【Animal Modeling】-New model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats susceptible to hyperlipidemia (WSHc)

  Objective To establish a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease model using a new type of hyperlipidemia susceptible rats, observe the changes of blood biochemical indicators and pathological characteristics, and explore its application and scientific research value, so as to provide new options for NAFLD disease animal models.

  Methods Twenty WSHc rats aged 7-8 weeks were randomly divided into 2 groups and fed with normal diet and high-fat diet; another 20 Wistar rats of the same age were taken and treated in the same way as the strain control group. . After 12 weeks of continuous feeding, serum TC, TG, ALT and AST levels were detected, and elastic ultrasound imaging was performed. After the animals were sacrificed, the liver was taken for HE, Oil Red O, Masson and immunofluorescence staining to observe the morphology, lipid deposition, inflammation and fibrosis of the liver of each group of rats, and analyze the liver of WSHc rats after high-fat feeding. The characteristics of the lesion.

  Results Compared with Wistar rats fed high-fat diet, after induction of hyperlipidemia in WSHc rats, serum total cholesterol was significantly increased and was similar to that of patients with clinical hyperlipidemia; liver lipids were abnormally deposited and large vesicular lipid droplets were formed There are inflammatory cells infiltrate around lipid droplets to form inflammatory foci, and there are more macrophages; scattered fibrotic lesions can be seen. However, these pathological changes were not found in the liver tissue of Wistar rats induced by high fat.

  Conclusion Compared with Wistar rats, blood lipids and liver enzymes in WSHc rats are close to clinical levels after hyperlipid induction, and there are more serious lipid deposition and inflammatory reactions in liver tissues, as well as sporadic liver fibrosis, so they can be used as a first step. A new and ideal NAFLD animal model.