Astaxanthin and liver disease in mice lacking estrogen
What it found
In female mice with removed ovaries, astaxanthin reduced fat buildup, scarring, and inflammation in the liver.
Lab tests on human liver cells showed it lowered a protein linked to liver damage.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Less liver fat and scarring
Mice given astaxanthin had less fat buildup and lower collagen levels in their livers compared to mice without it. Collagen is a marker of liver scarring.
Lower liver injury markers
Blood tests showed that astaxanthin reduced two enzymes, AST and ALT, which rise when the liver is damaged. Inflammatory signals like IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were also lower in treated mice.
Reduced OPG protein
Astaxanthin lowered the amount of a protein called osteoprotegerin in mouse liver tissue. This protein is thought to play a role in fatty liver disease.
Effect on human liver cells
In lab dishes, human liver cells produced more osteoprotegerin when exposed to a signal called TGF-beta. Adding astaxanthin blocked this increase and lowered the protein even without TGF-beta present.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest astaxanthin may slow down liver fat buildup and scarring in their mouse model of postmenopausal fatty liver disease.
- They believe this effect happens because astaxanthin lowers a protein called osteoprotegerin by blocking the TGF-beta pathway.
- The authors propose that astaxanthin could be a useful treatment for women who have gone through menopause.
How it was done
After menopause, falling estrogen levels raise the chance of developing a fatty liver disease called NASH. The authors wanted to see if astaxanthin could work as a treatment for women in this situation.
Female mice had their ovaries removed to mimic menopause and were fed a special high-fat diet missing choline for 8 weeks. One group also received food containing 0.02% astaxanthin. They also tested astaxanthin on human liver cells in lab dishes.
What it can’t tell you
- These results come from mice and lab dishes, so they cannot show what happens in people eating astaxanthin.
- Removing ovaries and feeding a diet missing choline creates a specific condition that may not match how fatty liver disease develops in everyday life.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Nihon University School of Medicine, Japan; Jumonji University, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Astaxanthin Attenuates Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis with Downregulation of Osteoprotegerin in Ovariectomized Mice Fed Choline-Deficient High-Fat Diet
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Zhao M, Ma L, Honda T, et al (2023). Astaxanthin Attenuates Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis with Downregulation of Osteoprotegerin in Ovariectomized Mice Fed Choline-Deficient High-Fat Diet. Digestive diseases and sciences. doi:10.1007/s10620-022-07489-6Free full textPubMed 35397697DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error