This study aimed to assess the effects of three major SCFAs (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) on NASH phenotype in mice. C57BL/6 mice were fed a methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet and treated with sodium acetate, sodium propionate, or sodium butyrate during the 6-week feeding period. SCFA treatment significantly reduced serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase, the numbers of lipid droplets, and the levels of triglycerides and cholesterols in livers of the mice compared with control treatment. SCFAs also reduced MCD-induced hepatic aggregation of macrophages and proinflammatory responses. Among the three SCFAs, sodium acetate (NaA) revealed the best efficacy at alleviating MCD-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Additionally, NaA increased AMP-activated protein kinase activation in the liver and induced the expression of fatty acid oxidation gene in both the liver and cultured hepatocytes. In vitro, NaA decreased MCD-mimicking media-induced proinflammatory responses in macrophages to a greater extent than in hepatocytes. These results indicated that NaA alleviates steatosis in a manner involving AMPK activation. Also, NaA alleviation of hepatic inflammation appears to be due to, in large part, suppression of macrophage proinflammatory activation. SCFAs may represent as a novel and viable approach for alleviating NASH.

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