Hepatic biochemical changes in rats submitted to a high-fat/high-energy diet

Objective The present study analyzed the biochemical and hepatic changes in adult rats fed a high-fat diet for two months. Methods Twenty Wistar rats 90 days old were divided into two groups, a control group consisting of normal weight rats fed a commercial rat chow and a diet group consisting of normal weight rats submitted to a semi-purified high-fat, high-energy diet. The animals in control group were kept on a commercial Purina (R) chow and those in diet group on a high-fat/high-energy diet containing 35% fat, of which 31% were from animal source (39% saturated fat) and 4% were from vegetable source (soybean oil). After 60 days of this experimental diet, the following were assessed: body weight, insulin sensitivity, blood glucose, serum insulin and free fatty acids, triglycerides, total lipids and hepatic lipogenic activity. Results Diet group presented higher body mass and insulin resistance. Blood glucose did not differ between the groups. A higher level of serum insulin and free fatty acids were found in diet group. Total lipids, triglycerides and lipogenic rate were also higher in group D. Conclusion Therefore, the present findings demonstrate that two months of a high-fat/high-energy diet increases the body weight and hepatic free fatty acids and decreases insulin sensitivity of adult rats, typical signs of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.