Effects of a whey protein supplementation on intrahepatocellular lipids in obese female patients

Bortolotti, Murielle; Maiolo, Elena; Corazza, Mattia; Van Dijke, Eveline; Schneiter, Philippe; Boss, Andreas; Carrel, Guillaume; Giusti, Vittorio; Lê, Kim-Anne; Quo Chong, Daniel Guae; Buehler, Tania; Kreis, Roland; Boesch, Chris; Tappy, Luc

doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2011.01.006

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Volume 30, Issue 4 , Pages 494-498, August 2011

Effects of a whey protein supplementation on intrahepatocellular lipids in obese female patients

Murielle Bortolotti
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 21 692 55 68; fax: +41 21 692 55 95.
Elena Maiolo
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 21 692 55 68; fax: +41 21 692 55 95.
Mattia Corazza
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 21 692 55 68; fax: +41 21 692 55 95.
Eveline Van Dijke
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 21 692 55 68; fax: +41 21 692 55 95.
Philippe Schneiter
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 21 692 55 69; fax: +41 21 692 55 95.
Andreas Boss
- Department of Clinical Research/AMSM, University of Bern, Pavilion 52A, Inselspital, P.O. Box 35, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 31 632 8174; fax: +41 31 632 0580.
Guillaume Carrel
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 21 692 55 69; fax: +41 21 692 55 95.
Vittorio Giusti
- Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 21 31 40 642; fax: + 41 21 314 43 10.
Kim-Anne Lê
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Childhood Obesity Research Center, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, CSC #200, Los Angeles, CA 90089. Tel.: +1 323 442 1506.
Daniel Guae Quo Chong
- Department of Clinical Research/AMSM, University of Bern, Pavilion 52A, Inselspital, P.O. Box 35, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 31 632 8174; fax: +41 31 632 0580.
Tania Buehler
- Department of Clinical Research/AMSM, University of Bern, Pavilion 52A, Inselspital, P.O. Box 35, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 31 632 8174; fax: +41 31 632 0580.
Roland Kreis
- Department of Clinical Research/AMSM, University of Bern, Pavilion 52A, Inselspital, P.O. Box 35, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 31 632 8174; fax: +41 31 632 0580.
Chris Boesch
- Department of Clinical Research/AMSM, University of Bern, Pavilion 52A, Inselspital, P.O. Box 35, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
- Tel.: +41 31 632 8174; fax: +41 31 632 0580.
Luc Tappy
- Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, 7, rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 21 692 55 41; fax: +41 21 692 55 95.

Received 21 June 2010; accepted 9 January 2011. published online 18 January 2011.

Summary

Background & aims

High protein diets have been shown to improve hepatic steatosis in rodent models and in high-fat fed humans. We therefore evaluated the effects of a protein supplementation on intrahepatocellular lipids (IHCL), and fasting plasma triglycerides in obese non diabetic women.

Methods

Eleven obese women received a 60 g/day whey protein supplement (WPS) for 4-weeks, while otherwise nourished on a spontaneous diet, IHCL concentrations, visceral body fat, total liver volume (MR), fasting total-triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, glucose tolerance (standard 75 g OGTT), insulin sensitivity (HOMA IS index), creatinine clearance, blood pressure and body composition (bio-impedance analysis) were assessed before and after 4-week WPS.

Results

IHCL were positively correlated with visceral fat and total liver volume at inclusion. WPS decreased significantly IHCL by 20.8 ± 7.7%, fasting total TG by 15 ± 6.9%, and total cholesterol by 7.3 ± 2.7%. WPS slightly increased fat free mass from 54.8 ± 2.2 kg to 56.7 ± 2.5 kg, p = 0.005). Visceral fat, total liver volume, glucose tolerance, creatinine clearance and insulin sensitivity were not changed.

Conclusions

WPS improves hepatic steatosis and plasma lipid profiles in obese non diabetic patients, without adverse effects on glucose tolerance or creatinine clearance.