Astaxanthin inhibits inflammation and fibrosis in the liver and adipose tissue of mouse models of diet-induced obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

The objective of this study was to determine if astaxanthin (ASTX), a xanthophyll carotenoid, can prevent obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities, inflammation and fibrosis in diet-induced obesity (DIO) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse models. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a low fat (6% fat, w/w), a high fat/high sucrose control (HF/HS; 35% fat, 35% sucrose, w/w), or a HF/HS containing ASTX (AHF/HS; 0.03% ASTX, w/w) for 30 wk. To induce NASH, another set of mice was fed a HF/HS diet containing 2% cholesterol (HF/HS/HC) or HF/HS/HC with 0.015% ASTX (AHF/HS/HC) for 18 wk.

Source: The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry - February 29, 2016 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Bohkyung Kim, Callie Farruggia, Chai Siah Ku, Tho X. Pham, Yue Yang, Minkyung Bae, Casey J. Wegner, Nicholas J. Farrell, Ellen Harness, Young-Ki Park, Sung I. Koo, Ji-Young Lee Source Type: research