Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effects of GO-CoA-Tat, an inhibitor of ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT), on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by high-fat diet (HFD).
Methods Twenty-four C57BL/6 male mice were selected and divided into control group, HFD group and GO-CoA-Tat group, with 8 mice in each group. The mice in control group was given standard diet, the mice in HFD group and GO-CoA-Tat group were given HFD, and the mice in GO-CoA-Tat group was given daily intraperitoneal injection of GO-CoA-Tat from 3rd week of feeding. Food intake and body mass of mice were measured weekly. After 8 weeks, serum and liver samples were collected, liver weight was measured, and fat droplets were detected by hepatocyte oil red O staining; biochemical indexes such as serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and oxidative stress indexes of liver such as glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured.
Results Hepatic steatosis was observed after feeding with HFD for 8 weeks, which was significantly relieved in GO-CoA-Tat group compared with HFD group. Compared with HFD group, the food intake, body weight and liver weight of mice in GO-CoA-Tat group decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with HFD group, the content of TG in liver of mice in GO-CoA-Tat group decreased, the concentrations of serum TG and TC decreased (P < 0.05), and the concentrations of liver GSH and SOD increased (P < 0.01), liver MDA decreased (P=0.005), and the serum ALT and AST decreased (P < 0.05).
Conclusion GO-CoA-Tat can improve lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in the liver of NAFLD mice, thus play a protective role in the liver.