Aims-To assess the triglyceride liver lipid composition in a murine model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to evaluate the potential associations of the most representative liver triglycerides with the main biochemical plasma components.
Methods-Lipid content was stained with Oil Red O in 5 mm cross-sections from frozen livers form mice fed with a standard (STD) or a high-fat (HFD). Gene expression was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR. Liver lipidome was analysed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The biochemical plasma profile was analysed by standard procedures.
Results-Lipid content was found increased in livers from HFD-fed mice compared to animals fed with a STD. Accordingly, HFD reduced the expression of genes involved in the fatty acid β-oxidation and induced the expression of genes involved in the hepatic de novo triglyceride synthesis. Roughly, 50% of the liver metabolites differentially found between the two groups were putative identified as triglycerides. Most of the liver triglycerides upregulated by the HFD were positively associated with the body weight, plasma NEFAs, plasma triglycerides and plasma VLDL. Additionally, most of them were directly associated with plasma glucose, plasma insulin, the HOMA-IR, plasma leptin and plasma resistin, and inversely associated with plasma adiponectin.  
Conclusions- Our data identify as triglycerides roughly 50% of liver metabolites differentially found between the two groups. Of them most of the triglycerides upregulated by the HFD were associated with biochemical parameters related to metabolic disturbances, showing the potential link between NAFLD and additional metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

02 - PLASMA BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE REFLECTS METABOLOMICS LIVER TRIGLYCERIDE COMPOSITION IN A MURINE MODEL OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD)