Effect of probioticsuse on fatty liver and metabolic endotoxemia, in rats fed with HİGH fat diet

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a complex and multifactorial disease, it's pathogenesis is not fully understood. The pathogenesis of disease is involves a complex process, genetic polymorphism, enviromental factors and change of intestinal microbiota. Lifestyle changes and physical activity are primary goals in the treatment. In this study, the effect of probiotic use on the fatty liver and metabolic endotoxemia in rats fed with high fat diet was invsetigated. Sprague Dawley rats (n=24) were used in this study and animals were divided into 3 groups. The control group received standard purified feed, the other two groups respectively, receieved high fat feed+plasebo (1 drop of NaCl), high fat feed+probiotic Lactobasillus r. GG (1x10¹⁰ cfu/ 1 drop) for 16 weeks. At the end of the period, blood samples were taken from rats, mesenteric, perirenal, gonadal fat tissue levels were measured and the liver was removed for the histopathology. When the serum AST levels of groups were compared, statistical difference was found as significant, the highest level was found in high fat feed+plasebo group. The difference between the mean serum ALT levels of groups was found be significant and lowest ALT level was found in the control, the highest level high fat feed+probiotic group. There was no statistical difference between groups, cholesterol, TNF-α, CRP and LPS level (p>0.05). There was no correlation between LPS with AST, ALT, cholesterol and CRP levels (p>0.05). The difference between in gropups, mean of liver weight, perirenal and mesenteric fat content was significant (p<0.05). At the histopathological examination of the groups revealed steatosis negative in control group, 62.5 % of in high fat feed+plasebo group and 12.5% hepatosteatosis + hepatocellular balloning in high fat feed+probiotic group (1 animal). As a result, the protective effect of supplementation with probiotics on high fat diet induced fatty liver was demonstrated as histopathologically but its effects on liver enzymes, inflamatory markers and metabolic endotoxemia has not been fully demonstrated. In order to recommend of the use probiotics in NAFLD, more researches are needed in terms of both dose and strain. viii Key Words: Probiotics, endotoxemia, non alcoholic fatty liver, high fat diet. For this study, Ethics Committee Approval was obtained from Experimental Animals Ethicss Committee of Baskent University with the decision no 17/19 dated 14.08.2017.