Effects of iron overload in a rat nutritional model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

: Background/Aims: This study sought to determine whether excess hepatic iron potentiates liver injury in the methionine choline‐deficient (MCD) model of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: Iron‐loaded rats were fed either MCD or control diets [MCD diet plus choline bitartrate (2 g/kg) and dl‐methionine (3 g/kg)] for 4 and 12 weeks, after which liver pathology, hepatic iron, triglyceride, lipid peroxidation products and hydroxyproline (HYP) levels and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were evaluated. Results: Iron supplementation in MCD animals resulted in histologic evidence of hepatic iron overload at 4 and 12 weeks and a 14‐fold increase in hepatic iron concentration at 12 weeks (P