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Vegetal oil-based ketogenic diet improves inflammation and fibrosis in experimental metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.

Frontiers in immunology
May 5, 2025
Alessia Provera et al. (20 authors)
Journal ArticleAnimal Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to investigate whether a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) based on vegetal fat could improve liver alterations associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in mice.

Results Summary

The study found that the KD significantly increased ketone body production, reduced liver and body weights, improved glucose and lipid metabolism, and ameliorated MASH-associated gut dysbiosis, hepatic steatosis, parenchymal injury, and liver fibrosis. Mechanistically, the KD reduced pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrogenic markers in the liver.

Population

C57BL/6 mice with induced MASH.

Effective Dosage

Not specified.

Duration

8 weeks.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (11)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
increase
ketone body production
C57BL/6 mice
-
greatly increased
#1
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
decrease
liver and body weights
C57BL/6 mice
-
significantly reduced
#2
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
increase
glucose and lipid metabolism
KD-fed mice
-
evidenced an improved
#3
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
increase
insulin resistance
KD-fed mice
-
evidenced an improved
#4
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
increase
MASH-associated gut dysbiosis
C57BL/6 mice
-
amelioration in
#5
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
increase
hepatic steatosis
C57BL/6 mice
-
improvement of
#6
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
increase
parenchymal injury
C57BL/6 mice
-
improvement of
#7
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
increase
liver fibrosis
C57BL/6 mice
-
improvement of
#8
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
decrease
liver TREM2-positive monocyte-derived macrophages forming crown-like aggregates
mice receiving KD
-
significant reduction in
#9
a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat
decrease
pro-inflammatory/pro-fibrogenic markers such as CCL2, IL-12, CD11b, α1-procollagen, TGF-β1, osteopontin, and galectin-3
mice receiving KD
-
lowering in the hepatic expression of
#10
β-hydroxybutyrate supplementation
decrease
TREM2 and galectin-3 expression
cultured Raw 264.7 macrophages
-
reduced
#11
Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) represents a growing cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, effective therapy for MASH is still lacking. Despite recent studies suggest that ketosis might improve MASH evolution, the mechanisms involved have not been explored since common ketogenic diets cause severe steatohepatitis in mice. In this study, we have investigated the capacity of a new-formulated ketogenic diet (KD) containing vegetal fat in improving liver alterations associated with experimental MASH. METHODS: MASH was induced in C57BL/6 mice by feeding a cholesterol-enriched Western Diet (WD) for up to 16 weeks, followed by switching animals to KD for an additional eight weeks. RESULTS: We observed that KD administration greatly increased ketone body production and significantly reduced liver and body weights. Moreover, liver proteomic analysis and functional tests evidenced an improved glucose and lipid metabolism along with insulin resistance in KD-fed mice. These metabolic effects were associated with an amelioration in MASH-associated gut dysbiosis and with an improvement of hepatic steatosis, parenchymal injury and liver fibrosis. From the mechanistic point of view mice receiving KD showed a significant reduction in liver TREM2-positive monocyte-derived macrophages forming crown-like aggregates along with a lowering in the hepatic expression of pro-inflammatory/pro-fibrogenic markers such as CCL2, IL-12, CD11b, α1-procollagen, TGF-β1, osteopontin, and galectin-3. Consistently, in vitro experiments showed that β-hydroxybutyrate supplementation reduced TREM2 and galectin-3 expression by cultured Raw 264.7 macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, these results indicate that ketogenic diet based on vegetal fat effectively improves MASH metabolic derangements and steatohepatitis, and it might represent a potential therapeutic strategy in this disease.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AnimalsDiet, KetogenicMiceMice, Inbred C57BLLiver CirrhosisMaleLiverDisease Models, AnimalInflammationFatty LiverLipid MetabolismNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality75/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score1.88
Normalized Score0.69
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