Hepatic steatosis in rats fed diets with varying concentrations of sucrose

The role of dietary sucrose concentrations in the development of hepatic steatosis in rats was investigated. Twelve groups of weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats received semipurified diets with different sucrose concentrations ranging from 20 to 50% (w/w); one group received a cereal-based chow diet. Rats were sacrificed after 3 weeks and body weight, liver/body weight ratio, plasma alanine aminotransferase concentration, hepatic triglyceride concentration, and liver morphology (light and electron microscopy) were determined. Body weight and liver/body weight ratio were decreased in rats receiving 40-50 or 25-35% dietary sucrose compared to rats receiving 20% sucrose or chow. Plasma alanine aminotransferase concentrations were within normal limits. Hepatic triglyceride concentration was significantly increased in rats receiving 40-50 and 25-35% dietary sucrose compared to rats receiving 20% dietary sucrose or chow. Light microscopy showed hepatic steatosis in a periportal distribution at all concentrations of dietary sucrose. Both the frequency and the severity of the steatosis were increased with increasing dietary sucrose concentrations. Electron microscopy from selected livers with increased hepatic triglyceride concentrations revealed increased lipid spheres and increased smooth endoplasmic reticulum without prominent Golgi apparatus or GERL complex. It is concluded that high dietary sucrose concentrations are responsible for the development of hepatic steatosis. Semipurified diets with high dietary sucrose concentrations such as the AIN-76A diet (50% sucrose) should not be used in animal studies in which increased triglyceride deposition could influence experimental outcome.