Development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease model by high-fat diet in rats.

Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is indicated by liver steatosis without excessive alcohol use or other liver disease. Several studies have reported that metabolic syndromes such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia have a linear correlation associated with NAFLD pathophysiology. One of the characteristics of dyslipidemia in NAFLD is increase in serum triglycerides. This study aimed to develop a model of NAFLD characterized by an increase in serum triglyceride levels and histological profile of liver steatosis by high-fat diet in rats. Methods Twelve Wistar rats were fed with pellets enriched with 60% fat. They were housed individually, and the remaining pellets were weighted every day for intake evaluation. Blood samples were collected at day 0 and at the end of each trial period at days 7, 14, 21, and 28 for the measurement of triglyceride levels. Every animal from each group was also sacrificed for liver histopathological examination. Results This study has established developing the NAFLD animal model by induction of a high-fat diet. The levels of serum triglycerides were increased from baseline 80.41 ± 12.82 to 1152.00 ± 73.62, 493.66 ± 159.98, 556.00 ± 120.79, and 489.00 ± 156.75 mg/dL at days 7, 14, 21, and 28, respectively. Liver histology also showed liver steatosis development, inflammation, and hepatocellular ballooning, which were associated with the NAFLD state. Conclusions High-fat diet in rats induced hypertriglyceridemia along with NAFLD-like liver histopathology.

Effectiveness of exercise and protein supplementation intervention on body composition, functional fitness, and oxidative stress among elderly Malays with sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia, characterized as muscle loss that occurs with aging, is a major health problem in an aging population, due to its implications on mobility, quality of life, and fall risk. Protein supplementation could improve the physical fitness by increasing protein anabolism, and exercise has a documented evidence of positive effect on functional status among the elderly. However, the combined effect of both protein supplementation and exercise has not been investigated among sarcopenic elderly in the Asian population. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of exercise intervention and protein supplementation either alone or in combination for 12 weeks, on body composition, functional fitness, and oxidative stress among elderly Malays with sarcopenia. Sixty five sarcopenic elderly Malays aged 60-74 years were assigned to the control group, exercise group (ExG), protein supplementation group (PrG), or the combination of exercise and protein supplementation group. A significant interaction effect between body weight and body mass index (BMI) was observed, with the PrG (-2.1% body weight, -1.8% BMI) showing the highest reductions. Further, there was a decrease in % body fat (-4.5%) and an increase in fat-free mass (kg) (+5.7%) in the ExG after 12 weeks (P < 0.05). The highest increments in lower and upper body strength were observed in the PrG (73.2%) and ExG (47.6%), respectively. In addition, the ExG showed a reduction in superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, and both interventions did not alter either lipid or protein oxidation. In conclusion, the exercise program was found to improve muscle strength and body composition, while protein supplementation reduced body weight and increased upper body strength, among sarcopenic elderly in Malaysia.