Oxidized Pork Induces Hepatic Steatosis by Impairing Thyroid Hormone Function in Mice

Recent studies have linked high consumption of red and processed meats to an increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cooking-induced oxidation of proteins and amino acids might be contributing factors. Herein, this study investigates the influence of oxidized pork and the protein oxidation biomarker dityrosine (Dityr) on hepatic steatosis in mice.

Low- and high-oxidative injury pork (LOP and HOP) are freeze-dried to prepare mouse diets. Mice are fed a diet of either the control, LOP, HOP, LOP+Dityr, or Dityr for 12 weeks. HOP and Dityr intake induced oxidative stress and inflammation that impaired thyroid function and peripheral metabolism (reduced type 1 deiodinase activity) of thyroid hormones (THs). These lead to a decrease in the circulating as well as liver THs and induced hepatic steatosis. This process might be regulated through reduced TH levels and altered TH target genes and proteins related to hepatic lipid metabolism that ultimately inhibited hepatic energy metabolism, as indicated by increased hepatic lipid synthesis, decreased hepatic lipid catabolism, and fatty acid oxidation.

HOP intake could induce hepatic steatosis by impairing TH function. Dityr plays an important role in the HOP-induced harmful effects.