Quantitative Dixon imaging to characterise early alterations in liver fat in a novel model of diet-induced MAFLD

Abstract

A novel diet – LIDPAD – was developed to fulfil the need for a wild-type, diet-induced preclinical model of metabolic associated fatty liver disease that matches all physiologically relevant changes observed during human MAFLD progression. Stages of MAFLD may be distinguished through MRI and the generation of proton density fat fraction maps. C57BL/6 mice fed on the LIDPAD diet for 4-16 weeks underwent hepatic fat quantification using multi-gradient eight-point Dixon MRI. Physiological changes were assessed through transcriptomic and insulin measurements. Liver fat increased rapidly, alongside body weight, while transcriptional, metabolic and histological changes mirrored human MAFLD progression.