scholarly journals Playing Jekyll and Hyde—The Dual Role of Lipids in Fatty Liver Disease

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2244
Author(s):  
Martijn R. Molenaar ◽  
Louis C. Penning ◽  
J. Bernd Helms
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Hepatic Fibrosis ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Hepatic Lipid Accumulation

Lipids play Jekyll and Hyde in the liver. On the one hand, the lipid-laden status of hepatic stellate cells is a hallmark of healthy liver. On the other hand, the opposite is true for lipid-laden hepatocytes—they obstruct liver function. Neglected lipid accumulation in hepatocytes can progress into hepatic fibrosis, a condition induced by the activation of stellate cells. In their resting state, these cells store substantial quantities of fat-soluble vitamin A (retinyl esters) in large lipid droplets. During activation, these lipid organelles are gradually degraded. Hence, treatment of fatty liver disease is treading a tightrope—unsophisticated targeting of hepatic lipid accumulation might trigger problematic side effects on stellate cells. Therefore, it is of great importance to gain more insight into the highly dynamic lipid metabolism of hepatocytes and stellate cells in both quiescent and activated states. In this review, part of the special issue entitled “Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms underlying the Pathogenesis of Hepatic Fibrosis 2020”, we discuss current and highly versatile aspects of neutral lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

scholarly journals How does hepatic lipid accumulation lead to lipotoxicity in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-35
Author(s):  
Yana Geng ◽  
Klaas Nico Faber ◽  
Vincent E. de Meijer ◽  
Hans Blokzijl ◽  
Han Moshage
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Lipid Uptake ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Lipid Species ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized as excess lipid accumulation in the liver which is not due to alcohol use, has emerged as one of the major health problems around the world. The dysregulated lipid metabolism creates a lipotoxic environment which promotes the development of NAFLD, especially the progression from simple steatosis (NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Purposeand Aim This review focuses on the mechanisms of lipid accumulation in the liver, with an emphasis on the metabolic fate of free fatty acids (FFAs) in NAFLD and presents an update on the relevant cellular processes/mechanisms that are involved in lipotoxicity. The changes in the levels of various lipid species that result from the imbalance between lipolysis/lipid uptake/lipogenesis and lipid oxidation/secretion can cause organellar dysfunction, e.g. ER stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, lysosomal dysfunction, JNK activation, secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and aggravate (or be exacerbated by) hypoxia which ultimately lead to cell death. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of how abnormal lipid metabolism leads to lipotoxicity and the cellular mechanisms of lipotoxicity in the context of NAFLD.

scholarly journals Hepatic MIR20B promotes nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by suppressing PPARA

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yo Han Lee ◽  
Hyun-Jun Jang ◽  
Sounkou Kim ◽  
Sun Sil Choi ◽  
Keon Woo Khim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Synergic Effect ◽  
Hepatic Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Hepatic Lipid

