Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a spectrum of conditions that include steatohepatitis and fibrosis that are thought to emanate from hepatic steatosis. Few robust biomarkers or diagnostic tests have been developed for hepatic steatosis in the setting of obesity. We have developed a multi-component classifier for hepatic steatosis comprised of phenotypic, genomic, and proteom...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance and a systemic pro-inflammatory response. Here we show that tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 3 (TRAF3) is upregulated in mouse and human livers with hepatic steatosis. After 24 weeks on a high-fat diet (HFD), obesity, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis and inflammatory respons...

Conophylline (CnP), a vinca alkaloid extracted from the leaves of the tropical plant Ervatamia microphylla, attenuates hepatic fibrosis in mice. However, little is known about whether CnP inhibits steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in mice. A methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet was administered to male db/db mice as a NASH model, and CnP (1 μg/kg/d...

28 Glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) protects against high fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic 29 steatosis in mice, however, the mechanisms involved are not known. In this study we investigated the effects of 30 GDNF overexpression and nanoparticle delivery of GDNF in mice on hepatic steatosis and fibrosis and the 31 expression of genes involved in the regulation of hepatic lipid u...

One main pathophysiological mechanism underlying the increased risk for uric acid nephrolithiasis in humans with the metabolic syndrome is the excretion of unduly acidic urine, in part because of reduced excretion of the main urinary buffer, ammonium. The Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat, an established rodent model of the metabolic syndrome, has similar urinary abnormalities, attributed in part...

BACKGROUND The impact of hepatic steatosis on outcome following hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains controversial with conflicting clinical results. A number of experimental studies have been published examining the relationship between hepatic steatosis and IRI. This systematic review evaluates these experimental studies. METHODS An electronic search of the Medline and Embase d...

Exendin-4 (Ex-4), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, has been known to reverse hepatic steatosis in ob/ob mice. Although many studies have evaluated molecular targets of Ex-4, its mechanism of action on hepatic steatosis and fibrosis has not fully been determined. In the liver, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is mainly expressed in hepatocytes, endothelial cells and hepatic stel...

PURPOSE Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is a serum glycoprotein produced predominantly in hepatocytes. As such, the synthesis of SHBG could be associated with liver function and metabolic syndrome. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels could reflect hepatocellular injury and insulin resistance; however, the relationship between hepatic steatosis and ALT with SHBG has not been investigated i...

BACKGROUND Sirtuin (Sirt), a sensor of the cell metabolic state, regulates glucose and lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to address whether rosiglitazone (RGZ) alters hepatic Sirt1 and whether Sirt1 and/or Sirt6 have a regulatory role in the protective effects of RGZ on hepatocyte steatosis. METHODS To investigate the effect of RGZ on hepatic Sirt1, rats were administered with RGZ f...

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) protects against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis in mice, however, the mechanisms involved are not known. In this study we investigated the effects of GDNF overexpression and nanoparticle delivery of GDNF in mice on hepatic steatosis and fibrosis and the expression of genes involved in the regulation of hepatic lipid uptake and de...