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. 2003 Oct 7:2:9.
doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-2-9.

Vitamin C and vitamin E in prevention of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in choline deficient diet fed rats

Claudia P M S Oliveira  1 , Luiz Carlos da Costa Gayotto, Caroline Tatai, Bianca Ishimoto Della Nina, Emerson S Lima, Dulcinéia S P Abdalla, Fabio P Lopasso, Francisco R M Laurindo, Flair José Carrilho
Affiliations

Vitamin C and vitamin E in prevention of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in choline deficient diet fed rats

Claudia P M S Oliveira et al. Nutr J. .

Abstract

Aim: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Vitamin C and vitamin E are known to react with reactive oxygen species (ROS) blocking the propagation of radical reactions in a wide range of oxidative stress situations. The potential therapeutic efficacy of antioxidants in NAFLD is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of antioxidant drugs (vitamin C or vitamin E) in its prevention.

Methods: Fatty liver disease was induced in Wistar rats by choline-deficient diet for four weeks. The rats were randomly assigned to receive vitamin E (n = 6) - (200 mg/day), vitamin C (n = 6) (30 mg/Kg/day) or vehicle orally.

Results: In the vehicle and vitamin E-treated rats, there were moderate macro and microvesicular fatty changes in periportal area without inflammatory infiltrate or fibrosis. Scharlach stain that used for a more precise identification of fatty change was strong positive. With vitamin C, there was marked decrease in histological alterations. Essentially, there was no liver steatosis, only hepatocellular ballooning. Scharlach stain was negative. The lucigenin-enhanced luminescence was reduced with vitamin C (1080 +/- 330 cpm/mg/min x 10(3)) as compared to those Vitamin E and control (2247 +/- 790; 2020 +/- 407 cpm/mg/min x 10(3), respectively) (p < 0.05). Serum levels of aminotransferases were unaltered by vitamin C or vitamin E.

Conclusions: 1) Vitamin C reduced oxidative stress and markedly inhibited the development of experimental liver steatosis induced by choline-deficient diet; 2)Vitamin E neither prevented the development of fatty liver nor reduced the oxidative stress in this model.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Rats treated with vitamin E or vehicle-Macrovacuolar and microvaculoar fatty change involves mainly zone I of the hepatic acinus (Masson's Trichrome)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Rats treated with vitamin C has normal hepatic lobule. Liver cells are slightly swolen with centraly placed nuclei. No fatty change is seen
Figure 3
Figure 3
SCHARLACH Rs for fatty. The reaction is positive in control
Figure 4
Figure 4
SCHARLACH Rs for fatty. The reaction is negative in vitamin C treated-rats.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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