Waist circumference correlates with hepatic fat accumulation in male Japanese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but not in females

Aims: The objective of this prospective study was to assess the correlation between carotid intima-media thickness at the common carotid (CIMTc) and carotid bifurcation (CIMTb) level, hepatic fat accumulation, and obesity phenotypes.Material and methods: Two hundred obese adults, in which CIMTc and CIMTb thickness was determined, were included. According to body mass index (BMI) and presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), patients were classified as metabolically healthy obese (MHO, obesity without MetS) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO, obesity with MetS). MHO patients were further classified as MHO1 (obese with increased waist circumference) and MHO2 (obese with increased waist circumference plusone of the 4 criteria for MetS). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) presence was assessed by fatty liver index (FLI). Results: CIMTc and CIMTb increased with obesity phenotypes from 0.74 mm and 1.04 mm in MHO1 to 0.84 mm and 1.23 mm in MHO2 and 0.88 mm and 1.74 mm in MUHO. Obesity phenotypes were significantly correlated with CIMTb. NAFLD frequency increased from 66.0% in the MHO1 to 73.0% in the MHO2 and 84.2% in the MUHO (p<0.05). Independent of age, BMI, total cholesterol, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR, the CIMTc was significantly associated with FLI in all obesity phenotypesand CIMTb only in MHO2 and MUHO.Conclusions: Our results suggest that subclinical atherosclerosis varies according to obesity phenotypes and is correlated with the hepatic fat accumulation.

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Bilirubin Nanoparticles Reduce Diet-Induced Hepatic Steatosis, Improve Fat Utilization, and Increase Plasma β-Hydroxybutyrate

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2020.594574 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Terry D. Hinds ◽

Justin F. Creeden ◽

Darren M. Gordon ◽

Donald F. Stec ◽

Matthew C. Donald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Disease ◽

Fatty Liver ◽

Hepatic Steatosis ◽

Fatty Liver Disease ◽

Liver Fat ◽

Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽

Fat Accumulation ◽

Fat Utilization ◽

Hepatic Fat ◽

Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The inverse relationship of plasma bilirubin levels with liver fat accumulation has prompted the possibility of bilirubin as a therapeutic for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Here, we used diet-induced obese mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease treated with pegylated bilirubin (bilirubin nanoparticles) or vehicle control to determine the impact on hepatic lipid accumulation. The bilirubin nanoparticles significantly reduced hepatic fat, triglyceride accumulation, de novo lipogenesis, and serum levels of liver dysfunction marker aspartate transaminase and ApoB100 containing very-low-density lipoprotein. The bilirubin nanoparticles improved liver function and activated the hepatic β-oxidation pathway by increasing PPARα and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1. The bilirubin nanoparticles also significantly elevated plasma levels of the ketone β-hydroxybutyrate and lowered liver fat accumulation. This study demonstrates that bilirubin nanoparticles induce hepatic fat utilization, raise plasma ketones, and reduce hepatic steatosis, opening new therapeutic avenues for NAFLD.

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