Establishment of a Short-term Mouse Model of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Non-invasive Monitoring

ABSTRACT:

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are major chronic liver diseases associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to establish a short-term modified Western diet (mWD)-induced NAFLD model in middle-aged mice and explore non-invasive strategies for disease monitoring. Ten-month-old mice were fed a high-fat, high-fructose mWD for three months. Food and water intake, body weight, urine, and body composition were regularly monitored. At the endpoint, oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) scans were performed. mWD feeding resulted in increased adiposity, impaired glucose metabolism, and significant metabolic reprogramming. Untargeted urinary metabolomics revealed progressive alterations in lipid and amino acid metabolism, identifying several metabolites as potential non- invasive biomarkers of disease progression. This study provides a rapid and practical mouse model of NAFLD and supports the use of urinary metabolomics and Micro-CT for non-invasive monitoring of disease dynamics.

INSTRUMENT(S): Liquid Chromatography MS - negative - reverse phase, Liquid Chromatography MS - positive - reverse phase

PROVIDER: MTBLS13096 | MetaboLights | 2026-05-31

REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights