Dietary carbohydrate restriction inhibits carbon tetrachloride-induced murine liver fibrosis

High intake of processed and simple dietary carbohydrates (especially fructose) can result in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and, ultimately, liver fibrosis. On the other hand, dietary carbohydrate restriction (DCR) can be an efficient treatment option for a subgroup of NAFLD patients. A potential beneficial effect of DCR on established liver fibrosis remains elusive. We sought to address this experimentally and applied DCR (in form of a “low carb high protein” (LCHP) chow) to mice with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis. Laboratory parameters of hepatocyte integrity were lower in the LCHP group. Both Sirius Red staining area and abundance of alpha smooth muscle actin-positive cells displayed significantly lower values upon DRC. Finally, feeding the LCHP chow resulted in significantly reduced hepatic inflammatory cell infiltration as well as systemic levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines Il-6 and Il-1beta. Taken together, we observed a wide range of beneficial effects of the DCR on established murine liver fibrosis. The molecular mechanisms that mediate these beneficial effects are currently being evaluated by us. Low carbohydrate diets have been used safely for almost a century in humans, e. g. for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. Against this background, clinical application of our results seems feasible.

Publication History

Article published online:
26 January 2022