The effects of exercise and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation as treatments for hepatic steatosis

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this study was to examine the individual and combined effects of exercise and dietary consumption of n3PUFAs as treatments for NAFLD. Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats were studied due to their spontaneous development of obesity, insulin resistance, and NAFLD. A novelty of these rats is their intrinsic aptitude for voluntary wheel running despite their obesity. OLETFs were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=8/group): 1) remained sedentary 2) access to running wheels (3) diet supplemented with 3% of energy from fish oil and 4) access to running wheels and diet supplemented with 3% of energy from fish oil. Treatments began at 13 wk of age, an age when NAFLD is present in OLETF-SED rats, and lasted until all rats were sacrificed at 20 wk of age. Exercise appears to be more effective treatment for NAFLD in obese OLETF rats in part through increasing complete hepatic FAO, improving IS, and decreasing activation of the lipid synthesis pathway. Contrary to our original hypothesis, a diet moderately high in n3PUFAs failed to lower hepatic fat content and partially blunted the beneficial effects of exercise as a treatment strategy for NAFLD and systemic insulin resistance.