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Updated: Mar 20, 2026
A Model of Experimental Steatosis In Vitro: Hepatocyte Cell Culture in Lipid Overload-Conditioned Medium
Published on: May 18, 2021
An Accessible and Pragmatic Experimental Model of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Hadi Emamat1, Maryam Noori1, Forough Foroughi2
1Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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BACKGROUND There is no convenient cheap pragmatic experimental model for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)/Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).
Objective:
Our objective was to create a pragmatic model of NAFLD/NASH. METHODS Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat, high sugar homemade diet ad libitum for seven weeks. The high-fat, high sugar diet included 59% of energy derived from fat, 30% from carbohydrates, and 11% from protein. Serum levels of fasting glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, liver enzymes, insulin, and hepatic tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene expression were determined. Hepatic histology was examined by H&E stain. RESULTS Rats fed the high-fat, high sugar diet developed hepatic steatosis, and a moderate inflammation, which was associated with increased serum levels of liver enzymes, glucose, insulin, triglyceride, cholesterol, and hepatic TNF-α gene expression. CONCLUSION This rat model resembles the key features of human NAFLD/NASH and provides a simple pragmatic experimental model for elucidating the disease prevention and treatment.
