Saturated fats prevent fibrosis?

[mhudnall]

I recently posted that a link has been established between grilled meat and fibrogenesis. On the other side of the coin, saturated fats have been shown to be anti-fibrotic. These studies have been done on ethanol-induced fibrosis, but the process of fibrogensis, once activated by NFkappa beta and TNF alpha, is generally considered to be constant, regardless of the cause.

Dietary Saturated Fatty Acids Reverse Inflammatory and Fibrotic Changes in Rat Liver Despite Continued Ethanol Administration

Amin A. Nanji1,
Kalle Jokelainen2,
George L. Tipoe3,
Amir Rahemtulla4 and
Andrew J. Dannenberg5
+ Author Affiliations

1.      1Department of Pathology and Center for the Study of Liver Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (A.A.N.); 2Research Unit of Alcohol Diseases, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland (K.J.); 3Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (G.L.T.); 4Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (A.R.); and 5Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Anne Fisher Nutrition Center at Strang Cancer Prevention Center, New York, New York (A.J.D.)
Dr. Amin A. Nanji, Clinical Biochemistry Unit, LG 136, Block K, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Rd., Hong Kong, China. E-mail: ***@****
http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/299/2/638.long
Abstract

We investigated the potential of dietary saturated fatty acids to reverse alcoholic liver injury despite continued administration of alcohol. Five groups (six rats/group) of male Wistar rats were studied. Rats in groups 1 and 2 were fed a fish oil-ethanol diet for 8 and 6 weeks, respectively. Rats in groups 3 and 4 were fed fish oil and ethanol for 6 weeks before being switched to isocaloric diets containing ethanol with palm oil (group 3) or medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs, group 4) for 2 weeks. Rats in group 5 were fed fish oil and dextrose for 8 weeks. Liver samples were analyzed for histopathology, lipid peroxidation, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, and mRNAs for cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Endotoxin in plasma was determined. The most severe inflammation and fibrosis were detected in groups 1 and 2, as were the highest levels of endotoxin, lipid peroxidation, activation of NF-κB, and mRNAs for Cox-2 and TNF-α. After the rats were switched to palm oil or MCT, there was marked histological improvement with decreased levels of endotoxin and lipid peroxidation, absence of NF-κB activation, and reduced expression of TNF-α and Cox-2. A diet enriched in saturated fatty acids effectively reverses alcohol-induced necrosis, inflammation, and fibrosis despite continued alcohol consumption. The therapeutic effects of saturated fatty acids may be explained, at least in part, by reduced endotoxemia and lipid peroxidation, which in turn result in decreased activation of NF-κB and reduced levels of TNF-α and Cox-2.
Long-term treatment of alcoholic liver disease continues to incorporate vitamins, nutrients, and trace elements (Fulton and McCullough, 1998; McCullough et al., 1998). In fact, the role of specific pharmacological agents remains unproven. Clearly, the development of more effective nutritional or pharmacological therapy will depend on further elucidating the mechanisms that contribute to liver injury.
Several lines of investigation indicate that dietary fat can modulate the severity of alcoholic liver injury (Mezey, 1998). In experimental animals, for example, diets enriched with saturated fatty acids protect against alcohol-induced liver injury, whereas diets containing polyunsaturated fatty acids promote liver injury (Nanji and French, 1989; Nanji et al., 1989, 1994a). Saturated fatty acids have also been reported to reverse established alcoholic liver injury (Nanji et al., 1995, 1996, 1997b). Importantly, in previous studies, use of alcohol was discontinued at the time that dietary treatment was initiated. This model represented the alcoholic patient who stopped drinking at the time of hospitalization (French, 1995).
Discontinuation of alcohol remains pivotal in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease. Although this goal can frequently be achieved in the short-term, the majority of patients resume alcohol consumption, often with sudden deterioration in liver disease (Pares et al., 1986). Hence, it is important to develop therapeutic strategies that simulate the clinical condition in which alcohol use is continued despite the presence of alcoholic liver disease.
Previously, we used the intragastric feeding rat model to study the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (Nanji et al., 1999). In addition to being useful for elucidating mechanisms of injury, this model has been used to evaluate various strategies to prevent or reverse alcoholic liver disease (Nanji et al., 1995, 1997b). The results of previous studies suggest that elevated levels of endotoxin and lipid peroxides in alcohol-fed animals activate nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), leading to enhanced expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), and proinflammatory cytokines (Nanji et al., 1997a, 1999). In the current study, we investigated whether treatment with dietary saturated fatty acids could reverse established alcoholic liver injury despite continued administration of ethanol. We show that diets enriched in saturated fatty acids improved both histological liver injury and biochemical parameters that have been etiologically linked to liver injury.
(The ferretin levels in the livers of the saturated-fat rats were less than half those of the polyunsaturated fat-rats).


