Role of AMP-activated protein kinase and adiponectin during development of hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet-induced obesity in rats.

Obesity, an abnormal condition of adipose tissue, has recently been recognized as a major cause of metabolic syndromes, especially non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of the present study was to examine the possible involvement of adipokines in the development of fatty liver. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet for 15 weeks developed increased hepatocellular vacuolation, hepatic triglyceride (TG) content and serum TG, total cholesterol and free fatty acid levels, with increases in adipose tissue mass. The serum concentration of adiponectin decreased slightly in these animals. Western blotting analysis demonstrated a decrease in the levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphorylated-AMPK in the livers of these rats. These results indicate similarities between the diet-induced obesity rat model of NAFLD and human NAFLD, thus making the rat a useful model for the further study of NAFLD, including the interactions between adipokines and hepatic fat metabolism.