Dietary Intervention as Therapeutic Approach to Hepatic Steatosis in an Experimental Model of Metabolic Syndrome in Adult Male Rats

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary manipulation in the form of reversion to regular rat chow diet or alternate day fasting as well as their combination on hepatic steatosis in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome in adult male rats. The study was carried out on 66 local strain male rats, initially weighing 120-180 grams (age of rats was ≃ 6-10 months). Animals were distributed randomly into the following two groups: Group I; Control rat group (C, n=12). Rats in this group were fed the control diet and were given (4 ml distilled water / rat /day) introduced daily by gavage for 8 weeks. At the end of the 8th week, two rats were scarified for histopathological study of the liver. On the 9th week of the study, the other 10 rats were continued on the control diet and were given (4 ml distilled water / rat /day) introduced daily by gavage for additional