Selenoneine Ameliorates Hepatocellular Injury and Hepatic Steatosis in a Mouse Model of NAFLD.

Selenoneine is a novel organic selenium compound markedly found in the blood, muscles, and other tissues of fish. This study aimed to determine whether selenoneine attenuates hepatocellular injury and hepatic steatosis in a mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Mice lacking farnesoid X receptor (FXR) were used as a model for fatty liver disease, because they exhibited hepatomegaly, hepatic steatosis, and hepatic inflammation. -null mice were fed a 0.3 mg Se/kg selenoneine-containing diet for four months. Significant decreases in the levels of hepatomegaly, hepatic damage-associated diagnostic markers, hepatic triglycerides, and total bile acids were found in -null mice fed with a selenoneine-rich diet. Hepatic and blood clot total selenium concentrations were 1.7 and 1.9 times higher in the selenoneine group than in the control group. A marked accumulation of selenoneine was found in the liver and blood clot of the selenoneine group. The expression levels of oxidative stress-related genes ( (), (), and ), fatty acid synthetic genes (() and ()), and selenoprotein ( () and ()) were significantly decreased in the selenoneine group. These results suggest that selenoneine attenuates hepatic steatosis and hepatocellular injury in an NAFLD mouse model.