Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28, 2010; 16(12): 1495-1499
Published online Mar 28, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i12.1495
Biochemical determination of lipid content in hepatic steatosis by the Soxtec method
Elizabeth Hijona, Lander Hijona, Mikel Larzabal, Cristina Sarasqueta, Pablo Aldazabal, Juan Arenas, Luis Bujanda
Elizabeth Hijona, Pablo Aldazabal, Juan Arenas, Luis Bujanda, Department of Gastroenterology, University of the Basque Country, Donostia Hospital, Center for Biomedical Research in Hepatic and Digestive Disease (CIBERehd), 20014, San Sebastián, Spain
Lander Hijona, Department of Gastroenterology, Basurto Hospital, 48013, Bilbao, Spain
Mikel Larzabal, Department of Pathology, Donostia Hospital, 20014, San Sebastián, Spain
Cristina Sarasqueta, Department of Epidemiology, CIBERESP, Donostia Hospital, 20014, San Sebastián, Spain
Author contributions: Hijona E, Bujanda L, Hijona L, Aldazabal P and Arenas J performed the majority of the experiments; Larzabal M and Hijona E were involved in the histological study; Sarasqueta C contributed to the statistical analysis; all authors wrote the manuscript.
Supported by CIBERehd and Donostia Hospital, CIBER is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Correspondence to: Dr. Elizabeth Hijona, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology, University of the Basque Country, Donostia Hospital, Center for Biomedical Research in Hepatic and Digestive Disease (CIBERehd), 20014, San Sebastián, Spain. eli.hijonamuruamendiaraz@osakidetza.net
Telephone: +34-94-3007173 Fax: +34-94-3007061
Received: December 22, 2009
Revised: January 19, 2010
Accepted: January 26, 2010
Published online: March 28, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To establish a quantitative method to measure the amount of lipids.

METHODS: The livers of 53 male Wistar rats (225 g) with different degrees of hepatic steatosis were studied. This model of hepatic steatosis was based on a high carbohydrate, fat-free modified diet. Biopsies were classified into four grades depending on fat accumulation, using the Kleiner and Brunt classification. Total fat was studied by the Soxtec method (Soxtec™ 2050 Auto Fat Extraction System), and agreement between both assays was assessed by calculating the κ coefficient.

RESULTS: According to the histological classification, 38% of rats presented grade 0, 21% grade 1, 22% grade 2 and 20% grade 3. The amount of fat per 100 g tissue was 2.60 ± 0.64 g for grade 0, 3.87 ± 1.59 g for grade 1, 5.82 ± 1.37 g for grade 2 and 8.68 ± 2.30 g for grade 3. Statistically significant differences were found between the mean values for each of the histological grades (P < 0.05). The correlation for the quantification of fat in the liver between both assays was moderate (κ = 0.60).

CONCLUSION: The biochemical quantification of fat in liver tissue by the Soxtec method was correlated with the histological classification, although the agreement between the two tests was only moderate.

Keywords: Liver steatosis; Soxtec method; Quantitative analysis; Histology; Biochemistry