scholarly journals Murine models provide insight to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. Reid ◽  
B. Eksteen
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

AbstractAssociated with the obesity epidemic, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the leading liver disease in North America. Approximately 30 % of patients with NAFLD may develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Frequently animal models are used to help identify underlying factors contributing to NAFLD including insulin resistance, dysregulated lipid metabolism and mitochondrial stress. However, studying the inflammatory, progressive nature of NASH in the context of obesity has proven to be a challenge in mice. Although the development of effective treatment strategies for NAFLD and NASH is gaining momentum, the field is hindered by a lack of a concise animal model that reflects the development of liver disease during obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Therefore, selecting an animal model to study NAFLD or NASH must be done carefully to ensure the optimal application. The most widely used animal models have been reviewed highlighting their advantages and disadvantages to studying NAFLD and NASH specifically in the context of obesity.

scholarly journals Early life programming and the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Lynch ◽  
C. S. Chan ◽  
A. J. Drake
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and can be considered the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. NAFLD represents a spectrum of disease, from the relatively benign simple steatosis to the more serious non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which can progress to liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and end-stage liver failure, necessitating liver transplantation. Although the increasing prevalence of NAFLD in developed countries has substantial implications for public health, many of the precise mechanisms accounting for the development and progression of NAFLD are unclear. The environment in early life is an important determinant of cardiovascular disease risk in later life and studies suggest this also extends to NAFLD. Here we review data from animal models and human studies which suggest that fetal and early life exposure to maternal under- and overnutrition, excess glucocorticoids and environmental pollutants may confer an increased susceptibility to NAFLD development and progression in offspring and that such effects may be sex-specific. We also consider studies aimed at identifying potential dietary and pharmacological interventions aimed at reducing this risk. We suggest that further human epidemiological studies are needed to ensure that data from animal models are relevant to human health.

Healthy PNPLA3 Risk Allele Carriers Present with Unexpected Body Fat Composition. A Study of One ousand Subjects

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Kempinska-Podhorodecka ◽  
Marcin Krawczyk ◽  
Marta Klak ◽  
Malgorzata Blatkiewicz ◽  
Frank Lammert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Anthropometric Characteristics ◽  
The Common ◽  
Total Fat ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Introduction: The common PNPLA3 (adiponutrin) variant p.I148M represents a major genetic driver of progression in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is commonly associated with traits of the metabolic syndrome, therefore it is mostly suspected in obese individuals. Here, we investigate the association between the PNPLA3 variant and anthropometric traits in a cohort of healthy individuals.Patients and methods: We recruited 1,000 (500 females; age 18 - 66 years) healthy blood donors. The PNPLA3 variant was genotyped using TaqMan assays. All individuals were phenotyped with respect to anthropometric characteristics. We also determined the percentage of total fat (F%) and active tissue (TA%) of body weight.Results: Healthy carriers of the PNPLA3 [IM] and [MM] genotypes, although not differing in height from individuals with the genotype [II], displayed significantly lower body weight and lower BMI (both P = 0.005), higher TA% (P = 0.03) but lower F% (P = 0.03) and smaller waist, chest and shin circumferences (all P < 0.05). Separate analysis for males and females demonstrated an association between the [IM] and [MM] genotypes and higher TA% but lower F% (P = 0.04) in females. In males, BMI and total weight were significantly (P = 0.04) lower among carriers of the [M] allele.Discussion: Healthy individuals carrying the prosteatotic PNPLA3 allele p.I48M may be leaner as compared to the carriers of the common allele. Hence in clinical practice they might be overlooked since they do not necessarily present with the anthropometric characteristics commonly associated with severe hepatic steatosis.Abbreviations: ATX - autotaxin; BMI - body mass index; F% - total fat of body weight in %; Fkg - total fat of body weight in kilograms; GWAS - genome-wide association study; LPA - lysophosphatidic acid; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; NASH - non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; PA - phosphatidic acid; PNPLA3-patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (adiponutrin); TA% - active tissue of body weight in %; TAkg - active tissue of body weight in kilograms; WHR - waist-to-hip ratio.

scholarly journals The Role of the Transsulfuration Pathway in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1081
Author(s):  
Mikkel Parsberg Werge ◽  
Adrian McCann ◽  
Elisabeth Douglas Galsgaard ◽  
Dorte Holst ◽  
Anne Bugge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Disease ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Precise Control ◽  
Transsulfuration Pathway ◽  
Global Population ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing and approximately 25% of the global population may have NAFLD. NAFLD is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, but its pathophysiology is complex and only partly understood. The transsulfuration pathway (TSP) is a metabolic pathway regulating homocysteine and cysteine metabolism and is vital in controlling sulfur balance in the organism. Precise control of this pathway is critical for maintenance of optimal cellular function. The TSP is closely linked to other pathways such as the folate and methionine cycles, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and glutathione (GSH) production. Impaired activity of the TSP will cause an increase in homocysteine and a decrease in cysteine levels. Homocysteine will also be increased due to impairment of the folate and methionine cycles. The key enzymes of the TSP, cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), are highly expressed in the liver and deficient CBS and CSE expression causes hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in animal models. A causative link between the TSP and NAFLD has not been established. However, dysfunctions in the TSP and related pathways, in terms of enzyme expression and the plasma levels of the metabolites (e.g., homocysteine, cystathionine, and cysteine), have been reported in NAFLD and liver cirrhosis in both animal models and humans. Further investigation of the TSP in relation to NAFLD may reveal mechanisms involved in the development and progression of NAFLD.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in the Metabolic Syndrome. A Narrative Review

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 270
Author(s):  
Luca Rinaldi ◽  
Pia Clara Pafundi ◽  
Raffaele Galiero ◽  
Alfredo Caturano ◽  
Maria Vittoria Morone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Smoking Habit ◽  
Lifestyle Modifications ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are two different entities sharing common clinical and physio-pathological features, with insulin resistance (IR) as the most relevant. Large evidence leads to consider it as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, regardless of age, sex, smoking habit, cholesterolemia, and other elements of MS. Therapeutic strategies remain still unclear, but lifestyle modifications (diet, physical exercise, and weight loss) determine an improvement in IR, MS, and both clinical and histologic liver picture. NAFLD and IR are bidirectionally correlated and, consequently, the development of pre-diabetes and diabetes is the most direct consequence at the extrahepatic level. In turn, type 2 diabetes is a well-known risk factor for multiorgan damage, including an involvement of cardiovascular system, kidney and peripheral nervous system. The increased MS incidence worldwide, above all due to changes in diet and lifestyle, is associated with an equally significant increase in NAFLD, with a subsequent rise in both morbidity and mortality due to both metabolic, hepatic and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the slowdown in the increase of the “bad company” constituted by MS and NAFLD, with all the consequent direct and indirect costs, represents one of the main challenges for the National Health Systems.

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