Researchers have identified a compound known as indole, produced by beneficial gut bacteria during the breakdown of tryptophan, an amino acid present in foods such as turkey and nuts. This discovery contributes to the expanding body of research aimed at preventing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a type of fatty liver disease impacting both children and adults, with a more rapid progression observed in children closely associated with diabetes.
According to Dr. Jed Friedman, director of the OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, "The prevalence of MASLD in children is approximately 30% among those with obesity and around 10% in children without obesity. The risk escalates if a mother is obese or has an unhealthy diet. The condition often remains undetected in children until symptoms arise that prompt parents to seek medical advice."
Exploring the Microbiome's Role
Dr. Friedman, in collaboration with Dr. Karen Jonscher, published their findings in the journal eBioMedicine. Their study investigates the influence of gut bacteria, collectively termed the microbiome, on the development of fatty liver disease.
The research involved feeding female mice a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy and lactation, with some receiving indole. After weaning, the offspring were put on a standard diet before transitioning to a Western-style diet to promote fatty liver disease.
Dr. Friedman noted, "Since offspring inherit their microbiome from their mothers, a poor maternal diet can adversely shape the infant's microbiome."
Benefits for Liver Health
Mice born to mothers that received indole exhibited numerous health benefits, including healthier livers, reduced weight gain, lower blood sugar levels, and smaller fat cells, even after later exposure to an unhealthy diet. The researchers found activation of a protective gut pathway involving the acyl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR).
Notably, there was no increase in harmful liver fats known as long-chain ceramides, while beneficial very long-chain ceramides increased. In a significant experiment, gut bacteria from the protected offspring were transferred to non-indole mice, resulting in less liver damage, highlighting the microbiome's central protective role.
Potential for Preventing Childhood MASLD
While this research was conducted in animals and cannot be directly applied to humans yet, the findings suggest new strategies for mitigating the rising prevalence of MASLD through early intervention.
Currently, weight loss remains the only effective treatment for pediatric MASLD once diagnosed, with no approved medications available. Dr. Jonscher emphasized, "Enhancing the mother's microbiome may help prevent MASLD in offspring, which is preferable to attempting to reverse the disease once it has advanced."