Different dietary fats impact on biochemical and histological parameters and gene expression of lipogenesis-related genes in rats

Abstract The effects of different types of dietary fats on some biochemical and histological parameters were investigated and gene expression of lipogenesis-related genes in rats was evaluated. Five groups of Wister rats were randomly selected. Rats in group 1 (control) were given only rodent chow. Rats in groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were fed with rodent chow supplemented with 10% buffalo butter oil, buffalo butter oil solid fraction (S30), hydrogenated palm kernel oil shortening, and margarine, respectively. As a result of adding shortening (group 4), there was an increase in the rats’ weight and some of the serum biochemical parameters compared to the other experimental groups. Those increments were parallel to an increase in serum acetate of the same group. Histologically, photographs of the livers of rats in group 3 showed slight cytoplasmic vacuolization of centrilobular hepatocytes and asporadic cell necrosis. The livers of rats in group 4, however, showed activation of Kupffer cells, hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes and cytoplasmic vacuolization of centrilobular hepatocytes. The gene expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) 1c and fatty acid synthase (FAS) showed that feeding rats with S30 and shortening led to an increase in SREBP-1c and FAS mRNA levels, thus indicating the activation of lipogenesis genes in the liver. Supplementing rat diets with margarine showed no changes in SREBP-1c and FAS mRNA levels compared with other treatments. In conclusion, diets with shortening or S30 resulted in an increase in weight gain, histopathological lesions, lipid profile levels changes and a significant up-regulation of SREBP-1c and FAS gene expression levels compared with butter oil and margarine.