THE EFFECT OF ORAL ALPHA LIPOIC ACID SUPPLEMENT ON SERUM LEVEL OF RESISTIN AND INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN OBESE PATIENTS WITH NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD)

Background and Aim: The liver plays an important role in metabolism and breakdown of fats in the body. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of chronic liver diseases and associated with obesity in adults. Increased abdominal fat results in insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome which is closely linked to NAFLD. Therefore, this randomized controlled clinical trial was aimed to examine the effect of oral alpha-lipoic acid supplement on serum resistin and insulin sensitivity in obese patients with NAFLD.Methods: In this study, 44 obese men and women aged 20-50 years suffered from NAFLD (confirmed by ultrasonography) were randomly allocated into two groups: ALA group (receiving two capsule containing 600 mg ALA per day) and Placebo group (receiving two capsules containing corn starch per day). Both groups were also asked to follow a weight loss diet parallel to ALA or placebo for 12 weeks. At the beginning and end of the study, weight, height and liver ultrasonography as well as fasting serum levels of glucose, insulin, liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP) and resistin were assessed and insulin resistance was estimated using the HOMA-IR.Results: ALA supplementation resulted in greater weight and BMI reduction compared with the placebo. However, the changes in weight and BMI over the study between the groups were not statistically significant. ALA supplementation did not influence serum levels of liver enzymes (ALT, ALP, AST), while it could increase serum insulin and resistin levels and decrease non- significantly serum glucose levels and insulin resistance.Conclusion: supplementation with ALA led to some changes in contributing factors in NAFLD.

کلیدواژه ها:

alpha lipoic acid ، insulin ، sensitivity resistin ، non-alcoholic fatty liver ، Obesity