Yacon flour improves non-alcoholic fatty liver through TGF-b pathway

ALEMAN M.N.; SÁNCHEZ S. S.; HONORE S.M.

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2017

Sociedades de Biociencias

TGF-b pathway regulates several cellular process including regulation of matrix proteins expression such as collagens I and III, and fibronectin. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) covers a large spectrum of histological changes, including steatosis, hepatocyte injury (ballooning), inflammatory infiltration, and changes in pericellular matrix proteins. In the present study we investigated the participation of the TGF-b/Smad signaling pathway in the effects of S. sonchifolius (yacón) on the NAFLD in a diet induced model. Adult male Wistar rats maintained with a rat standard chow were randomly separated into a control group (water ad libitum) and a F-group (fructose 10% w/v, ad libitum, F). After 20 weeks F rats, were randomly assigned according to the treatment: F or F+Y (340mg yacon flour/kg bw) for 12 weeks. Dietary supplementation with yacon roots showed a decrease in serum and hepatic triglycerides, cholesterol, VLDL, ALT and AST activities. Yacon also decreased inflammatory cell infiltration in F-livers, improved oxidative state and lipid peroxidation. Yacon supplement significantly down-regulated TGF-β/ Smad signaling, reducing the expression of the TGF-b1, TGF-R1, TGF-R2 mRNAs, as well as the TGF-β1, p-smad protein expression. The collagens type I, collagen type III, and fibronectin mRNA expression were also down-regulated in the liver of F+Ygroup. On the other hands F+Y group showed less collagens I and III depositions in liver. These results suggested that yacon roots are able toimprove NAFLD modulating TGF-b/Smad signaling pathway. Key words: TGF-b pathway, yacon, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, steatosis, extracellular matrix.