Sacran, a sulfated polysaccharide, suppresses the absorption of lipids and modulates the intestinal flora in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis model rats.

Aims: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of administering sacran, a sulfated polysaccharide, on liver biology, gut microbiota, oxidative stress, and inflammation on stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SHRSP5/Dmcr) rats that develop fibrotic steatohepatitis with histological similarities to that of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Main Methods: Four groups of 8-week-old SHRSP5/Dmcr rats were fed a high fat-cholesterol (HFC) diet for 4 and 8 weeks and administered either sacran (80 mg/kg/day) or a non-treatment, respectively. Liver function was evaluated by biochemical and histopathological analyses. Hepatic inflammatory markers were measured using mRNA expression. Fecal microbial profiles were determined via 16S rRNA sequencing. A triglyceride (TG) absorption test was administered to the 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

Key Finding: Sacran administration was observed to decrease the extent of oxidative stress and hepatic biochemical parameters in serum and hepatic injury with the levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), being increased compared to those of the non-treatment group. At the genus level, sacran administration caused a significant decrease in the harmful Prevotella genus, and a significant increase in the useful Blautia genus was observed. Sacran administration also decreased the serum TG increase that was induced by administering corn oil to the SD rats.

Significance: We conclude that sacran administration has the potential to reduce the absorption of lipids into blood and to improve several gut microbiotas, in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby inhibiting the subsequent development of oxidative stress and hepatic markers in the systematic circulation on NASH.