Available online 4 August 2016
Abstract
Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
consumption has been associated with health beneficial effects.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a co-morbidity of obesity.
In the present study, we investigated the effect of a polyphenol-rich
cranberry extract (CBE) on hepatic inflammation in high fat-fed obese
C57BL/6 J mice. Following dietary treatment with 0.8% CBE for 10 weeks,
we observed no change in body weight or visceral fat mass in CBE
supplemented mice compared to high fat-fed control mice. We did observe a
significant decrease in plasma alanine aminotransferase (31%) and
histological severity of NAFLD (33% decrease in area of involvement, 29%
decrease in lipid droplet size) compared to high fat-fed controls.
Hepatic protein levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha and C-C chemokine
ligand 2 were reduced by 28% and 19%, respectively, following CBE
supplementation. CBE significantly decreased hepatic mRNA levels of
toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4, 63%) and nuclear factorκB (NFκB, 24%), as
well as a number of genes related to the nucleotide-binding domain,
leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 inflammasome.
In conclusion, CBE reduced NAFLD and hepatic inflammation in high
fat-fed obese C57BL/6 J mice. These effects appear to be related to
mitigation of TLR4-NFκB related signaling, however further studies into
the underlying mechanisms of these hepatoprotective effects are needed.
Abbreviations
- ALT, alanine aminotransferase;
- CASP1, caspase 1;
- CBE, polyphenol-rich cranberry extract;
- CCL2, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2;
- CCR2, C-C chemokine receptor type 2;
- COX-2, cyclooxygenase 2;
- DP, degree of polymerization;
- EMR1, EGF-like module-containing mucin-like hormone receptor-like 1;
- HF, high fat diet;
- HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance;
- IL-1β, interleukin 1β;
- MCP-1, monocyte chemotactic protein 1;
- MIP-1α, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α;
- NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease;
- NASH, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis;
- NFκB, nuclear factor κB;
- NLRP3, NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3;
- NOS2, inducible nitric oxide;
- PAC, proanthocyanidin;
- ROS, reactive oxygen species;
- TLR4, toll like receptor 4;
- TNFα, tumor necrosis factor α;
- TXNIP, thioredoxin interacting protein;
- UCP2, uncoupling protein 2
Keywords
- Vaccinium macrocarpon;
- cranberry;
- non-alcoholic fatty liver disease;
- inflammation;
- polyphenols
© 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc.
