Cranberry Attenuates Progression of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Induced by High-Fat Diet in Mice

Abstract

Obesity is characterized by abnormal or excessive fat accumulation, which leads to the development of metabolic syndrome. Because oxidative stress is increased in obesity, antioxidants are regarded as suitable agents for preventing metabolic syndrome. Here, we examined the impact of cranberry, which contains various antioxidants, on metabolic profiles, including that during the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mice. We observed that oxidative stress was diminished in mice that were fed HFD diets supplemented with 1 and 5% cranberry powder as compared with that in HFD-fed control mice. Notably, from 1 week after beginning the diets to the end of the study, the body weight of mice in the cranberry-treatment groups was significantly lower than that of mice in the HFD-fed control group; during the early treatment phase, cranberry suppressed the elevation of serum triglycerides; and adipocytes in the adipose tissues of cranberry-supplemented-HFD-fed mice were smaller than these cells in HFD-fed control mice. Lastly, we examined the effect of cranberry on NAFLD, which is one of the manifestations of metabolic syndrome in the liver. Histological analysis of the liver revealed that lipid-droplet formation and hepatocyte ballooning, which are key NAFLD characteristics, were both drastically decreased in cranberry-supplemented-HFD-fed mice relative to the levels in HFD-fed control mice. Our results suggest that cranberry ameliorates HFD-induced metabolic disturbances, particularly during the early treatment stage, and exhibits considerable potential for preventing the progression of NAFLD.

Effects of Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) Supplementation on Hepatic Gene Expression in High-Fat Diet Fed Mice

“…The cranberry extract used in that study contained similar polyphenols as lingonberry: anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins [106]. Likewise, polyphenol-rich cranberry extract and powder have been shown to attenuate hepatic inflammation and progression of NAFLD [20,107,108], and polyphenol-rich cherry extract to attenuate hepatic lipid accumulation and lower leptin concentrations when compared with high-fat control in murine models [109]. Moreover, quercetin has been shown to reduce liver fat accumulation and improve the metabolic status of high-fat diet fed mice, as well as to normalize the elevated expression of Pparg, a hepatic gene associated with steatosis and inflammation [51].…”

ZFAND3 Overexpression in the Mouse Liver Improves Glucose Tolerance and Hepatic Insulin Resistance

“…Furthermore, liver ZFAND3 expression levels were determined in C57BL/6 mice fed with HFD or ND-fed for four weeks. We previously reported that fasting glucose levels in HFD-fed mice were significantly higher than those in ND-fed mice [21,22]. Hepatic ZFAND3 mRNA levels were significantly higher in HFD-fed mice than in ND-fed mice (▶Fig.…”

Modeling Diet‐Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rodents

“…When comparing studies that used hypercaloric diets from 1 to 32 weeks, it is possible to observe significant changes in the metabolic parameters only from 8 weeks, suggesting this is the minimum period required to induce some metabolic imbalance in the animals. [45,[86][87][88][89][90][91] Aoqui et al described the development of MetS in C57BL/6 mice on an HFD (51% kcal from fat) for 2 and 8 weeks. Mice fed HFD for 2 and 8 weeks gained significant weight, showed an increase in visceral fat tissue and hypertrophy of adipocytes.…”