Altered Fatty Acid Metabolism-Related Gene Expression in Liver from Morbidly Obese Women with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Lipid accumulation in the human liver seems to be a crucial mechanism in the pathogenesis and the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to evaluate gene expression of different fatty acid (FA) metabolism-related genes in morbidly obese (MO) women with NAFLD. Liver expression of key genes related to de novo FA synthesis (LXRα, SREBP1c, ACC1, FAS), FA uptake and transport (PPARγ, CD36, FABP4), FA oxidation (PPARα), and inflammation (IL6, TNFα, CRP, PPARδ) were assessed by RT-qPCR in 127 MO women with normal liver histology (NL, n = 13), simple steatosis (SS, n = 47) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, n = 67). Liver FAS mRNA expression was significantly higher in MO NAFLD women with both SS and NASH compared to those with NL (p = 0.003, p = 0.010, respectively). Hepatic IL6 and TNFα mRNA expression was higher in NASH than in SS subjects (p = 0.033, p = 0.050, respectively). Interestingly, LXRα, ACC1 and FAS expression had an inverse relation with the grade of steatosis. These results were confirmed by western blot analysis. In conclusion, our results indicate that lipogenesis seems to be downregulated in advanced stages of SS, suggesting that, in this type of extreme obesity, the deregulation of the lipogenic pathway might be associated with the severity of steatosis.     

米糠甾醇对非酒精性脂肪性肝炎大鼠的治疗作用

目的：研究米糠植物甾醇对非酒精性脂肪性肝炎（non-alcoholic steatohepatitis,NASH）大鼠的干预治疗作用。方法：实验选用50只健康SD雄性大鼠,随机分为正常对照组、NASH模型组和米糠甾醇低、中、高3个剂量组（65、130、195 mg/kg）。高脂饲料饲喂造模,各实验组同时进行米糠甾醇溶液灌胃干预。13周后观察各组大鼠肝组织病理学特点,测定血清中血脂总胆固醇、甘油三酯、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量和谷丙转氨酶、谷草转氨酶、一氧化氮合酶和超氧化物歧化酶活性,并比较各组肝脏指数和脾脏指数。结果：肝脏组织切片观察到NASH模型组有明显的肝细胞脂肪变性和炎症聚集浸润,米糠甾醇各治疗组肝组织病变呈现不同程度减轻。NASH模型组血清高密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量、超氧化物歧化酶、一氧化氮合酶、谷丙转氨酶和谷草转氨酶活性与正常对照组相比,均表现出明显异常;米糠甾醇各剂量组与NASH模型组比较,血清谷丙转氨酶显著降低（P＜0.001）、谷草转氨酶/谷丙转氨酶比值显著升高（P＜0.01）;低剂量组血清超氧化物歧化酶（P＜0.05）和一氧化氮合酶（P＜0.001）显著降低;中剂量组血清高密度脂蛋白胆固醇显著升高（P＜0.05）。结论：米糠甾醇对大鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝炎有预防与治疗作用。     

Lessons from Mouse Models of High-Fat Diet-Induced NAFLD

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a clinicopathologic spectrum of diseases ranging from isolated hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the more aggressive form of fatty liver disease that may progress to cirrhosis and cirrhosis-related complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma. The prevalence of NAFLD, including NASH, is also increasing in parallel with the growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes. However, the causal relationships between obesity and/or diabetes and NASH or liver tumorigenesis have not yet been clearly elucidated. Animal models of NAFLD/NASH provide crucial information, not only for elucidating the pathogenesis of NAFLD/NASH, but also for examining therapeutic effects of various agents. A high-fat diet is widely used to produce hepatic steatosis and NASH in experimental animals. Several studies, including our own, have shown that long-term high-fat diet loading, which can induce obesity and insulin resistance, can also induce NASH and liver tumorigenesis in C57BL/6J mice. In this article, we discuss the pathophysiology of and treatment strategies for NAFLD and subsequent NAFLD-related complications such as NASH and liver tumorigenesis, mainly based on lessons learned from mouse models of high-fat diet-induced NAFLD/NASH.