Japanese study reveals gut hormones as key to combating fatty liver disease

New Delhi: A recent study from Japan has uncovered the pivotal role of gut absorption in preventing diet-induced fatty liver disease, offering new insights into combating this increasingly common health issue.

Fatty liver disease, often caused by high-fat diets and obesity, is marked by the excessive buildup of fat in the liver, leading to various metabolic disorders. While much research has focused on liver fat metabolism, this study highlights the importance of gut processes in managing fat accumulation.

Researchers from Fujita Health University conducted a study on mice to explore how key hormones, specifically proglucagon-derived peptides (PGDPs) such as glucagon, GLP-1, and GLP-2, influence fat absorption and liver fat buildup. PGDPs are known to regulate lipid metabolism in the liver, but this research sheds light on their role in the gut.

The study, published in Nutrients, examined the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) over seven days. The team compared genetically modified GCGKO mice, which have inactivated proglucagon genes, to normal control mice. According to Associate Professor Yusuke Seino, the GCGKO mice showed significantly lower levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides in the liver, as well as reduced adipose tissue weight, compared to control mice on the same diet. This reduction in fat accumulation was linked to decreased lipid absorption in the gut, even though the liver's fat-burning capacity was reduced.

The findings suggest that the absence of PGDPs prevents fatty liver by reducing the absorption of dietary fats in the intestine. Furthermore, the study highlighted the complex relationship between diet, hormones, and gut bacteria. Mice on the high-fat diet exhibited changes in gut microbiota, with an increase in Parabacteroides and a decrease in Lactobacillus—bacteria associated with resistance to obesity.

Seino noted that the research points to the potential of dual antagonists of GLP-2 and glucagon as promising treatments for obesity and fatty liver, due to their influence on insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. The study paves the way for new strategies targeting gut absorption as a means to tackle these metabolic conditions.