Effects of intervention with elongation factor 1A1 inhibitor on intestinal lipid metabolism and fatty liver disease in obese mice

Fatty liver disease occurs in the setting of obesity and a high-fat diet, and involves a build-up of excess fat in the liver. Excess fat can cause injury to the liver, which can lead to scarring, and in some cases liver cirrhosis and cancer. As obesity rates increase, it is important to investigate possible ways to treat this disease. We are studying a compound called didemnin B (DB), and found that, in obese mice, treatment with DB reduced the amount of fat in both the liver and bloodstream. To understand how this happened, we plan to look at the intestines from these mice to see if some of this fat was redistributed to the intestine. To visualize the fat, we will use a fluorescent dye, and take pictures of the intestines with a microscope. We expect that obese mice treated with DB will have more fat present in the intestines than untreated mice, and that this may contribute to the decreased fat we observed in liver and blood.

Faculty Supervisor:

Nica Borradaile

Student:

Partner:

Purdue University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Life Sciences (not health); Pharmaceuticals

University:

Western University

Program: