Effects of refeeding diets on emeriamine-induced fatty liver in fasting rats

We recently reported that fatty liver and hypertriglyceridemia are easily induced by the administration of an inhibitor of fatty acid oxidation (emeriamine; (R)-3-amino-4-trimethylaminobutyric acid) to fasting rats, and that these conditions are not accompanied by the increased de novo synthesis of fatty acid [J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol., 42, 111-120, (1996)]. To study whether emeriamine-induced fatty liver is affected by nutrients during recovery from fatty acid oxidation inhibition, we fed rats with either a high-carbohydrate (HCHO) diet or a high-fat (HFAT) diet. Rats fed an HCHO diet following the administration of emeriamine showed a marked decrease in serum and hepatic triglycerides, and a marked increase in hepatic glycogen. The lower levels of serum and hepatic triglycerides were accompanied by decreased activities of the NADPH-generating enzymes such as malic enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. By contrast, rats fed an HFAT diet showed less significant changes in hepatic triglyceride and glycogen levels. These results suggest a reciprocal relationship between the triglyceride level and glycogen accumulation caused by HCHO diet during recovery from emeriamine.