Cooked rice inhibits hepatic fat accumulation by regulating lipid metabolism-related gene expression in mice fed a high-fat diet

J Med Food. 2014 Jan;17(1):36-42. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2013.3058.

Abstract

Although rice has been shown to have beneficial health effects, little is known about the effect of rice on hepatic lipid accumulation as a carbohydrate source. This study investigated the effects and mechanism of action of cooked rice on high-fat diet (HF)-induced fat accumulation. The C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups and fed a normal diet (NOR), HF, or HF with cooked rice (HF-CR) for 12 weeks. The HF-CR-fed mice had significantly lower body weight gains and abdominal fat mass compared with the HF-fed mice. Consuming cooked rice resulted in significantly lower serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hepatic lipid content, and lipid droplet number and size. Cooked rice consumption also suppressed the HF-induced increase in expression of lipogenic genes, such as sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (SCD-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and CD36. The expression of cholesterol metabolism-related genes, such as acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 (ACAT1), were also downregulated in the HF-CR-fed mice. Cooked rice may prevent HF-induced fat accumulation by regulating lipid metabolism-related gene expression, and it may be a useful carbohydrate source for preventing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cooking
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects
  • Fatty Acid Synthases / genetics
  • Fatty Acid Synthases / metabolism
  • Fatty Liver / diet therapy
  • Fatty Liver / genetics
  • Fatty Liver / metabolism
  • Fatty Liver / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Lipid Metabolism*
  • Liver / enzymology*
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
  • Oryza / chemistry
  • Oryza / metabolism*
  • PPAR gamma / genetics
  • PPAR gamma / metabolism
  • Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / genetics
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / metabolism

Substances

  • PPAR gamma
  • Srebf1 protein, mouse
  • Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1
  • Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase
  • Fatty Acid Synthases