The influence of meldonium on fructose metabolism in liver

Abstract

Fructose consumption is considered as a significant contributor to the increase in the prevalence of metabolic disorders that are becoming a major concern and a challenge for global health. It is well documented that excessive fructose metabolism could lead to insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The framework of this study was to investigate the relationship between meldonium and fructose metabolism in liver. Meldonium is an anti-ischemic agent which shifts energy production from fatty acid oxidation to less oxygen-consuming glycolysis. Thus, we investigate the effects of a four-week meldonium pre-treatment (300 mg/kg b.m./day) on fructose metabolism in liver of Wistar strain male rats. We measured the fructose and free fatty acids levels in the liver tissue of treated animals. The results obtained showed that meldonium decreases fructose concentration and saturated fatty acid concentration. Such results indicate the meldonium application in prevention of extensive fructose metabolism. A further studies are needed to confirm such premises.