Grant: Operating Grant

Creatine, a naturally occurring substance, is made in our bodies but can be obtained from the food supply. The major dietary sources of creatine are meat and dairy products. We have made the novel discovery that creatine supplementation reduces the amount of fat in the liver of rodents fed a high fat diet. This finding suggests that creatine may be a treatment for fatty liver diseases. Current data suggest that 20-30% of Canadians have fatty liver diseases which, if left untreated, would represent a significant stress on the health care system. In this proposal, we will determine the mechanism by which creatine prevents fat accumulation in the liver. To accomplish this goal we will use liver cells and various mouse models. The results of this proposal will determine the efficacy of feeding creatine, an inexpensive, safe natural health product, in the treatment of fatty liver diseases. It will provide the experimental evidence to support future clinical trials to treat this serious obesity related disease.