Fortifying diet with rapeseed oil instead of butterfat attenuates the progression of diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and impairment of glucose tolerance

Highlights

• Exchanging butterfat with rapeseed oil attenuates development of diet-induced NAFLD.

• Replacing butterfat with rapeseed oil can abolish development of glucose intolerance.

• Rapeseed oil lowers bacterial endotoxin levels in portal vein.

• Rapeseed oil attenuates induction of TLR4-dependent signaling cascades in liver.

Abstract

Background

Absolute dietary fat intake but even more so fatty acid pattern is discussed to be critical in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here, we determined if switching a butterfat enriched diet to a rapeseed oil (RO) enriched diet affects progression of an existing NAFLD and glucose intolerance in mice.

Methods

For eight weeks, female C57Bl/6J mice were either fed a liquid control (C) or a butterfat-, fructose- and cholesterol-rich diet (BFC, 25E% butterfat) to induce early signs of steatohepatitis and glucose intolerance in mice. For additional five weeks mice received either BFC or C or a fat-, fructose- and cholesterol-rich and control diet, in which butterfat was replaced with RO (ROFC and CRO). Markers of glucose metabolism, liver damage and intestinal barrier were assessed.

Results

Exchanging butterfat with RO attenuated the progression of BFC diet-induced NAFLD and glucose intolerance. Beneficial effects of RO were associated with lower portal endotoxin levels and an attenuation of the induction of the toll-like receptor-4-dependent signaling cascades in liver. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ activity was induced in small intestine of ROFC-fed mice.

Conclusion

Taken together, exchanging butterfat with RO attenuated the progression of diet-induced steatohepatitis and glucose intolerance in mice.