Read more: http://blogs.myspace.com/georgedhenderson#ixzz13Z1oA7m6

[evangelin]

Here is a section taken from the "Perfect Health Diet" website under the title, "Did Leviticus 11:7 Have It Right?"  ----Author- Paul Jaminet (I know his wife contributes to his blog also)  The blank spaces are where the graphs are.  If you are interested, you should take a look because I found them pretty plain and when I saw it, I knew that bacon was no longer welcome at our house.  I hate to bring bad news but it is what it is.
---------------------------------
Pork Consumption and Liver Cirrhosis
Pork consumption has a strong epidemiological association with cirrhosis of the liver. Startlingly, pork may be even more strongly associated with alcoholic cirrhosis than alcohol itself!

The evidence was summarized by Francis Bridges in a recent (2009) paper [1], building on earlier work by Nanji and French [2]. A relation between pork consumption and cirrhosis of the liver is apparent across countries and has been consistently maintained for at least 40 years.


Here is the correlation between pork consumption and mortality from liver cirrhosis in 2003 [1]:

(graph)


The correlation coefficient of 0.83 is extremely high – rarely seen in epidemiology. Correlation coefficients range from -1.0 to 1.0, and a coefficient of 1.0 would indicate that cirrhosis mortality was strictly proportional to pork consumption. The very low p-value confirms the statistical association.

Here is the relation between alcohol consumption and mortality from liver cirrhosis:

(graph)

The correlation coefficient is lower than for pork consumption.

In epidemiological studies, beef, lamb, and pork are often grouped together as “red meat.” However, this may conceal differences between pork and the ruminant meats. Bridges found that beef actually appeared protective against cirrhosis:

[candyce1953]

Could someone please simplify for me please :-)

Should I take a fish oil vitamin or what?
Thanks

[evangelin]

Hi Orphan,
Maybe George will be back by sometime and can give you some feedback.  The stats we saw made pork look pretty guilty.  We will miss bacon but at this point we've both decided it isn't worth the risk for Joe.  I wouldn't be so cruel as to cook bacon and tell him he can't eat it...it smells so good.  Bacon was way too salty for him anyway and makes ascites worse.  
Coffee smells good too and he can have all he wants.  :>)
Have a great day,
Ev

[orphanedhawk]

Not to be contradictory but just as a reminder that we are all different,
I never stopped eating pork, fresh pork, not processed or salted, while sick with cirrhosis. Most my protein came from chicken, fish and tofu and eggs but I ate pork as well.
Never got cancer despite almost dying.

Years ago, we raised our own pork. The meat was entirely different. Personally I wonder if the 'problem' with pork, isn't pork per se but how it's raised, what it's fed, etc.

Organic and close to the source is always going to be the healthiest choice no matter what the food.

[evangelin]

I want to add a caveat to the above discussion.  Pork is not a low carb food that I give Joe anymore because it has been linked pretty heavily to cirrhosis and liver cancer.  Even though George didn't include it in his above post, I first learned of it from him.  Paul Jaminet has a blog called The Perfect Health Diet and he is doing a series on the subject of pork and George H is mentioned there also because he has gathered a great deal of incriminating evidence that puts a big stamp of disapproval of pork as a liver friendly food. There are some scarey graphs and stats to look at if you are interested.
Ev

[evangelin]

I'm getting ready to make Joe a fluffy omelette whipped up with a splash of cream and cooked in some butter...mm-good!
In case others aren't aware, George is gifted in the area of research and has built up a lot of information pointing to a lower in carb/higher saturated fat diet as beneficial for HCV and cirrhosis.  His own liver health has increased significantly.
My husband has benefited from his knowledge. I really  respect his work. It basically points to what many are referring to as a paleo diet although people's definition of that term varies widely.  George has summed it up very succinctly above as to what is showing itself to be beneficial to HCV/cirrhosis/fibrosis. Foods with the least amount of processing  seem to be the way to go which is not  surprising.
My husband isn't very compliant with all this but he has shifted heavily towards these chages and even giving that much has shown benefit.
Ev