powered by:
valneva canada inc.
non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease has ‘concerning’ effect on the brain, study says
new research has a found a link between the accumulation of fat in the liver and brain disease.
dec 30 2022
3 minute read
cutting down on sugar and fat in our diet can protect the liver and keep our brains healthy. getty
a new study has found that non-2022年世界杯预选赛阿根廷 liver disease (nafld) can lead to a decrease in oxygen to the brain and the inflammation of brain tissue — two symptoms known to result in severe brain disease.
the research, which was published in the journal of hepatology, is believed to be the first to make a clear connection between the accumulation of fat in the liver and the deterioration of the brain. nafld, a condition that arises when too much fat is stored in liver cells, is the most common cause of liver disease, affecting around 20 per cent of canadians, according to the canadian liver foundation.
“it is very concerning to see the effect that fat accumulation in the liver can have on the brain, especially because it often starts off mild and can exist silently for many years without people knowing they have it,” said anna hadjihambi, lead author of the study and sub-team lead in the liver-brain axis group at the roger williams institute of hepatology at king’s college london.
to explore the connection between nafld and brain deterioration, the team of researchers fed a different diet to two groups of mice. the first group received food that included no more than 10 per cent fat in its caloric intake; the second group received food containing 55 per cent fat to simulate a diet rich in processed foods.
advertisement
advertisement
after 16 weeks, the team performed a series of tests to determine the result these diets had on the livers and brains of their subjects. they discovered that every mouse that was fed the high-fat diet became obese and developed nafld, insulin resistance and brain dysfunction. the brains of these mice were also found to be suffering from oxygen deprivation because the disease affects the number and thickness of blood vessels that deliver oxygen to the brain. as brains became inflamed, specific cells began to consume more oxygen than typically required, a process that only made matters worse.
while these mice became more anxious and depressed, the group that was fed a low-fat diet did not develop nafld or insulin resistance and continued to behave normally.
“this research emphasises that cutting down the amount of sugar and fat in our diets is not only important for tackling obesity but also for protecting the liver to maintain brain health and minimize the risk of developing conditions like depression and dementia during aging, when our brain becomes even more fragile,” hadjihambi said.
in an attempt to offset nafld’s impact on the brain, the team bred mice that had lower levels of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (mct1), a protein that facilitates the movement of energy substrates required for the normal function of various cells. without the presence of mct1, mice fed the same unhealthy diet experienced no accumulation of fat in their livers and no subsequent signs of brain dysfunction.
advertisement
advertisement
“identifying mct1 as a key element in the development of both nafld and its associated brain dysfunction opens interesting perspectives,” said luc pellerin, senior researcher in the study and director of the inserm u1313 research unit at the university of poitiers in france. “it highlights potential mechanisms at play within the liver-brain axis and points to a possible therapeutic target.”
dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
thank you for your support. if you liked this story, please send it to a friend. every share counts.
share story
