Amelioration of Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Mus musculus Using a Combination of the Hormone Melatonin and the Insulin-sensitizing Drug Metformin

Abstract

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFLD is a syndrome encompassing Amelioration of Induced NAFLD in... Arceo and de Vega, 2010 a wide variety of fatty liver diseases in the absence of alcohol. It is characterized by the presence of large triglyceride droplets within hepatocytes and has been regarded as a manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. No specific treatments have been discovered for this condition. Currently, it is being managed by administration of insulin-sensitizing drugs or by intake of various antioxidants. In this experiment, a combination of antioxidant and insulin-sensitizing drug is used. The goal is to determine whether melatonin and metformin has a synergistic effect in ameliorating NAFLD. To determine the magnitude of its effect, 4 groups of ICR strain mice were established. All groups received a high- fat diet except for the control which received normal rodent pellets. One of the treatment groups received melatonin, while the other group received a combination of melatonin and metformin. Also, the treatment groups received 3 different concentrations of melatonin and a similar concentration of metformin. All treatments were administered orally. The experiment lasted for 10 weeks. After individual treatments, blood was extracted to obtain serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase measurements. The livers were also collected for histological analysis. Results showed that melatonin was effective in counteracting the effects of NAFLD and that there is a synergistic effect between melatonin and metformin. Statistical analysis supported the results, given that F crit < F.