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Effect of Ketogenic Diet on Liver

Division of Research and Sponsored Programs
  1. Open Access Kent State
  2. Conferences & Events
  3. Undergraduate Research Symposium
  4. 2019 - Kent State University Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity
  5. Effect of Ketogenic Diet on Liver
Author(s)
  • Raman Bhambra
Abstract

Low carbohydrate ketogenic diets are mainly used for treatment of pediatric epilepsy, but more recently for obesity, and even neurological disease. In neurological diseases such as glaucoma, the ketogenic diet has been shown to mitigate inflammation and axon degeneration, while maintaining axon signaling function. However, long term maintenance of the ketogenic diet may have adverse side effects on the liver. In this study, we investigated whether the ketogenic diet used to treat for glaucoma in mice can have peripheral effects that may be detrimental. Mice genetically predisposed to secondary glaucoma were placed on a ketogenic diet to promote mitochondrial function while limiting glycolysis. The diet was 89 percent fat, 10 percent protein, and 1 percent carbohydrate. The diet was effective in ameliorating glaucoma development and maintaining retinal function. After eight weeks of the diet, the liver tissue was collected then stained with Oil Red-O or Hematoxylin and Eosin to highlight any accumulated fat (Oil Red-O) or the histopathological condition of the hepatocytes (H&E). High accumulated fat or disrupted hepatocytes would indicate that the ketogenic diet negatively impacts liver health in these animals. Preliminary analysis indicates the hepatocytes were relatively normal and fat accumulation was minimal to none. More exhaustive analysis is ongoing, though it appears that 8 weeks of the diet was well-managed by the liver in these mice.

Format
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
2019-04-09
Contributor(s)
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Denise
Amelia
Tyree
Subject
  • Eye Diseases
  • Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases
Community
Division of Research and Sponsored Programs
Modified Abstract

In neurological diseases such as glaucoma, the ketogenic diet has been shown to mitigate inflammation and axon degeneration. However, long term maintenance of the ketogenic diet may have adverse side effects on the liver. We investigated whether the ketogenic diet used to treat for glaucoma in mice can have peripheral effects. Mice genetically predisposed to secondary glaucoma were placed on a ketogenic diet to promote mitochondrial function while limiting glycolysis. The liver tissue was collected then stained with Oil Red-O or Hematoxylin and Eosin. High accumulated fat or disrupted hepatocytes would indicate that the ketogenic diet negatively impacts liver health in these animals. More exhaustive analysis is ongoing, though it appears that 8 weeks of the diet was well-managed by the liver in these mice.

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