Elucidation of the effect of lauric acid on hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice

Wong, Chi Hau (2026) Elucidation of the effect of lauric acid on hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice. Master dissertation/thesis, UTAR.

PDF Download (2166Kb)

Abstract

Insulin resistance occurs when the peripheral tissues exhibit reduced sensitivity to insulin, leading to impaired glucose uptake. This metabolic defect promotes lipid accumulation in the liver, causing metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the effects of oral gavage of lauric acid on insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese male C57BL/6J mice. The mice were fed an HFD continuously for eight weeks to induce metabolic dysfunction, while the control group received a normal chow diet. Two treatment groups were administered lauric acid by oral gavage at doses of 12 mg/kg and 24 mg/kg, and a separate group received rosiglitazone (20 mg/kg) alongside HFD for eight weeks. Lauric acid supplementation has been shown to reduce body weight, calorie intake, serum triglyceride levels, fasting blood glucose levels, insulin levels and HOMA-IR values. Although total cholesterol levels increased, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels also increased. Moreover, lauric acid upregulated hepatic expression of Apoa2, Pparg1 and Srebf2, and downregulated Hmgcr genes compared to the HFD control group. Lauric acid treatment exhibited a non-significant trend toward enhanced AMPK phosphorylation and reduced total hepatic SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 protein levels. However, histological features of lauric acid-fed mice resembled those of HFD mice with no observable difference. Finally, the data suggest that lauric acid may improve insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in HFD-induced metabolic syndromes.

Actions (login required)