Acute responses of hepatic fat content to consuming fat, glucose and fructose alone and in combination in non-obese non-diabetic individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

J Physiol Pharmacol. 2021 Feb;72(1). doi: 10.26402/jpp.2021.1.05. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

Abstract

We have recently demonstrated that a high-fat load can induce immediate increase in hepatic fat content (HFC) and that such an effect can be modified differently by co-administration of fructose or glucose in healthy subjects. Therefore, we addressed the question how consumption of these nutrients affects changes in HFC in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Eight male non-obese non-diabetic patients with NAFLD underwent 6 experiments each lasting 8 hours: 1. fasting, 2. high-fat load (150 g of fat (dairy cream) at time 0), 3. glucose (three doses of 50 g at 0, 2, and 4 hours), 4. high-fat load with three doses of 50 g of glucose, 5. fructose (three doses of 50 g at 0, 2, and 4 hours), 6. high-fat load with three doses of 50 g of fructose. HFC was measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy prior to meal administration and 3 and 6 hours later. Plasma triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, glucose and insulin were monitored throughout each experiment. HFC increased by 10.4 ± 6.9% six hours after a high-fat load and by 15.2 ± 12.5% after high-fat load with fructose. When co-administering glucose with fat, HFC rose only transiently to return to baseline at 6 hours. Importantly, NAFLD subjects accumulated almost five times more fat in their livers than healthy subjects with normal HFC. Consumption of a high-fat load results in fat accumulation in the liver of NAFLD patients. Fat accumulation after a fat load is diminished by glucose but not fructose co-administration.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects*
  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / blood
  • Fructose / administration & dosage*
  • Fructose / metabolism
  • Glucose / administration & dosage*
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Insulin / blood
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Liver / physiopathology
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Male
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / physiopathology*
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Fatty Acids, Nonesterified
  • Insulin
  • Triglycerides
  • Fructose
  • Glucose