Methionine- and Choline-deficient Diet-induced Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis Is Associated with Increased Intestinal Inflammation

Inflammation drives the development and progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The present study examined changes in intestinal inflammation during NASH. In male C57BL/6J mice, feeding a methionine- and choline-deficient diet (MCD) resulted in severe hepatic steatosis and inflammation relative to feeding a chow diet (CD). Also, MCD-fed mice revealed characteristics of mucosal and submucosal inflammatory responses and increased CD68-postive cells compared with CD-fed mice. Moreover, intestinal phosphorylation states of c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) p46 and mRNA levels of interleukin (IL) 1 beta (IL1B), IL6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were significantly higher and intestinal mRNA levels of IL4 and IL13 were significantly lower in MCD-fed mice compared to their respective levels in CD-fed mice.
Source: American Journal of Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Source Type: research