The effect of different fatty acids on cytochrome P4504A1 mRNA levels was studied in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes, using a solution hybridization assay. All fatty acids tested induced P4504A1 mRNA levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Most potent were docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) and arachidonic acid (20:4), both of which gave a 6-fold increase in mRNA levels at 300 microM, followe...

We identified a new peroxisomal disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme alpha-methylacyl-coenzyme A (CoA) racemase. Patients with this disorder show elevated plasma levels of pristanic acid and the bile acid intermediates di- and trihydroxycholestanoic acid (DHCA and THCA), which are all substrates for the peroxisomal beta-oxidation system. alpha-Methylacyl-CoA racemase plays an important...

Since 1866, when the oxidation of fat by fasting subjects was reported (l), a considerable reservoir of information on the biological oxidation of fatty acids has accumulated. The present understanding of this process has largely unfolded since 1943 when Munoz and Leloir (2) described a cell-free preparation which oxidized short chain fatty acids. It was later shown that isolated mitochondria o...

Since 1866, when the oxidation of fat by fasting subjects was reported (l), a considerable reservoir of information on the biological oxidation of fatty acids has accumulated. The present understanding of this process has largely unfolded since 1943 when Munoz and Leloir (2) described a cell-free preparation which oxidized short chain fatty acids. It was later shown that isolated mitochondria o...

BACKGROUND Recent studies demonstrated that resveratrol has many therapeutic effects on liver disorders. Resveratrol significantly increased survival after liver transplantation, decreased fat deposition, necrosis, and apoptosis which induced by ischemia in Wistar rats. It provided liver protection against chemical, cholestatic, and alcohol injury. Resveratrol can improve glucose metabolism and...

Anti-Pasteurella pestis factor (APF) inhibited bacterial growth, but there was no evidence that APF from either mouse or guinea pig or selected fatty acids physically disrupted the cell wall. The fatty acids selected were representative of those found in APF. APF inhibited oxidation of beta-d-glucose but not oxidation of glucose-6-phosphate, whereas fatty acids inhibited the oxidation of glucos...

Resveratrol is a polyphenol that is enriched in the skins of red grapes. Although scientists speculated for decades about the French paradox in which red wine appeared to protect against heart disease, the mechanisms mediating these effects remained a mystery. In 2003 Sinclair and colleagues (1) identified that resveratrol activated the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD )-dependent histone...

Polyunsaturated fatty acids of n-3 series (n-3 PUFA) were shown to increase basal fat oxidation in humans. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of n-3 PUFA added to a very low calorie diet (VLCD), with VLCD only during three-week inpatient weight reduction. Twenty severely obese women were randomly assigned to VLCD with n-3 PUFA or with placebo. Fatty acids in serum lipid fractions we...

Fasting readily induces hepatic steatosis. Hepatic steatosis is associated with hepatic insulin resistance. The purpose of the present study was to document the effects of 16 h of fasting in wild-type mice on insulin sensitivity in liver and skeletal muscle in relation to 1) tissue accumulation of triglycerides (TGs) and 2) changes in mRNA expression of metabolically relevant genes. Sixteen hou...

Thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) is a ubiquitous protein that binds with high affinity to thioredoxin and inhibits its ability to reduce sulfhydryl groups via NADPH oxidation. HcB-19 mice contain a nonsense mutation in Txnip that eliminates its expression. Unlike normal animals, HcB-19 mice have approximately 3-fold increase in insulin levels when fasted. The C-peptide/insulin ratio is n...