Ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid reduces liver lipids and lowers plasma levels of lipids in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Abstract

Fatty liver disease is characterized by a wide spectrum of liver damage, i.e. simple steatosis may progress to advanced fibrosis and to cryptogenic cirrhosis via steatohepatitis, and ultimately to hepatocellular carcinoma. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a marine-derived n-3 fatty acid like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is an anti-thrombotic and hypolipidemic agent, and is an antagonist of platelet aggregation and an inhibitor of cholesterol and lipoprotein. In an attempt to confirm the hypolipidemic action of this agent, the effects of EPA on liver and plasma levels of lipids in mice fed a high-fat diet were investigated. EPA markedly reduced the fatty droplets in the liver cells and the liver weight, also lowering plasma levels of total cholesterol, free total cholesterol, phospholipids and triglyceride. It is suggested that n-3 fatty acid intake and fish consumption may be able to prevent the occurrence not only of metabolic syndrome, but also of fatty liver and non-alcohlic steatohepatitis.