Fish oil-feeding prevents perfluorooctanoic acid-induced fatty liver in mice

The effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on the levels of lipids in liver and serum were compared between mice fed a diet supplemented with soy bean oil (SO), perilla oil (PO), or fish oil (FO) for 4 weeks. Hepatic content of triglyceride (TG) was significantly lower in the mice fed the FO diet than that in the mice fed either the SO or the PO diet. The treatment with PFOA caused a marked accumulation of TG in the livers of SO-fed and PO-fed mice (seven- and twofold over their respective controls), whereas a level of TG remained low in the mice fed the FO diet. Incorporation in vivo of [3H]glycerol revealed that FO-feeding reduced synthesis of TG in the liver. The administration of PFOA increased the incorporation of [3H]glycerol into hepatic phospholipid (PL) regardless of the dietary oil, while synthesis of hepatic TG from [3H]glycerol was not altered by the treatment with PFOA. Serum level of TG was reduced by the administration of PFOA to the mice fed either the SO diet or the PO diet, while no change in the level was observed in the mice fed the FO diet. These results suggest that the accumulation of TG in the livers of PFOA-treated mice is due to the inhibition of the secretion of TG into circulation. PFOA-induced hepatic accumulation of TG is prevented by the feeding of the FO diet which inhibits TG formation. Among three dietary oils, FO-feeding alone prevented the PFOA-caused accumulation of TG in the liver. The importance of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6(n - 3)) is discussed in relation to the prevention of fatty liver induced by chemicals.