In Vivo 1H/13C MR Analysis Reveals Visceral Obesity, Hepatic Steatosis & Disorders in Body Fat Composition Upon Long-Term Medium Chain Triglyceride Diet in Mice with a Defect in Fatty Acid Oxidation

Ulrich Flgel¹, Sara Tucci², Jrgen Schrader¹, Ute Spiekerkoetter²

Therapeutical approaches to limit metabolic derangement in patients with long chain fatty acid oxidation disorders (LCAD) include fat-modified diets, in which long-chain triglycerides are replaced by medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). The present study investigated the effects of a long-term MCT therapy on body lipid homeostasis using ¹H MRI and ¹H/¹³C MRS in a murine model of LCAD. One year MCT-based diet resulted in massive visceral fat infiltration, impaired body fat composition, and steatohepatitis. Although MCT diet has been reported to prevent development of cardiomyopathy and the myopathic phenotype, according to our data its use and dose has to be well considered.