Histological improvement of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with a prebiotic: a pilot clinical trial



Bomhof, Marc R, Parnell, Jill A, Ramay, Hena R, Crotty, Pam, Rioux, Kevin P, Probert, Chris S ORCID: 0000-0003-4550-0239, Jayakumar, Saumya, Raman, Maitreyi and Reimer, Raylene A
(2019) Histological improvement of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with a prebiotic: a pilot clinical trial. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, 58 (4). pp. 1735-1745.

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Abstract

<h4>Purpose</h4>In obesity and diabetes the liver is highly susceptible to abnormal uptake and storage of fat. In certain individuals hepatic steatosis predisposes to the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a disease marked by hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Although the precise pathophysiology of NASH is unknown, it is believed that the gut microbiota-liver axis influences the development of this disease. With few treatment strategies available for NASH, exploration of gut microbiota-targeted interventions is warranted. We investigated the therapeutic potential of a prebiotic supplement to improve histological parameters of NASH.<h4>Methods</h4>In a placebo-controlled, randomized pilot trial, 14 individuals with liver-biopsy-confirmed NASH [non-alcoholic fatty liver activity score (NAS) ≥ 5] were randomized to receive oligofructose (8 g/day for 12 weeks followed by 16 g/day for 24 weeks) or isocaloric placebo for 9 months. The primary outcome measure was the change in liver biopsy NAS score and the secondary outcomes included changes in body weight, body composition, glucose tolerance, inflammatory markers, and gut microbiota.<h4>Results</h4>Independent of weight loss, oligofructose improved liver steatosis relative to placebo and improved overall NAS score (P = 0.016). Bifidobacterium was enhanced by oligofructose, whereas bacteria within Clostridium cluster XI and I were reduced with oligofructose (P < 0.05). There were no adverse side effects that deterred individuals from consuming oligofructose for treatment of this disease.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Independent of other lifestyle changes, prebiotic supplementation reduced histologically-confirmed steatosis in patients with NASH. Larger follow-up studies are warranted.<h4>Clinical trial</h4>This trial was registered at Clinicaltrials.com as NCT03184376.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, Gut microbiota, Prebiotic, Oligofructose
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 07 Aug 2018 06:25
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 01:29
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-018-1721-2
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3024663