic toll-like receptor-4 mRNA expression, while markers of intestinal barrier function were significantly higher than in C-fed mice. Linolenic and linoleic acid significantly attenuated LPS-induced formation of reactive nitrogen species and interleukin-1 beta mRNA expression in J774A.1 cells. Our results indicate that fortifying butterfat with S may attenuate the development of NASH and glucose intolerance in mice.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Animals / Arginase - metabolism / Blotting, Western / Butter - adverse effects / Carbohydrates / Cholesterol / Diet / Dietary Fats - adverse effects / Endotoxins - blood / Fatty acids / Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - blood / Fatty liver / Female / females / Food, Fortified / fructose / gene expression / glucose / Glucose Intolerance - etiology / Glucose Intolerance - prevention & control / Granulocytes / inflammation / interleukin-1beta / intestines / Laboratory animals / linoleic acid / lipopolysaccharides / liver / Liver - drug effects / Liver - metabolism / Liver - pathology / Liver diseases / metabolic diseases / Metabolism / Mice / Mice, Inbred C57BL / milk fat / Neutrophils / Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - etiology / Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - pathology / Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - prevention & control / Penicillin / Peroxidase - metabolism / PPAR gamma - blood / Proteins / reactive nitrogen species / Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / soybean oil / Soybean Oil - administration & dosage / Soybean Oil - therapeutic use / Soybeans / Toll-like receptor 4 / Transcription factors / Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - blood / Tumor necrosis factor-TNF / Vegetable oils