Parallel 16: Clinical and Translational Fibrosis Research

Abstract

ing significant reduction in certain long-(hexadecanoic and heptadecanoic), medium (hexanoic and octanoic), and short (butanoic) free fatty acids. Remarkably, the levels of octanoic acid (known to have antimicrobial properties) were dramatically reduced (~48 fold) in mice fed USF+EtOH compared to SF+EtOH fed animals. A decline in certain fecal amino acids (e.g. serine and glycine) was observed in USF+EtOH fed animals. Conclusions: These data support an important role of dietary lipids in ALD pathogenesis, and provide insight into mechanisms of ALD development. A diet enriched in USF not only enhanced alcohol-induced liver injury, but also caused major fecal metagenomic and metabolomic changes that may play an etiologic role in observed liver injury. Characterization of both microbiota composition and function is an important approach to investigate host-microbial interaction. Our data suggest that dietary lipids can potentially serve as interventions for the prevention/treatment of ALD.