Acesulfame K and fatty liver disease in mice on a high-fat diet
What it found
In mice fed a high-fat diet, acesulfame K increased fat buildup in the liver and worsened blood sugar control.
These effects depended on a specific liver protein and did not happen when that protein was missing.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Liver fat in mice
Mice drinking acesulfame K for 12 weeks had about 10% more fat stored in their livers compared to mice without it. This only happened in normal mice, not in mice missing the PPARα protein.
Blood sugar control in mice
After 11 weeks, normal mice given acesulfame K had blood sugar peaks about 25% higher during a sugar test. Their bodies handled sugar less well, but insulin still worked normally.
Body weight unchanged
Drinking acesulfame K did not change how much weight the mice gained over the 12 weeks. The mice ate less food but drank more water than those without the sweetener.
Fat buildup in liver cells
In lab tests, adding acesulfame K to two types of liver cells caused more fat to collect inside them. When the researchers blocked or removed PPARα from these cells, the extra fat buildup stopped.
Medicine reduced liver fat
Giving normal mice a drug that activates PPARα reversed the extra liver fat caused by acesulfame K. This protective effect did not happen in mice born without PPARα.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that long-term intake of acesulfame K worsens fatty liver disease by turning on a specific signaling pathway in the liver.
- Their results show this process relies entirely on normal activity of the PPARα protein.
- The authors suggest that medicines activating PPARα could protect against the liver fat buildup linked to this sweetener.
How it was done
Acesulfame K is widely used as a low-calorie sweetener to cut down on sugar intake. The authors wanted to find out if long-term use affects fatty liver disease and how a liver protein called PPARα might be involved.
The researchers gave 88 male mice a diet made of 60% fat for up to 12 weeks. Some mice drank water with acesulfame K at 2 mg/ml, a dose based on the human daily limit. They also tested liver cells in lab dishes using several concentrations of the sweetener.
What it can’t tell you
- These experiments were done in mice eating a very high-fat diet and in liver cells in lab dishes.
- They cannot show what happens in people who eat normal diets.
- A randomised trial in people would be needed to see if acesulfame K causes similar changes in human livers.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, P.R. China; Zhejiang University, P.R. China; Ningbo University, P.R. China
The paper
- Title
- Peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor α regulates acesulfame‑K‑induced NAFLD via hepatic PLCβ: Foe and friend
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Lin PY, Xie JR, Qian TC, et al (2026). Peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor α regulates acesulfame‑K‑induced NAFLD via hepatic PLCβ: Foe and friend. International journal of molecular medicine. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2026.5773Free full textPubMed 41789618DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error