NASH-inducing Diets in Göttingen Minipigs

Henrik D. Pedersen; Elisabeth D. Galsgaard; Berit Christoffersen; Susanna Cirera; Dorte Holst; Merete Fredholm; Markus Latta

doi:10.1016/j.jceh.2019.09.004

NASH-inducing Diets in Göttingen Minipigs

Henrik D. Pedersen^*, Elisabeth D. Galsgaard, Berit Christoffersen, Susanna Cirera, Dorte Holst, Merete Fredholm, Markus Latta

^*Corresponding author for this work

Food Safety and Zoonoses

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Owing to the human-like physiology, a minipig model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) could be valuable. Pigs, however, rarely develop substantial hepatic steatosis, even when fed diets with high fat, fructose, and cholesterol (FFC) content. The potential of choline-deficient, amino acid–defined high-fat diets (CDAHFD) was therefore evaluated in Göttingen Minipigs. Methods: Castrated male Göttingen Minipigs were fed either chow (n = 5) or one of the three NASH diets: FFC (n = 5), CDAHFD with sucrose (CDAHFD-S; n = 4), or fructose (CDAHFD-F; n = 4) for 8 weeks. Liver and blood samples were collected after 2 weeks and at termination. Results: Compared with chow, the body weight was higher after FFC (9.8 ± 0.4 versus 8.5 ± 1.2 kg; mean ± SD) and less after CDAHFD-S (6.4 ± 0.8 kg) and CDAHFD-F (6.9 ± 0.8 kg). Liver weight per kg body weight was significantly increased in all 3 NASH groups (FFC 2.1 times; and both CDAHFD diets 3.1 times). Histologically, pronounced macrovesicular steatosis developed only in the CDAHFD groups. Inflammation was present in all three NASH groups. In the CDAHFD groups, inflammatory cells formed crown-like structures around steatotic hepatocytes. Sirius red staining revealed mild fibrosis in the two CDAHFD groups with the fibrotic potential being further supported by immunohistochemical staining for activated stellate cells and gene expression analyses. No noticeable differences were found between CDAHFD-S and CDAHFD-F. Conclusions: Göttingen Minipigs fed CDAHFD developed pronounced steatosis with inflammation around steatotic hepatocytes and incipient fibrosis, thereby showing potential as a model for human NASH. Further studies are needed to investigate the period needed for marked fibrosis to develop.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology
ISSN	0973-6883
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jceh.2019.09.004
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2020

Keywords

Animal model
Choline
Fatty liver
Fibrosis
Porcine

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10.1016/j.jceh.2019.09.004Licence: CC BY-ND

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@article{2c5c809e44864b94a1f4811c5a30d34d,

title = "NASH-inducing Diets in G{\"o}ttingen Minipigs",

abstract = "Background: Owing to the human-like physiology, a minipig model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) could be valuable. Pigs, however, rarely develop substantial hepatic steatosis, even when fed diets with high fat, fructose, and cholesterol (FFC) content. The potential of choline-deficient, amino acid–defined high-fat diets (CDAHFD) was therefore evaluated in G{\"o}ttingen Minipigs. Methods: Castrated male G{\"o}ttingen Minipigs were fed either chow (n = 5) or one of the three NASH diets: FFC (n = 5), CDAHFD with sucrose (CDAHFD-S; n = 4), or fructose (CDAHFD-F; n = 4) for 8 weeks. Liver and blood samples were collected after 2 weeks and at termination. Results: Compared with chow, the body weight was higher after FFC (9.8 ± 0.4 versus 8.5 ± 1.2 kg; mean ± SD) and less after CDAHFD-S (6.4 ± 0.8 kg) and CDAHFD-F (6.9 ± 0.8 kg). Liver weight per kg body weight was significantly increased in all 3 NASH groups (FFC 2.1 times; and both CDAHFD diets 3.1 times). Histologically, pronounced macrovesicular steatosis developed only in the CDAHFD groups. Inflammation was present in all three NASH groups. In the CDAHFD groups, inflammatory cells formed crown-like structures around steatotic hepatocytes. Sirius red staining revealed mild fibrosis in the two CDAHFD groups with the fibrotic potential being further supported by immunohistochemical staining for activated stellate cells and gene expression analyses. No noticeable differences were found between CDAHFD-S and CDAHFD-F. Conclusions: G{\"o}ttingen Minipigs fed CDAHFD developed pronounced steatosis with inflammation around steatotic hepatocytes and incipient fibrosis, thereby showing potential as a model for human NASH. Further studies are needed to investigate the period needed for marked fibrosis to develop.",

keywords = "Animal model, Choline, Fatty liver, Fibrosis, Porcine",

author = "Pedersen, {Henrik D.} and Galsgaard, {Elisabeth D.} and Berit Christoffersen and Susanna Cirera and Dorte Holst and Merete Fredholm and Markus Latta",

year = "2020",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.jceh.2019.09.004",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology",

issn = "0973-6883",

publisher = "Elsevier Health Sciences",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - NASH-inducing Diets in Göttingen Minipigs

AU - Pedersen, Henrik D.

