Biochemical and histopathological assessment of liver in a rat model of metabolic syndrome induced by high-carbohydrate high-fat diet

This study aimed to evaluate the oxidative stress status, antioxidants capacity, and presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in an animal model of MetS induced by high-carbohydrate high-fat (HCHF) diet. Male Wistar rats were randomized into two groups, assigned for two different types of diet (standard rat pellet or HCHF diet) for 20 weeks. Liver was excised, weighed, and subjected to lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide (NO·) production, antioxidants activity, and histological assessment. The HCHF rats had higher lipid peroxidation and NO· level but lower enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant levels than the normal animals. Histological evaluation revealed higher lobular inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, NAFLD activity score, and lipid accumulation in the liver of HCHF group. In conclusion, the HCHF diet causes an increase in oxidative stress, depletion of antioxidants capacity, NAFLD, and liver injury. The induction of oxidative stress may be partially responsible for the development of NAFLD in MetS. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The prevalence of MetS is estimated to increase rapidly with the escalating levels of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. A suitable animal model of MetS that best mimicked the human disease state with known underlying mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of MetS is indispensable to search for potential adjunct therapies and drug targets. Thus, our current study elucidated the involvement of oxidative stress in linking MetS and NAFLD which might resemble the pathogenesis of MetS among Southeast Asian population.