All-Trans Retinoic Acid (atRA) effectively improves liver steatosis in a rabbit model of high fat induced liver steatosis

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of All-Trans Retinoic Acid, the biologically active metabolite of retinoids, on liver steatosis in a rabbit model of high fat induced lever steatosis. 30 male rabbits were evaluated in 5 groups: group 1 treated with normal diet, group 2–5 included rabbit’s groups 2 to 5 were fed on high cholesterol diet, group 2 received no drugs, group 3 received atorvastatin, group 4 received atRA, and group 5 received both the drugs. the liver was obtained for histopathological evaluation. oral administration of atRA, atorvastatin or their combination significantly decreased serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL, AST and ALT. atorvastatin slightly but atRA remarkably decreased liver steatosis where the difference was significant. atRA group showed the highest TAC and the lowest PCO concentrations. atRA can be effective in reducing liver steatosis and its antioxidant effect plays a crucial role in the process.

Highlights

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common disorder of the liver in general population and is strongly associated with metabolic risk factors including hyperlipidaemia, obesity and diabetes.

• atRA is very effective in reducing liver steatosis and its antioxidant effect plays a crucial role in the process.

• we suggest focussing on other aspects of liver steatosis such as carbohydrate metabolism and insulin resistance in order to find better ways of controlling and treating liver steatosis.

Keywords:

• atRA
• steatosis
• antioxidant effect

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by research grant of Urmia University of medical sciences.

Ethical approval and consent to participate

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Disclosure statement

The authors deny any conflict of interest in any terms or by any means during the study. All the fees provided by research centre fund and deployed accordingly

Authors contributions

Dr. Leila Zarei: Planned the study, wrote the protocol, collected the data and drafted the manuscript and accepted the final draft.

Dr.Negin Farhad: Planned and designed the study, collected the data.

Dr. Ata Abbasi: analysed the data and critically revised the draft and finally approved the manuscript.

Data availability

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.