咖啡酸對老鼠脂肪肝病變之抑制作用

脂肪肝是三酸甘油酯代謝異常，使得肝細胞內堆積過多的脂肪顆粒，可能導致肝有關的疾病。咖啡酸（caffeic acid，3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid or CA）分佈於蔬菜、紅酒、水果、全穀物和蜂蜜等物質中。結構上屬於多酚類化合物類，依據一些研究文獻的報導具有抗氧化、降血脂與保護肝臟等醫學功能。因此本實驗以高脂肪飲食(high fat diet; HFD)餵食小鼠，並於飼料中添加0.02%、0.08%咖啡酸，經六週後發現高脂肪餵食會使小鼠血清AST、ALT、TG、Cholersterol、Glucose升高及降低 HDL-C；而添加咖啡酸樣本之小鼠血清AST、ALT、TG、Cholersterol、Glucose降低並增加HDL-C。實驗時每週量測體重、肝臟重量及肝組織切片觀察，結果發現餵食0.08%咖啡酸樣本，肝臟之顏色及外觀皆己獲得改善、另外肝臟平均重量減輕、組織切片之脂肪空泡堆積明顯獲得改善了。0.08%咖啡酸可降低HFD所引起的肝臟脂肪堆積、降低肝臟損傷程度。又綜合血清生化值測定，0.08%咖啡酸可以降低HFD引起之脂肪肝而達到保肝的作用。

Fatty liver is a kind of triglyceride metabolic disorder that makes the liver cells accumulate excessive lipid particles. This may cause liver-related disease. Caffeic acid（3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid or CA）is distributed in vegetables, red wine, fruits, whole grains﹐ honey and other substances. Ac-cording to the research literature ﹐phenolic compounds like caffeic acid has antioxidants and atte-nuates plasma lipids, so offering a medical protective function. In this experiment two groups of mice were fed a high fat diet（HFD）； the second groups given the high fat diet also contained a mixture of 0.02%, 0.08% caffeic acid, Six weeks later the mice fed only a high fat diet were found to have an increase in AST, ALT, TG, Cholersterol, Glucose while the HDL-C is decreased in value . The group given the high fat diet with caffeic acid were found to have a decrease in AST, ALT, TG, Cholersterol, Glucose while the HDL-C increased. Each week of the experiment body weight and liver weight were gauged along with liver tissue slice observation, the result being of 0.08% caffeic acid sample the color and outward appearance obtained improvement. The liver weight average reduced lipid vacuole accumulation of the tissue slice obviously improve. 0.08% caffeic acid may attenuate hepatic accumulation which high fat diet causes, reducing the liver extent of damage. Thus in the blood serum biochemistry value determination, 0.08% caffeic acid may attenuate the HFD-induced fatty liver and protect the liver.