TY  - JOUR
A1  - Henkel, Janin
A1  - Buchheim-Dieckow, Katja
A1  - Castro, José Pedro
A1  - Laeger, Thomas
A1  - Wardelmann, Kristina
A1  - Kleinridders, André
A1  - Jöhrens, Korinna
A1  - Püschel, Gerhard Paul
T1  - Reduced Oxidative Stress and Enhanced FGF21 Formation in Livers of Endurance-Exercised Rats with Diet-Induced NASH
JF  - Nutrients
N2  - Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) including the severe form with steatohepatitis (NASH) are highly prevalent ailments to which no approved pharmacological treatment exists. Dietary intervention aiming at 10% weight reduction is efficient but fails due to low compliance. Increase in physical activity is an alternative that improved NAFLD even in the absence of weight reduction. The underlying mechanisms are unclear and cannot be studied in humans. Here, a rat NAFLD model was developed that reproduces many facets of the diet-induced NAFLD in humans. The impact of endurance exercise was studied in this model. Male Wistar rats received control chow or a NASH-inducing diet rich in fat, cholesterol, and fructose. Both diet groups were subdivided into a sedentary and an endurance exercise group. Animals receiving the NASH-inducing diet gained more body weight, got glucose intolerant and developed a liver pathology with steatosis, hepatocyte hypertrophy, inflammation and fibrosis typical of NAFLD or NASH. Contrary to expectations, endurance exercise did not improve the NASH activity score and even enhanced hepatic inflammation. However, endurance exercise attenuated the hepatic cholesterol overload and the ensuing severe oxidative stress. In addition, exercise improved glucose tolerance possibly in part by induction of hepatic FGF21 production.
KW  - NAFLD
KW  - NASH
KW  - endurance exercise
KW  - FGF21
KW  - glucose intolerance
KW  - cholesterol
KW  - oxidative stress
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112709
SN  - 2072-6643
VL  - 11
IS  - 11
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  -