Thursday July 03, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) --  A new study suggests that American diet characterized by high trans fat, high fructose corn syrup plus physical inactivity increases risk of liver cancer and other liver diseases.

In the study, physically inactive mice was fed a diet high in trans fat and high fructose corn syrup and assessed histologically for liver diseases. After six months of dietary intervention, mice were found to have developed features of early nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and after 1 2months, mice were found suffering features of more advanced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis such as liver inflammation and bridging fibrosis.

Mice fed the high trans fat, high fructose diet had increased expression of genes responsible for lipid metabolism and insulin signaling in the liver.  The diet also progressively activated hepatic stem cell, which was correlated with steatosis, fibrosis and inflammation.

Liver tumors or hepatocellular neoplasms were observed in six out of 10 mice fed the high trans fat, high fructose corn syrup after 12 months of the dietary intervention..

The study concluded "an adipogenic lifestyle alone is sufficient for the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, hepatic stem cell activation, and hepatocarcinogenesis in wild-type mice." (David Liu)

Dowman JK, Hopkins LJ, Reynolds GM, Nikolaou N, Armstrong MJ, Shaw JC, Houlihan DD, Lalor PF, Tomlinson JW, Hübscher SG, Newsome PN.  Development of hepatocellular carcinoma in a murine model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis induced by use of a high-fat/fructose diet and sedentary lifestyle.  Am J Pathol. 2014 May;184(5):1550-61.