an accessible and pragmatic experimental model of nonalcoholic fatty

background: there is no convenient cheap pragmatic experimental model for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (nafld)/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (nash). we aimed to create a pragmatic model of nafld/nash. methods: sprague-dawley rats were fed a high-fat, high sugar homemade diet ad libitum for seven weeks. the high-fat, high sugar diet included 59% of energy derived from fat, 30% from carbohydrates, and 11% from protein. serum levels of fasting glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, liver enzymes, insulin, and hepatic tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-α) gene expression were determined. hepatic histology was examined by h&e; stain. results: rats fed the high-fat, high sugar diet developed hepatic steatosis, and a moderate inflammation, which was associated with increased serum levels of liver enzymes, glucose, insulin, triglyceride, cholesterol, and hepatic  tnf-α gene expression. conclusion: this rat model resembles the key features of human nafld/nash and provides a simple pragmatic experimental model for elucidating the disease prevention and treatment.