Table 1.

Baseline characteristics and biochemical parameters of 3 months young and 20 months old rats

	3 months young	20 months old	% change	p‐value
Body weight (g)	380 ± 9	678 ± 22	+78	<0.001
Liver (g)	9.9 ± 0.3	15.3 ± 0.4	+54	<0.001
Liver‐body weight ratio (%)	2.6 ± 0.1	2.4 ± 0.1	−8	0.07
AST (U/L)	119.6 ± 12.2	113.2 ± 8.5	−5	>0.20
ALT (U/L)	48.9 ± 3.0	54.9 ± 6.1	+12	>0.20
Bile production (µl/min*100 g bw)	72.6 ± 6.8	31.7 ± 9.2	−56	<0.001
Albumin (mg/dl)	26.8 ± 0.5	24.9 ± 0.5	−7	<0.001
Plasma cholesterol (mg/dl)	52.1 ± 2.0	88.5 ± 8.8	+69	<0.001
Plasma LDL cholesterol (mg/dl)	24.3 ± 2.5	58.4 ± 5.4	+140	<0.001
Plasma HDL cholesterol (mg/dl)	16.3 ± 0.7	19.5 ± 2.2	+19	>0.20
Plasma triglycerides (mg/dl)	57.8 ± 9.1	53.5 ± 7.9	−7	>0.20
Plasma FFA (mg/dl)	662 ± 127	578 ± 99	−12	>0.20
Oil red O staining (%)	1.00 ± 0.18	5.31 ± 1.10	+431	<0.001
MDA (nmol/mg protein)	0.86 ± 0.23	2.70 ± 1.00	+213	0.09
LPS (EU/ml)	0.88 ± 0.05	1.28 ± 0.11	+45	0.02

Data expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 12 each group)

AST: aspartate transaminase; ALT: alanine transaminase; FFA: free fatty acids; MDA: malondialdehyde; LPS: lipopolysaccharide.