Modifying macronutrients is superior to microbiome transplantation in treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver injury and liver transplantation in Western countries. The pathogenesis of NAFLD includes overnutrition-associated metabolic syndrome or the improper consumption of dietary macro- and micro-nutrients that either support or prevent disease development. This altered nutrient landscape has been linked to shifts within the gut microbiota which can exacerbate liver pathology and the progression of NAFLD. Treatment goals for NAFLD target lifestyle and dietary modifications that restrict calories and adjust macronutrient content. It is not well understood how different macronutrients alter the microbiota and whether the diet-educated microbiota contribute to the resolution of disease. We fed mice a diet high in fat, cholesterol and fructose for 6 weeks and then in two different arms of the study, intervened with either a diet high in saturated and polyunsaturated fats and fiber or low in fats and fiber. In a second set of experiments, we performed microbiota transplants using cecal contents from mice fed one of the intervention diets to assess whether the diet-educated microbiota could impact clinical outcomes in mice fed a NAFLD-inducing diet. Pathology, steatosis, ALT/AST levels, and liver cytokine levels were measured as primary outcomes. We found that despite different microbiota compositions, both of the intervention diets reversed the progression of NAFLD and dampened inflammation. In contrast, transplantation of cecal contents from the intervention diet-fed mice to mice receiving a NAFLD-inducing diet was unable to prevent disease progression, and, in some cases, worsened disease. These data underscore the importance of dietary modifications to treat NAFLD and caution against the use of microbiota transplantation in the absence of dietary and lifestyle modifications.