OBJECTIVE: The present study analyzed the biochemical and hepatic changes in adult rats fed a high-fat diet for two months. METHODS: Twenty Wistar rats 90 days old were divided into two groups, a control group consisting of normal weight rats fed a commercial rat chow and a diet group consisting of normal weight rats submitted to a semi-purified high-fat, high-energy diet. The animals in control group were kept on a commercial Purina® chow and those in diet group on a high-fat/high-energy diet containing 35% fat, of which 31% were from animal source (39% saturated fat) and 4% were from vegetable source (soybean oil). After 60 days of this experimental diet, the following were assessed: body weight, insulin sensitivity, blood glucose, serum insulin and free fatty acids, triglycerides, total lipids and hepatic lipogenic activity. RESULTS: Diet group presented higher body mass and insulin resistance. Blood glucose did not differ between the groups. A higher level of serum insulin and free fatty acids were found in diet group. Total lipids, triglycerides and lipogenic rate were also higher in group D. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the present findings demonstrate that two months of a high-fat/high-energy diet increases the body weight and hepatic free fatty acids and decreases insulin sensitivity of adult rats, typical signs of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Diet, high-fat; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Insulin resistance; Overweight
