Evaluation of the effects of L-carnitine on medaka (Oryzias latipes) fatty liver

Abstract

Lifestyle-related diseases have become a major issue in recent years. The increasing incidence of fatty liver underlines the urgency with which the issues of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) need to be addressed. L-carnitine is a compound known to transport fatty acids into the mitochondria to enhance β-oxidation-mediated metabolism of fats. In this study, the effects of L-carnitine administration on fatty liver of medaka (Oryzias latipes) were analysed, to check for disease improvement and metabolic changes. Additionally, the effects of the concomitant administration of L-carnitine and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) (EPA) were investigated. Findings indicated reduced lipid deposition, increase in metabolites associated with β-oxidation, and significant reduction in fatty acid levels in the liver, implying improvement in fatty liver condition. Concomitant administration of L-carnitine and EPA resulted in further benefits, via changes in fatty acid composition in the medaka fatty liver model.

Intact in vivo visualization of telencephalic microvasculature in medaka using optical coherence tomography

“…In animal models for metabolic syndrome and aging, pathological conditions causing cerebrovascular changes were reported, especially at microscopic levels [56][57][58] . In addition to rodent models, medaka and zebrafish models for metabolic-syndrome-related diseases have been developed [11][12][13]18,[59][60][61] . With the intact in vivo OCT angiography, it will be possible to follow up on the progression of metabolic-syndrome-related cerebral disorders in individual medaka models.…”

Assessment of high fat diet-induced fatty liver in medaka

“…Therefore, new models for analyzing the detailed mechanisms of the disease and testing novel therapies are required. We have previously reported the usefulness of medaka as a model of hepatic steatosis ( Fujisawa et al, 2017 ). In the present study, we performed a more detailed analysis of changes in metabolites accompanying hepatic steatosis and assessed non-invasive methods for monitoring fatty liver progress in this model.…”

Ameliorative effect of Sedum sarmentosum Bunge extract on Tilapia fatty liver via the PPAR and P53 signaling pathway

“…However, a high-lipid diet can increase lipid deposition and lead to a significant accumulation of fatty acids in the liver of fish, which may induce fatty liver disease 1 , 2 . Currently, fatty liver disease has been reported in aquacultures of a wide range of fish species, including tilapia, grass-fish, rainbow trout, and medaka 3 . The increasing incidence of fatty liver disease in fish cultures has stimulated many investigations into the underlying mechanisms of the disease and into possible means to alleviate this problem.…”

“…Reduction of lipid deposition, increase of metabolites associated with β-oxidation, and reduction of fatty acid levels in the liver, have been shown to improve the fatty liver condition. In the medaka model of fatty liver disease, administration of L-carnitine and eicosapentaenoic acid changed the composition of fatty acids and improved liver condition 3 . Moreover, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in medaka can be ameliorated by administration of the drug telmisartan, which reduces the infiltration of macrophages into the liver and improves the disease pathology, although the fatty acid content remains unchanged 6 .…”