Oral gallic acid improve liver steatosis and metabolism modulating hepatic lipogenic markers in obese mice

Abstract Introduction Gallic acid (GA) is a natural endogenous polyphenol found in a variety of fruits, vegetables and wines, with beneficial effects on the energetic homeostasis. Aim The present study aimed to investigate oral gallic acid effects on liver steatosis and hepatic lipogenesis markers in obese mice evaluating new possible molecular related mechanisms. Methods Twenty-four Swiss male mice were divided into four groups and fed for 60 days with standard diet (ST), standard diet plus gallic acid (ST + GA), high-fat diet (HFD), and high-fat diet plus gallic acid (HFD + GA). We evaluated the relationship between body weight, food intake and serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, aspartate and alanine transaminases. Liver histology was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. These results were accompanied by bioinformatics analyses. The acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) expression was assessed by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Results The main findings of the present study showed that GA reduced liver steatosis, body weight and plasma insulin levels. Analyzes of hepatic steatosis related genes expression showed that ACC and FAS mRNA were significantly suppressed in liver of HFD + GA mice. These data was corroborated by bioinformatics analysis. Conclusion These data suggest an important clinical application of GA in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.