Background:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive lipid accumulation and imbalances in lipid metabolism in the liver. Although nuclear receptors (NRs) play a crucial role in hepatic lipid metabolism, the underlying mechanisms of NR regulation in NAFLD remain largely unclear. Methods:Using network analysis and RNA-seq to determine the correlation between NRs and microRNA in human NAFLD patients, we revealed that MIR20B specifically targets PPARA. MIR20B mimic and anti-MIR20B were administered to human HepG2 and Huh-7 cells and mouse primary hepatocytes as well as high fat diet (HFD)- or methionine-deficient diet (MCD)-fed mice to verify the specific function of MIR20B in NAFLD. We tested the inhibition of the therapeutic effect of a PPARα agonist, fenofibrate, by Mir20b and the synergic effect of combination of fenofibrate with anti-Mir20b in NAFLD mouse model. Results:We revealed that MIR20B specifically targets PPARA through miRNA regulatory network analysis of nuclear receptor genes in NAFLD. The expression of MIR20B was upregulated in free fatty acid (FA)-treated hepatocytes and the livers of both obesity-induced mice and NAFLD patients. Overexpression of MIR20B significantly increased hepatic lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels. Furthermore, MIR20B significantly reduced FA oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis by targeting PPARA. In Mir20b-introduced mice, the effect of fenofibrate to ameliorate hepatic steatosis was significantly suppressed. Finally, inhibition of Mir20b significantly increased FA oxidation and uptake, resulting in improved insulin sensitivity and a decrease in NAFLD progression. Moreover, combination of fenofibrate and anti-Mir20b exhibited the synergic effect on improvement of NAFLD in MCD-fed mice. Conclusions:Taken together, our results demonstrate that the novel MIR20B targets PPARA, plays a significant role in hepatic lipid metabolism, and present an opportunity for the development of novel therapeutics for NAFLD. Funding:This research was funded by Korea Mouse Phenotyping Project (2016M3A9D5A01952411), the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (2020R1F1A1061267, 2018R1A5A1024340, NRF-2021R1I1A2041463, 2020R1I1A1A01074940), and the Future-leading Project Research Fund (1.210034.01) of UNIST.

scholarly journals Hepatic miR-20b promotes nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by suppressing PPARα

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yo Han Lee ◽  
Hyun-Jun Jang ◽  
Sounkou Kim ◽  
Sun Sil Choi ◽  
Keon Woo Khim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Metabolic Reprogramming ◽  
Deficient Diet ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Hepatic Lipid

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with hepatic metabolic reprogramming that leads to excessive lipid accumulation and imbalances in lipid metabolism in the liver. Although nuclear receptors (NRs) play a crucial role in hepatic metabolic reprogramming, the underlying mechanisms of NR regulation in NAFLD remain largely unclear. Methods: Using network analysis and RNA-seq to determine the correlation between NRs and microRNA in NAFLD patients, we revealed that miR-20b specifically targets PPARα. miR-20b mimic and anti-miR-20b were administered to hepatocytes as well as high fat diet (HFD)- or methionine-deficient diet (MCD)-fed mice to verify the specific function of miR-20b in NAFLD. We tested the inhibition of the therapeutic effect of a PPARα agonist, fenofibrate, by miR-20b. Results: We revealed that miR-20b specifically targets PPARα through miRNA regulatory network analysis of nuclear receptor genes in NAFLD. The expression of miR-20b was upregulated in free fatty acid (FA)-treated hepatocytes and the livers of both obesity-induced mice and NAFLD patients. Overexpression of miR-20b significantly increased hepatic lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels. Furthermore, miR-20b significantly reduced FA oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis by targeting PPARα. In miR-20b-introduced mice, the effect of fenofibrate to ameliorate hepatic steatosis was significantly suppressed. Finally, inhibition of miR-20b significantly increased FA oxidation and uptake, resulting in improved insulin sensitivity and a decrease in NAFLD progression. Conclusions: Taken together, our results demonstrate that the novel miR-20b targets PPARα, plays a significant role in hepatic lipid metabolism, and present an opportunity for the development of novel therapeutics for NAFLD. Funding: This research was funded by Korea Mouse Phenotyping Project (2016M3A9D5A01952411), the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (2020R1F1A1061267, 2018R1A5A1024340), the Future-leading Project Research Fund (1.210034.01) of UNIST and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (2020R1I1A1A01074940).

scholarly journals Apigenin Alleviates Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Downregulating the NLRP3/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Lu ◽  
Lu Liu ◽  
Shunxin Zhao ◽  
Jiangtao Zhao ◽  
Sujun Li
Keyword(s):  
Liver Disease ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Hepg2 Cells ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Hepatic Lipid ◽  
Hepatic Lipid Accumulation

