Differential Effects of Fatty Acids on an In Vitro Model of Hepatocyte Steatosis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excess hepatic fat accumulation in the setting of metabolic syndrome. It ranges from simple hepatic fat accumulation (steatosis), to steatosis with inflammation and fibrosis (steatohepatitis), to end-stage liver disease. Progression of NAFLD has been modeled by a 2 hit hypothesis. The first hit, characterized by triglyceride accumulation, sensitizes the hepatocyte to second hits such as inflammation. Dietary fats are an important contributor to the development of NAFLD. While saturated fatty acids (SFA) tend to promote NAFLD, poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and ruminant trans-fatty acids (TFA), such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may be protective. This study aims to investigate the effects of various fatty acids (FA) on hepatocyte triglyceride accumulation, inflammation and insulin sensitivity using an in vitro model.

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• Abstract

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Project Type(s): Master's Thesis

Author(s): Srilekha Karunanithi

Program(s): Master of Science, RDN Training

Year: 2014