The effect of drugs and nutraceuticals on the prevention and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using rats as a model for humans

摘要

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as the accumulation of lipid in the liver with an absence of significant alcohol consumption. NAFLD is becoming increasingly recognized as a common cause of liver dysfunction and has an estimated prevalence of 17-33% in the general population of the United States. It has a close association with obesity and the metabolic syndrome as well as with cases of malnutrition and starvation. With obesity on the rise in developing countries and malnutrition plaguing underdeveloped countries, the prevalence of NAFLD worldwide is unquestionable. There are currently no recommended prevention and treatment strategies for the management of NAFLD. Many regimens have been proposed but there are few studies that directly compare their effectiveness. This thesis presents original research evaluating and comparing different dietary, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical protocols on the prevention and treatment of NAFLD using rats as a model for humans.