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Western diet-induced mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with metabolic outcomes: Features of gut microbiome-liver-adipose tissue axis.

Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)
May 5, 2022
Guilherme R Romualdo et al. (10 authors)
Journal ArticleHuman StudyAnimal Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to establish a mouse model of NAFLD induced by Western Diet (WD) to investigate its effects on the gut microbiome-liver-adipose tissue axis and metabolic disorders.

Results Summary

The WD induced metabolic disorders (high cholesterol, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia), liver steatosis, fibrosis, inflammation, obesity, and gut dysbiosis, closely resembling human NAFLD. Bacteroidetes depletion correlated with adverse outcomes in both mice and human NAFLD patients.

Population

Male C57 BL6 mice

Effective Dosage

High-fat (30% lard, 0.2% cholesterol, ~57% calories) and sucrose-rich (20%) chow, plus high-sugar solution (23.1 g/L D-fructose, 18.9 g/L D-glucose)

Duration

6 months

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (21)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
extensive macro/microvesicular liver steatosis and pericellular fibrosis
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
resulted in
#1
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
high serum cholesterol levels
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
featured
#2
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
glucose intolerance
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
featured
#3
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
hyperinsulinemia
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
featured
#4
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
hepatic stellate cell activation
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
accompanied by
#5
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
CD68+ macrophage infiltration in liver
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
accompanied by
#6
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
protein levels of proinflammatory p65-nuclear factor-κB
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
increased
#7
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
protein levels of interleukin-6
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
increased
#8
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
increased
#9
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
decrease
antioxidant regulator Nrf2
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
decreased
#10
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
clear obesity
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#11
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
adipocyte hypertrophy
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#12
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
CD68+ macrophage/mast cell infiltration in adipose tissue
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#13
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
decrease
reduction in number of goblet cells in the small intestine
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
observed
#14
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
decrease
decreased bacterial diversity in gut cecal content
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#15
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
enriched Firmicutes in gut cecal content
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#16
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
enriched Proteobacteria in gut cecal content
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#17
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
decrease
decreased Bacteroidetes in gut cecal content
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#18
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
decrease
decreased Fusobacteria in gut cecal content
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#19
6-month Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) intervention
increase
increased ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in gut cecal content
Male C57 BL6 mice
-
showed
#20
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese patients
decrease
depletion in Bacteroides in gut microbiome
NAFLD obese patients
-
revealed
#21
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a growing epidemiologic and economic burden. It is associated with Western diet (WD) patterns, and its pathogenesis involves metabolic disorders (obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and diabetes) and gut dysbiosis, features that are usually neglected or not reproduced by most animal models. Thus, we established a 6-mo WD-induced NAFLD mouse model associated with metabolic disorder, investigating its main features at the gut microbiome-liver-adipose tissue axis, also evaluating the correlations of gut dysbiosis to the other disease outcomes. METHODS: Male C57 BL6 mice received a high-fat (30% lard and 0.2% cholesterol, ∼57% calories) and sucrose-rich (20%) chow, and a high-sugar solution (23.1 and 18.9 g/L of D-fructose and D-glucose) for 6 mo. RESULTS: The model featured high serum cholesterol levels, glucose intolerance, and hyperinsulinemia. WD intervention resulted in extensive macro/microvesicular liver steatosis and pericellular fibrosis-resembling human disease-accompanied by hepatic stellate cell activation and CD68+ macrophage infiltration, increased protein levels of proinflammatory p65-nuclear factor-κB, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, with decreased antioxidant regulator Nrf2. Mice showed clear obesity with adipocyte hypertrophy, and CD68+macrophage/mast cell infiltration in adipose tissue while a reduction in number of goblet cells was also observed in the small intestine. Moreover, the pyrosequencing of the 16 S ribosomal RNA of gut cecal content showed decreased bacterial diversity, enriched Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, decreased Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria, and increased ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. Bacteroidetes and Bacteroides had the highest number of significant correlations with liver-adipose tissue axis outcomes. In silico analysis of gut microbiome in NAFLD obese patients revealed a depletion in Bacteroides, which also correlated to disease outcomes. CONCLUSION: This mice model gathered suitable phenotypical alterations in gut-liver-adipose tissue axis that resembled NAFLD associated with metabolic disorders in humans and may be considered for preclinical investigation.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansMaleMiceAnimalsNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseDiet, WesternGastrointestinal MicrobiomeDysbiosisLiverObesityDisease Models, AnimalAdipose TissueBacteroidesCholesterolDiet, High-FatMice, Inbred C57BL
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety20
Efficacy85/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations29
Citations/Year9.7
Relative Citation Ratio3.55
NIH Percentile88.2%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score1.43
Normalized Score0.58
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