Nutrients
Protective Effect of Palmitoleic Acid on Alcoholic Fatty Liver Injury in Mice: Insights from Gut Microbiota and Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis
By Yu Liu, Benkang Su, minghui Yang and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) represents an early, reversible stage within the spectrum of alcoholic liver disease. Palmitoleic acid (POA), classified as an ω-7 MUFA, has previously demonstrated hepatoprotective properties against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but the protective effect of it in AFLD and its impact on the intestinal flora and metabolites remain unclear. The research sought to elucidate the protective role of POA in AFLD in a murine model and corresponding mechanistic pathways.
Methods
Thirty male Kunming mice were randomly distributed across five experimental cohorts: a healthy control group, an alcohol-exposed model group, and three POA-treated groups receiving daily different doses. With the exception of the control cohort, all animals underwent intragastric administration of 53% ethanol once daily. Multiple endpoints were evaluated, including hepatic function markers, lipid metabolic profiles, antioxidant capacity, liver histopathological features, colonic microbial composition, and intestinal metabolomic signatures.