Effect of multiple binge alcohol on diet-induced liver injury in a mouse model of obesity

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are highly prevalent liver diseases that may coexist and contribute significantly to liver disease-related mortality. Obesity is a common underlying risk factor for both disorders. There has been little research investigating the combined effects of high fat diet (HFD) and alcohol. Current mouse models of alcohol- or fat-rich diet alone do not lead to severe liver injury. There is a need to develop animal models recapitulating human settings of drinking and diet to study the mechanisms of liver injury progression.

C57BL6 male mice were fed either chow or HFD ad libitum for 12 weeks. A sub-set of mice from each group were also given alcohol (2 g kg(-)(1) body weight) twice a week via intra-gastric lavage. Animals were monitored progressively for weight gain and blood and livers were harvested at termination. The extent of liver injury was examined by histopathology as well as by liver and serum biochemistry. The expression of lipid metabolism, inflammation and fibrogenesis-related molecules was examined by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (Q-PCR) and immunofluorescence staining.

HFD significantly increased total body weight, triglyceride and cholesterol, whereas alcohol increased liver weight. Alcohol+HFD in combination produced maximum hepatic steatosis, increased micro- and macro-vesicular lipid droplets, increased de novo lipogenesis (steroid response-element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1)) and proliferation peroxisome activated receptor alpha (PPARα), and decreased fatty acid β-oxidation (Acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1)). Alcohol+HFD treatment also increased the inflammation (CD45+, CD68+, F4/80+ cells; tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), F4/80 mRNAs) and fibrogenesis (vimentin+ activated stellate cells, collagen 1 (Col1) production, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and Col-1 mRNAs) in mice livers.

We report a novel mouse model with more severe liver injury than either alcohol or HFD alone recapitulating the human setting of intermittent alcohol drinking and HFD.