Fatty Liver

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of disorders characterized by excessive lipid accumulation in hepatocytes. Each stage of the disease spectrum has distinctive histopathological characteristics. The beginning stages include simple hepatic steatosis, which is characterized by fat droplet accumulation in hepatocytes and this is usually benign and asymptomatic. The disease may progress further to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which may include hepatocellular injury, ballooning (i.e. cellular swelling) and/or inflammation. If left unchecked, NASH can lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and ultimately HCC, thus affecting overall liver function.

In spite of the enormous amount of research in the field of NAFLD/NASH in the past decade, the precise mechanisms underlying the development of NAFLD and its progression to NASH have not been completely elucidated, including its link to metabolic syndrome, requiring additional studies and models to elucidate its pathophysiology. Because of its growing worldwide prevalence, various animal models that mirror both the pathophysiology and the histopathology of each stage of NAFLD/NASH are available. Certain dietary approaches can drive NAFLD/NASH in rodent models to mimic human disease and produce different severities of disease along the NAFLD spectrum, and depending on the dietary manipulations, likely work by unique mechanisms. This is essential in determining how the disease progresses, and also helps in evaluating different therapeutic approaches towards the treatment of specific stages of NAFLD.

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Our Latest Publication

Considerations When Choosing High-Fat, High-Fructose, and High-Cholesterol Diets to Induce Experimental Nonalcoholic Fatty
Liver Disease in Laboratory Animal Models
Sridhar Radhakrishnan,1 Steven F Yeung,1 Jia-Yu Ke,1 Maísa M Antunes,2 and Michael A Pellizzon1
Curr Dev Nutr 2021;5:nzab138

Targeted Nutrient Modifications in Purified Diets Differentially Affect Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Metabolic Disease Development in Rodent Models
Sridhar Radhakrishnan, Jia-Yu Ke, Michael A Pellizzon
Current Developments in Nutrition, Volume 4, Issue 6, June 2020

Joint RDI/Taconic NAFLD Webinar

In case you missed it, here is the link to the presentation, "Nutrient Modifications in Purified Diets Differentially Affect Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Rodents." Presented by Dr. Sri Radhakrishnan.