Methyl supplemented diet reduces liver pathology in lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice.

Abstract

Genetic predisposition is a necessary but not sufficient requirement for the development of a pathological immune response in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Various environmental factors and nutrition in particular also play a key role in the pathogenesis of SLE. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of a specific diet containing additional amounts of methyl donors on the development of pathological changes in the liver of lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice. The results showed that long-term administration of the diet reduced the level of inflammation and the number of inflammatory cells in the liver of the treated mice compared to the control group. These data point to methyl-containing micronutrients as a potential immunomodulatory tool and suggest the application of a methyl-supplemented diet as a novel approach to manipulate the course of liver disease in SLE.