Significant effects of diacylglycerol on body fat and lipid metabolism in patients on hemodialysis

Aims: The long-term effects of dietary diacylglycerol (DAG) on body fat and lipid metabolism were studied in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Methods: Ten patients (seven males, three females) ranging in age from 40 to 64 years were enrolled. During the test period, 9.8g of DAG was ingested per day for 3 months. Results: Body mass index did not change throughout the study. The abdominal fat area measured by CT scan decreased significantly at 3 months, and increased significantly 3 months after completion of the DAG ingestion period. The serum composition of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) decreased significantly at 3 months and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased significantly at 3 months; these were determined using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Serum lipoprotein (a) decreased significantly at 3 months. Conclusions: Our study showed that 3-month ingestion of DAG reduced the amount of abdominal fat and improved serum lipid profiles in free-living HD patients.