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Topical Area: Obesity

Obesity (Poster Session)

(P31-022-23) Feeding Soy Protein Concentrate With Low and High Isoflavones Can Reverse Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Caused by Obesity in Obese Zucker Rat Model

Monday, July 24, 2023
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board 244

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Reza Hakkak, PhD

    Professor
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • BS

    Beverly Spray, Ph.D

    Biostatistician
    Arkansas Children`s Research Institute
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

  • DI

    David Irby

    Arkansas Children`s Research Institute

  • SK

    Soheila Korourian, MD

    Professor
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Disclosure(s):
Reza Hakkak, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: To examine the effects of 10 weeks feeding of low and high isoflavones levels in soy protein concentrate after 8 weeks on casein (CAS) as control diet on protection against Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in the obese rat model.

Methods: 28, six-week old male Zucker rats were fed casein as control diet (CAS) for 8 weeks. Seven (7) rats were sacrificed to ensure that they had NAFLD by measuring liver histopathological evaluation. The remaining 21 rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary groups: casein diet (CAS), soy protein with low isoflavones (LIF), or soy protein with high isoflavones (HIF) for 10 weeks (n=7 rats/group). Rats were weighed twice weekly then sacrificed and livers were weighed and samples were taken for histopathological analysis. Serums were collected to measure alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The steatosis was semiquantitated as a score of 0 to 4 in each case based on relative degree of steatosis within hepatocytes: (0) no steatosis; (1) < 25%; (2) 25–50%; (3) >50–75% and (4) >75%. Serums were collected to ALT and (AST using VetScan VS@ profile.

Results: We confirmed that 8 week feeding CAS diet developed NAFLD with steatosis score 3.1+ 0.7. There were no significant difference for final body weight between obese CAS vs. LIF vs. HIF groups. The LIF and LHF-fed rats had significantly (p < 0.05) lower steatosis scores, microvascular score and liver weight compared to control (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between LIF vs HIF for steatosis score. However, the HIF group had lower liver weight and microvascular score compared to LIF (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in either AST or ALT levels between any combination of diet group.

Conclusions: We found that soy protein concentrate can reverse NAFLD caused by obesity and this protection was not affected by the level of isoflavones.

Funding Sources: USDA to RH