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Obesity (Poster Session)

(P20-038-25) Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein Colonic Expression Inversely Associates With Liver Inflammation With Its Level in Feces Altered by Obesity and Dietary Soy Protein

Sunday, June 1, 2025
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM ET
Location: Poster Board D-27

    Presenting Author(s)

  • WL

    Wei Li, PhD

    Assistant Professor
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Reza Hakkak, PhD

    Professor
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Disclosure(s):
Wei Li, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Reza Hakkak, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: To characterize the association between liver inflammation and colonic lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LPS-BP) expression in obese Zucker rats, and to investigate the effect of obesity and dietary soy protein with low- or high-isoflavone (SPC-LIF or SPC-HIF) on fecal LPS-BP level.

Methods: In one experiment, 21 six-week-old male obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats were given a control diet with casein as protein source (CAS) for 8 weeks. Rats were then randomly assigned to CAS, SPC-LIF, or SPC-HIF (7 per group) diet for another 10 weeks. The expression of LPS-BP in the colon and the expression of TNF-α, MCP-1, and iNOS in the liver were quantified by qPCR. In a separate experiment, 7-week old lean and obese Zucker rats were randomly assigned to be fed casein or soy protein diet for 18 weeks. LPS-BP protein in fecal samples was semi-quantified by immunoblot.

Results: In obese rats fed either CAS, SPC-LIF, or SPC-HIF diet, there were significant inverse correlations between colonic LPS-BP expression and liver TNF-α, MCP-1, and iNOS expression (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.002, respectively). Obese rats fed casein control diet had lower fecal LPS-BP levels compared to lean rats. Dietary soy protein restored fecal LPS-BP level in obese rats.

Conclusions: Colon LPS-BP may be protective against obesity-associated liver inflammation. The anti-inflammatory property of dietary soy protein may be in part mediated by colonic LPS-BP.

Funding Sources: This project was supported by USDA grant number 2020-67017-30841 to RH and a UAMS CHP seed grant to WL.