Consistent with these reports, we showed that feeding both young and adult obese Zucker rats SPC-LIF or SPC-HIF diet decreased the expression of LPS-binding protein, a marker for LPS exposure in the liver (49, 76), suggesting that liver steatosis in obese Zucker rats may be exacerbated by the inflammatory stimuli arising from the GI tract, which can be attenuated by SPC. This evidence concerns the gene LIF and Hepatic steatosis.