Gender differences in the development of experimental liver steatosis in laboratory rats

The aim. To study functional-morphological and biometric changes in the liver and lipid spectrum in an experiment in male and female laboratory rats when modeling fructose-induced liver steatosis. Materials and methods. The experimental study was conducted on 44 non-inbred sexually mature white rats, of which 20 were males aged 8-9 months with a body weight of 400-530 g. and 24 females aged 9-10 months with a body weight of 320-480 g. Modeling of liver steatosis was carried out for 28 days by adding fructose to drinking water throughout the experiment using 15%-th solution of fructose instead of drinking water. At the end of the experiment, body weight was measured, liver sampling for morphometric and histological studies and blood sampling for laboratory studies (transaminase, glucose and lipid spectrum levels) were performed. Results. When comparing body weight before the experiment and after its completion, a statistically significant increase in this indicator was found in females with experimental steatosis (p = 0.031), which indicates the formation of general obesity in them. The mass coefficient of the liver in the experimental groups of males and females with steatosis was significantly higher than in the controls (p= 0.009 and p = 0.009, respectively). During histological examination of liver tissue, the number of hepatocytes with steatosis in males and females in experimental models was significantly higher than in control groups and corresponded to the II-III degree of steatosis. A comparative analysis of the lipidogram parameters revealed that dyslipidemia developed during the formation of liver steatosis in animals of both groups with fructose-induced liver steatosis. Conclusion. In experimental modeling of fructose-induced liver steatosis in animals, regardless of gender, morphological changes in liver tissue are manifested by fatty dystrophy and hepatomegaly, dyslipidemia is registered. At the same time, males develop fermentemia, hyperglycemia without the formation of general obesity. In females, the course of experimental steatosis is accompanied by an increase in body weight without functional changes in the liver.