A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF ( + )-CATECHIN AND 3-PALMITOYL-( + )-CATECHIN ON ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER IN THE RAT

Administration of a liquid diet containing 36% of the totalcalories as ethanol to male Wistar rats for three weeks causeda threefold increase in total hepatic lipid, a tenfold increasein hepatic triglycerides, a twofold increase in hepatic unesterfiedfatty acids, and elevated the serum activities of the liverenzymes alanine aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase,when compared with control data from animals pair-fed an isocaloricamount of glucose instead of ethanol. Simultaneous administrationof either ( + )-catechin (200mg/kg by gastric tube) or 3-palmitoyl-(+ )-catechin (l00mg/kg daily by gastric tube) to ethanol treatedanimals caused significant reductions in the extent of fat accumulationand hepatocellular damage as assessed by both biochemical andhistological means. 3-Palmitoyl-( + )-catechin was more effectivethan ( + )-catechin, even though it was administered at onlyhalf the dose of that of the former. Pharmacokinetic studiesin which [U-¹⁴C] labelled 3-palmitoyl-( +)-catechin and (+ )-catechinwere given orally (150mg/kg each) to male rats showed that 3-palmitoyl-(+ )-catechin achieved a higher peak tissue concentration andremained in the liver for a longer period than (+ )-catechin.These properties of 3-palmitoyl-( + )-catechin are thought tobe due to its greater lipid solubility, thereby explaining itsgreater potency in the chronic fatty liver studies.