Abstract Background: Apigenin, a flavone found in several plant foods with various biological properties including anti-inflammatory and other abilities, alleviated non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high fat diet (HFD) in mice. However, the mechanisms underlying this protection of inflammation and NAFLD has not been known clearly. Methods: Low density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (Ldlr-/-) mice were fed with HFD diet to induce NAFLD model and were treated with apigenin (50 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks. Hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation in the livers were analyzed and quantified. In vitro experiments, HepG2 cells were stimulated by LPS plus oleic acid (OA) in the absence of presence of apigenin (50μM). Lipid accumulation and the effect of apigenin on NLRP3/NF-κB signaling pathway was investigated.Results: Apigenin administration reduce the weight, plasma lipid levels in Ldlr-/- mice when fed an HFD. Apigenin (50 mg/kg/day) treated mice displayed reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation in the livers of mice given the HFD diet. Treating the HepG2 cells with apigenin reduced lipid accumulation. And, apigenin also inhibited activation of NLRP3/NF-κB signaling pathway stimulated by OA together with LPS. Conclusions: Our results indicated that apigenin supplementation prevented NAFLD via down-regulating the NLRP3/NF-κB signaling pathway in mice, and suggested apigenin might be a potential therapeutic agent for the prevention of NAFLD.

Fluoxetine-induced Hepatic Lipid Accumulation is Linked to Elevated Serotonin Production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Ayyash ◽  
Alison C Holloway
Keyword(s):  
Liver Disease ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Metabolic Effects ◽  
Serotonin Synthesis ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Hepatic Lipid ◽  
Hepatic Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Fluoxetine, a commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, has been shown to increase hepatic lipid accumulation, a key factor in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Interestingly, fluoxetine has also been reported to increase peripheral serotonin synthesis. As emerging evidence suggests that serotonin may be involved in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease we sought to determine if fluoxetine-induced hepatic lipid accumulation is mediated via altered serotonin production. Fluoxetine treatment increased lipid accumulation in association with increased mRNA expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (<i>Tph1, serotonin biosynthetic enzyme) and intracellular serotonin content. Serotonin alone had a similar effect to increase lipid accumulation. Moreover, blocking serotonin synthesis reversed the fluoxetine-induced increases in lipid accumulation. Collectively, these data suggest that fluoxetine induced lipid accumulation can be mediated, in part, by elevated serotonin production. These results suggest a potential therapeutic target to ameliorate the adverse metabolic effects of fluoxetine exposure.

scholarly journals Bromelain Confers Protection Against the Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Male C57BL/6 Mice

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1458
Author(s):  
Po-An Hu ◽  
Chia-Hui Chen ◽  
Bei-Chia Guo ◽  
Yu Ru Kou ◽  
Tzong-Shyuan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Total Cholesterol ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Hepatic Lipid ◽  
Hepatic Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

We aimed to investigate the effect of bromelain, the extract from stems of pineapples on the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced deregulation of hepatic lipid metabolism and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and its underlying mechanism in mice. Mice were daily administrated with HFD with or without bromelain (20 mg/kg) for 12 weeks, and we found that bromelain decreased the HFD-induced increase in body weight by ~30%, organ weight by ~20% in liver weight and ~40% in white adipose tissue weight. Additionally, bromelain attenuated HFD-induced hyperlipidemia by decreasing the serum level of total cholesterol by ~15% and triglycerides level by ~25% in mice. Moreover, hepatic lipid accumulation, particularly that of total cholesterol, free cholesterol, triglycerides, fatty acids, and glycerol, was decreased by 15–30% with bromelain treatment. Mechanistically, these beneficial effects of bromelain on HFD-induced hyperlipidemia and hepatic lipid accumulation may be attributed to the decreased fatty acid uptake and cholesteryl ester synthesis and the increased lipoprotein internalization, bile acid metabolism, cholesterol clearance, the assembly and secretion of very low-density lipoprotein, and the β-oxidation of fatty acids by regulating the protein expression involved in the above mentioned hepatic metabolic pathways. Collectively, these findings suggest that bromelain has therapeutic value for treating NAFLD and metabolic diseases.

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