Freshwater Clam Extract Ameliorates Triglyceride and Cholesterol Metabolism through the Expression of Genes Involved in Hepatic Lipogenesis and Cholesterol Degradation in Rats

Table 2

Effect of freshwater clam extract and soy protein isolate on body weight gain, food intake, organ weight, serum parameters, fecal steroids, and hepatic CYP7A1 transcription rate in rats^a.

	Control group^b	FCE group^b	SPI group^b
	Mean ± SEM	Mean ± SEM	Mean ± SEM
Body weight gain (g)	71.3 ± 3.4^ab	77.3 ± 2.9^b	64.8 ± 2.2^a
Food intake (g/d)^c	14.7 ± 0.6	13.3 ± 0.5	14.1 ± 0.5
Relative organ weight; (g/100 g of body weight)
Liver	3.40 ± 0.08^b	3.44 ± 0.06^b	2.66 ± 0.04^a
Epididymal adipose tissue	1.52 ± 0.05	1.37 ± 0.05	1.10 ± 0.24
Serum lipids (mmol/L)
Total cholesterol	2.28 ± 0.10^b	1.56 ± 0.06^a	1.56 ± 0.04^a
Triglyceride	0.65 ± 0.04	0.57 ± 0.03	0.65 ± 0.02
Serum adiponectin (ng/mL)	4426 ± 293^a	5562 ± 476^a	7212 ± 310^b
Dry fecal weight (g for 3d)^d	1.2 ± 0.1^a	3.2 ± 0.3^c	1.7 ± 0.0^b
Fecal steroids (𝜇mol/3 days)
Total neutral sterol	29.5 ± 3.6^a	119 ± 10^b	42.5 ± 2.8^a
Total bile acids	36.3 ± 4.4^a	247 ± 18^b	51.7 ± 3.2^a
Hepatic transcription rate (arbitrary units)^e
CYP7A1	100 ± 19^a	303 ± 47^b	152 ± 26^a

^aEach value is the mean with its standard error for 6 rats in each dietary group. The statistical significance of differences among values was analyzed by ANOVA and then by Tukey’s multiple-range test. Values in a row with different letters indicate a statistically significant difference, P < .05.
^bControl group: basal diet; FCE group: freshwater clam extract-supplemented diet; SPI group: soy protein isolate-supplemented diet.
^cFood intake was measured from day 2 to day 3.
^dFeces were collected over the final 3 days of the experimental period.
^eTranscription rate was estimated by the pre-mRNA level.