Kawakami Sakura, Han Kyu-Ho, Nakamura Yumi, Shimada Ken-ichiro, Kitano Tomoko, Aritsuka Tsutomu, Nagura Taizo, Ohba Kiyoshi, Nakamura Kimihide, Fukushima Michihiro
Department of Food Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2012;58(5):371-5. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.58.371.
The effects of betaine supplementation on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model mice were examined by measuring the accumulation of fat in the livers of NASH model mice compared to a control. Betaine from sugar beets was provided to the model mice as a dietary supplement. After 3 wk of dietary supplementation, there were no significant differences in body weight or liver weight between the groups. However, the liver to body weight ratio in the high-fat diet with betaine (HFB) group was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in the high-fat diet (HF) group. There were no differences in serum triglyceride (TG) concentrations, AST and ALT activities, or hepatic glutathione concentrations between the groups. Hepatic TG level in the HFB group was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that in the HF group. Hepatic cells obtained from the HF group showed increased occurrence of explosive puff and necrosis as compared with those in the HFB group. Betaine supplementation had an inhibitory effect on fat accumulation in the liver: the Oil red-positive area in the HFB group (0.82 ± 0.85%) was significantly (p<0.001) smaller than that in the HF group (9.06 ± 2.24%). These results indicate the potential of betaine to serve as an agent for amelioration of hepatic steatosis in NASH model mice.
通过测量非酒精性脂肪性肝炎（NASH）模型小鼠肝脏中的脂肪积累，并与对照组进行比较，研究了补充甜菜碱对NASH模型小鼠的影响。将甜菜中的甜菜碱作为膳食补充剂提供给模型小鼠。经过3周的膳食补充后，各组之间的体重或肝脏重量没有显著差异。然而，高脂饮食加甜菜碱（HFB）组的肝重与体重比显著（p<0.05）高于高脂饮食（HF）组。各组之间的血清甘油三酯（TG）浓度、AST和ALT活性或肝脏谷胱甘肽浓度没有差异。HFB组的肝脏TG水平显著（p<0.05）低于HF组。与HFB组相比，HF组获得的肝细胞出现爆式膨大和坏死的发生率增加。补充甜菜碱对肝脏中的脂肪积累有抑制作用：HFB组的油红阳性面积（0.82±0.85%）显著（p<0.001）小于HF组（9.06±2.24%）。这些结果表明甜菜碱有潜力作为改善NASH模型小鼠肝脂肪变性的药物。
