Principal Investigator: Richard Bruno
SUMMARY
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease affecting over 70 million Americans. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for NASH and because NASH is difficult to diagnose correctly without a liver biopsy, our study will utilize obese adults as our population. Key mechanisms involved in the development of NASH include metabolic endotoxemia due to increased gut permeability and alteration in gut microbiota composition. Evidence suggests green tea improves gut barrier function, attenuates metabolic endotoxemia, and modulates gut microbiota composition. Previously, we developed a green tea extract (GTE)-rich confection able to successfully deliver 1 g GTE to participants. Thus, we will utilize GTE-rich confections as a strategy to attenuate metabolic endotoxemia by improving gastrointestinal health and assess green tea pharmacokinetics in obese adults. We will conduct a 4-wk randomized, placebocontrolled intervention study in obese and healthy adults. Participants will ingest GTErich (1 g GTE) or placebo confections each day for 4 weeks. Prior to and following 4-wk intervention, participants will complete a sugar probe test and pharmacokinetics trial. The sugar probe test consists of participants drinking a sugar test beverage and measuring the respective sugars in urine as an indicator of gut permeability. The pharmacokinetics trial will consist of participants ingesting GTE-rich confections and collecting blood over 12-h and 24-h urine post ingestion to determine the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of green tea catechins. Additionally, 3-d fecal samples will be collected at the beginning and end of the intervention to assess microbiota composition. We expect to show that chronic ingestion of our novel GTE-rich confections improves green tea pharmacokinetics in association with attenuating metabolic endotoxemia by restoring gut barrier function and microbiota composition. Thus, providing novel evidence in support for future translational studies defining green-tea mediated improvements in NASH patients.