AU - Galsgaard, Elisabeth D.

AU - Christoffersen, Berit

AU - Cirera, Susanna

AU - Holst, Dorte

AU - Fredholm, Merete

AU - Latta, Markus

PY - 2020/5/1

Y1 - 2020/5/1

N2 - Background: Owing to the human-like physiology, a minipig model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) could be valuable. Pigs, however, rarely develop substantial hepatic steatosis, even when fed diets with high fat, fructose, and cholesterol (FFC) content. The potential of choline-deficient, amino acid–defined high-fat diets (CDAHFD) was therefore evaluated in Göttingen Minipigs. Methods: Castrated male Göttingen Minipigs were fed either chow (n = 5) or one of the three NASH diets: FFC (n = 5), CDAHFD with sucrose (CDAHFD-S; n = 4), or fructose (CDAHFD-F; n = 4) for 8 weeks. Liver and blood samples were collected after 2 weeks and at termination. Results: Compared with chow, the body weight was higher after FFC (9.8 ± 0.4 versus 8.5 ± 1.2 kg; mean ± SD) and less after CDAHFD-S (6.4 ± 0.8 kg) and CDAHFD-F (6.9 ± 0.8 kg). Liver weight per kg body weight was significantly increased in all 3 NASH groups (FFC 2.1 times; and both CDAHFD diets 3.1 times). Histologically, pronounced macrovesicular steatosis developed only in the CDAHFD groups. Inflammation was present in all three NASH groups. In the CDAHFD groups, inflammatory cells formed crown-like structures around steatotic hepatocytes. Sirius red staining revealed mild fibrosis in the two CDAHFD groups with the fibrotic potential being further supported by immunohistochemical staining for activated stellate cells and gene expression analyses. No noticeable differences were found between CDAHFD-S and CDAHFD-F. Conclusions: Göttingen Minipigs fed CDAHFD developed pronounced steatosis with inflammation around steatotic hepatocytes and incipient fibrosis, thereby showing potential as a model for human NASH. Further studies are needed to investigate the period needed for marked fibrosis to develop.

AB - Background: Owing to the human-like physiology, a minipig model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) could be valuable. Pigs, however, rarely develop substantial hepatic steatosis, even when fed diets with high fat, fructose, and cholesterol (FFC) content. The potential of choline-deficient, amino acid–defined high-fat diets (CDAHFD) was therefore evaluated in Göttingen Minipigs. Methods: Castrated male Göttingen Minipigs were fed either chow (n = 5) or one of the three NASH diets: FFC (n = 5), CDAHFD with sucrose (CDAHFD-S; n = 4), or fructose (CDAHFD-F; n = 4) for 8 weeks. Liver and blood samples were collected after 2 weeks and at termination. Results: Compared with chow, the body weight was higher after FFC (9.8 ± 0.4 versus 8.5 ± 1.2 kg; mean ± SD) and less after CDAHFD-S (6.4 ± 0.8 kg) and CDAHFD-F (6.9 ± 0.8 kg). Liver weight per kg body weight was significantly increased in all 3 NASH groups (FFC 2.1 times; and both CDAHFD diets 3.1 times). Histologically, pronounced macrovesicular steatosis developed only in the CDAHFD groups. Inflammation was present in all three NASH groups. In the CDAHFD groups, inflammatory cells formed crown-like structures around steatotic hepatocytes. Sirius red staining revealed mild fibrosis in the two CDAHFD groups with the fibrotic potential being further supported by immunohistochemical staining for activated stellate cells and gene expression analyses. No noticeable differences were found between CDAHFD-S and CDAHFD-F. Conclusions: Göttingen Minipigs fed CDAHFD developed pronounced steatosis with inflammation around steatotic hepatocytes and incipient fibrosis, thereby showing potential as a model for human NASH. Further studies are needed to investigate the period needed for marked fibrosis to develop.

KW - Animal model

KW - Choline

KW - Fatty liver

KW - Fibrosis

KW - Porcine

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U2 - 10.1016/j.jceh.2019.09.004

DO - 10.1016/j.jceh.2019.09.004

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32405177

AN - SCOPUS:85073719613

SN - 0973-6883

JO - Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology

JF - Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology

ER -

NASH-inducing Diets in Göttingen Minipigs

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Keywords

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