GUT INFLAMMATION EXACERBATES HEPATIC INJURY IN C57BL/6J MICE VIA GUT-VASCULAR BARRIER DYSFUNCTION IN HIGH-FAT INCORPORATED MEAT PROTEINS DIETS

Aims: Meat and its derivatives provide nutrients essential for human health. However, meat consumption, along with excessive fat intake, has been associated with gut inflammation, intestinal barriers dysfunction and alterations in gut microbiota. Here we investigated whether and how these changes in intestinal barrier system affect gut liver axis, hepatic injury and eventually leads to the progression of liver syndromes such as NAFLD. Methods: Mice were fed with high fat (60% kcal) or low fat (12% kcal) along with soybean (control), chicken and pork proteins (HFCH, HFP, LFCH, LFP) for 12 weeks. The biomarkers for liver injury were investigated after meat proteins intake along with high-fat. Findings: Larger amount of fat vacuoles in H&E staining increased inflammatory cells infiltration and disorganized liver structures were observed in HFP-fed mice. Oil Red O staining revealed that the HFP-fed and HFCH-fed mice showed more lipid droplets confirming the increased hepatic lipid accumulation. Potential serum markers for NAFLD, ALT and AST were increased in the HF meat diet groups. Key genes responsible for hepatic inflammation and lipogenesis, such as MCP-1, IL1-β and TNF-α were upregulated. HF meat protein diets fed mice exhibited signs of compromised liver with increased levels of endotoxin in liver and its binding protein in serum, upregulation of TLRs in the liver, and significant increases in TG, TC, LDL-C and HDL-C concentration.