THE IMPACT OF HIGH-FAT DIET ON LIVER PARAMETERS AND ANTIOXIDANT SIGNALLING

Abstract

Due to present-day lifestyle habits, obesity is a disease of modern society. Obesity is characterized by excessive fat accumulation and lipid disturbance, which further leads to alterations in liver enzyme activity and redox signaling. We aimed to explore the effect of a high-fat (HF) diet on the concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum, and levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) in rat liver. Our results showed a significant elevation of ALP concentration and no change in AST and ALT concentrations in serum. Additionally, protein levels of NRF2 and PGC1-α were reduced in liver of HF diet-fed rats compared to control rats. These findings indicate an increased inflammatory response and impaired antioxidant defense signaling in the liver of HF diet-fed rats, predisposing them to the development of insulin resistance.