The pellagragenic effect of leucine (Leu) has been proposed to involve modulation of L-tryptophan (Trp) metabolism along the hepatic kynurenine pathway. Here, we discuss some of the mechanisms suggested and report the effects in healthy volunteers of single doses of Leu (4.05-6.75 g) administered in a 16-amino acid mixture on concentrations of plasma Trp and its kynurenine metabolites. Flux of ...

CREB3L3 is involved in fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis in a mutual manner with PPARα. To evaluate relative contribution, a combination of knockout and transgenic mice was investigated. On a ketogenic-diet (KD) that highlights capability of hepatic ketogenesis, Creb3l3-/- mice exhibited reduction of expression of genes for fatty oxidation and ketogenesis comparable to Ppara-/- mice. Most of...

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by the accumulation of triglycerides (TG) as lipid droplets in the liver. Although lipid-metabolizing enzymes are considered important in NAFLD, the involvement of phospholipase D1 (PLD1) has not yet been studied. Here, we show that the genetic ablation of PLD1 in mice induces NAFLD due to an autophagy defect. PLD1 expression was decreas...

The spectrophotometric determination of the catalase-H2O2 intermediate (Compound I) was extended to the liver in situ in anaesthetized rats. The rate of H2O2 production was determined for the liver in situ with endogenous substrates, and in the presence of excess of glycollate. Glycollate infusion doubled H2O2 production rate in the liver of air-breathing rats, and caused a fourfold increase wh...

Glucagon receptor (Gcgr) signaling maintains hepatic glucose production during the fasting state; however, the importance of the Gcgr for lipid metabolism is unclear. We show here that fasted Gcgr-/- mice exhibit a significant increase in hepatic triglyceride secretion and fasting increases fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in wild-type (WT) but not in Gcgr-/- mice. Moreover fasting upregulated the ex...

3alpha-Hydroxy-5 beta-cholan-24-oic (lithocholic) acid is a relatively minor component of hepatic bile acids in humans but is highly cytotoxic. Hepatic microsomal oxidation offers a potential mechanism for effective detoxification and elimination of bile acids. The aim of the present study was to investigate the biotransformation of lithocholic acid by human hepatic microsomes and to assess the...

A hepatic microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system is described both in men and rats. It is distinguished from alcohol dehydrogenase by its subcellular localization (cytosol for alcohol dehydrogenase, microsomes for this system), its pH optimum (physiological pH versus pH 10 to 11 for alcohol dehydrogenase), and its cofactor requirements (NADPH versus NAD+ for alcohol dehydrogenase). It also require...

Creosote bush-derived nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a lipoxygenase inhibitor, possesses antioxidant properties and functions as a potent antihyperlipidemic agent in rodent models. Here, we examined the effect of chronic NDGA treatment of ob/ob mice on plasma dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and changes in hepatic gene expression. Feeding ob/ob mice a chow diet supplemented with either low (...

Metabolic syndrome-associated dyslipidemia is mainly initiated by hepatic overproduction of the plasma lipoproteins carrying triglycerides. Here we examined the effects of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)-β/δ activator GW501516 on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic fatty acid oxidation. Exposure to the HFD caused hypertriglyceridemia that was acco...

A hepatic microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system is described both in men and rats. It is distinguished from alcohol dehydrogenase by its subcellular localization (cytosol for alcohol dehydrogenase, microsomes for this system), its pH optimum (physiological pH versus pH 10 to 11 for alcohol dehydrogenase), and its cofactor requirements (NADPH versus NAD+ for alcohol dehydrogenase). It also require...