THE EFFECT OF AN α-GLUCOSIDASE INHIBITOR ON FATTY LIVER IN OBESITY

Abstract

The livers of Zucker obese (fa/fa) and lean (fa/-) rats treated with the α-glucosidase inhibitor, AO-128, for 10 weeks were biochemically and morphologically investigated. Body weight (p<0.01), triglyceride in the liver (p<0.05) and free fatty acids in portal blood (p<0.01) were decreasd in the Zucker obese rats. In addition, lipid droplets in heaptocytes were shown to be decreased markedly in the Zucker obese rats. Thus, we concluded that reduced transport of free fatty acids into hepatocytes via portal blood might be a major responsible for the decrease in lipid concentrations observed in portal blood and the liver of the Zucker obese rats.