Effects of bile duct ligation and cholic acid treatment on fatty liver in two rat models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, one of the most prevalent liver disorders in Western countries, is characterized by hepatic accumulation of triglycerides. Bile acids have long been known to affect triglyceride homeostasis through a not completely understood mechanism. Aim: To analyse the effects of two different manipulations of bile acid circulation on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods: Two animal models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were developed by either feeding rats with a choline deficient or with a high fat diet. After 4 weeks, rats were randomized to undergo either bile duct ligation, sham operation or cholic acid administration. Results: During cholestasis there was an increased CYP7A1 expression, the rate limiting enzyme in bile acid synthesis, and a reduction of hepatic concentration of oxysterols, ligands of the liver X receptors. Target genes of the liver X receptors, involved in fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis, were down-regulated in association with decreased hepatic triglyceride content and improvement of fatty liver. Administration of cholic acid, ligand of farnesoid X receptor, also had a beneficial effect on fatty liver in rats on choline deficient diet. Conclusion: These results indicate that pharmacological approaches increasing the expression of CYP7A1 or stimulating farnesoid X receptor pathway could represent a promising treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. © 2012 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l