L-Methionine supplementation attenuates high-fat fructose diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by modulating lipid metabolism, fibrosis, and inflammation in rats

Food Funct. 2022 May 10;13(9):4941-4953. doi: 10.1039/d1fo03403k.

Abstract

Recently, the protective effects of a methionine-rich diet on hepatic oxidative stress and fibrosis have been suggested but not adequately studied. We, therefore, hypothesized that L-methionine supplementation would ameliorate the progression of hepatic injury in a diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model and aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism. NASH was developed in male Sprague Dawley rats by feeding them with a high-fat-fructose diet (HFFrD) for 10 weeks. The results demonstrated that L-methionine supplementation to NASH rats for 16 weeks improved the glycemic, lipid, and liver function profiles in NASH rats. Histological analysis of liver tissue revealed a remarkable improvement in the three classical lesions of NASH: steatosis, inflammation, and ballooning. Besides, L-methionine supplementation ameliorated the HFFrD-induced enhanced lipogenesis and lipid peroxidation. An anti-inflammatory effect of L-methionine was also observed through the inhibition of the release of proinflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the hepatic SIRT1/AMPK signaling pathway was associated with the beneficial effects of L-methionine. This study demonstrates that L-methionine supplementation in HFFrD-fed rats improves their liver pathology via regulation of lipogenesis, inflammation, and the SIRT1/AMPK pathway, thus encouraging its clinical evaluation for the treatment of NASH.

MeSH terms

  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fibrosis
  • Fructose / metabolism
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Methionine / metabolism
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / drug therapy
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / etiology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Sirtuin 1 / genetics
  • Sirtuin 1 / metabolism

Substances

  • Fructose
  • Methionine
  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Sirtuin 1