Effects of fish oil on insulin resistance in the brains of rats with alcoholic liver damage

Abstract

This study was to examine the effects of fish oil on alcoholic brain damage in rats, focusing on the insulin signaling pathway. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were divided into control (Lieber-DeCarli control liquid diet), CF25 (control diet + 25 % fish oil substitution), CF57 (control diet + 57 % fish oil substitution), E (Lieber-DeCarli ethanol liquid diet), EF25 (ethanol diet + 25 % fish oil substitution), and EF57 (ethanol diet + 57 % fish oil substitution) groups. The behavioral test was also conducted. After 8 weeks, the E group exhibited brain damage, including nuclear-condensed pyramidal cells and positivity for ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) antibody. The E group revealed the higher hippocampal insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and hypothalamic glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), while presented the lower hepatic IRS-1, hippocampal insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptor and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). After fish oil substitution, the brain nuclear condensation was attenuated and the hippocampal IRS-1 and hypothalamic GSK3β were significantly decreased.

Keywords

• Fish oil
• Insulin resistance
• Alcoholic liver damage
• Alcoholic brain damage
• Rats