Puasa Intermiten Air: Dampaknya terhadap Derajat Steatosis

Abstract. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder commonly associated with high-fat diet consumption and a sedentary lifestyle, characterized by lipid accumulation and inflammation in liver tissue. Water intermittent fasting is a non-pharmacological approach that has the potential to improve lipid metabolism and liver health; however, its effects on the microscopic features of liver tissue remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between water intermittent fasting and the degree of steatosis in the liver tissue of mice fed a high-fat diet. This experimental study employed a post-test only controlled group design using 28 paraffin-embedded mouse liver tissue blocks divided into four treatment groups: standard diet control, high-fat diet control, water intermittent fasting with a standard diet, and water intermittent fasting with a high-fat diet. The water intermittent fasting protocol consisted of a 14-hour fasting period followed by a 10-hour feeding window for 30 days. Liver tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin–eosin and evaluated histopathologically to assess the degree of steatosis. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher’s exact test and Spearman correlation analysis. The results demonstrated that water intermittent fasting had a significant effect on reducing the degree of microvesicular steatosis in mouse liver tissue (p = 0.002), with a strong correlation strength and a non-linear negative direction (r = −0.632. In conclusion, water intermittent fasting effectively reduces hepatic steatosis in mice fed a high-fat diet. Abstrak. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) merupakan gangguan metabolik yang sering terjadi akibat konsumsi pakan tinggi lemak dan gaya hidup sedentari, ditandai oleh akumulasi lemak dan inflamasi pada jaringan hati. Puasa intermiten air (water intermittent fasting) merupakan pendekatan nonfarmakologis yang berpotensi memperbaiki metabolisme lipid dan kesehatan hati, namun pengaruhnya terhadap gambaran mikroskopik jaringan hati masih perlu dikaji. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis hubungan puasa intermiten air terhadap derajat steatosis pada jaringan hati mencit yang mendapat pakan tinggi lemak. Penelitian eksperimental ini menggunakan desain post-test only controlled group design dengan 28 parafin blok jaringan hati mencit yang dibagi ke dalam empat kelompok perlakuan, yaitu kontrol pakan standar, kontrol pakan tinggi lemak, puasa intermiten air dengan pakan standar, serta puasa intermiten air dengan pakan tinggi lemak. Protokol puasa intermiten air dilakukan dengan pola 14 jam puasa dan 10 jam jendela makan selama 30 hari. Preparat jaringan hati diwarnai hematoksilin-eosin dan dianalisis secara histopatologis untuk menilai derajat steatosis. Analisis statistik menggunakan Fisher’s exact test dan uji korelasi Spearman. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa puasa intermiten air berpengaruh signifikan terhadap penurunan derajat microvesicular steatosis (p = 0,002) dengan kekuatan korelasi kuat dan arah tidak linear (r = −0,632). Disimpulkan bahwa puasa intermiten air efektif menurunkan derajat steatosis hati pada mencit dengan pakan tinggi lemak dalam durasi penelitian ini.