Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Min Wang, Lili Li, Jun Qian, Nannan Wang, Jun Bao, Jiangyue Lu, Faming Chen, Yanfen Li, Yangheng Zhang, Fuhua Yan
Summary: In this study, the salivary microbiota from patients with periodontitis was transferred to obese mice induced by high-fat diet to investigate the influence on gut microbiome and liver metabolism. The results showed that periodontitis salivary microbiota altered gut microbiota composition and exacerbated intestinal barrier dysfunction, leading to activation of toll-like receptor 4 signaling and release of pro-inflammatory factors in the liver. Moreover, the upregulation of the tryptophan-kynurenine-AhR signal axis in the liver was associated with aggravated hepatic steatosis and dysregulation of glucolipid metabolism during NAFLD development. This study suggests that periodontitis salivary microbiota may worsen the pathological progression of NAFLD in the context of obesity, with the tryptophan-AhR pathway potentially playing a key role.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Linda Vanessa Marquez-Quiroga, Jaime Arellanes-Robledo, Veronica Rocio Vasquez-Garzon, Saul Villa-Trevino, Pablo Muriel
Summary: NASH is a major risk factor for HCC, and current experimental models provide valuable tools for studying and evaluating new drugs for chronic liver diseases. These models show promise in replicating liver alterations and promoting liver injury progression, but there is still room for improvement in simulating the progression from NASH to HCC.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Qiannan Ren, Qiming Sun, Junfen Fu
Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with a high-fat diet. Autophagy plays a protective role in NAFLD, but dysfunction of liver autophagy may contribute to the development of NAFLD.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Victoria Svop Jensen, Christian Fledelius, Erik Max Wulff, Jens Lykkesfeldt, Henning Hvid
Summary: The study demonstrates that hamsters rapidly develop dyslipidemia when fed a high-fat, high-fructose, high-cholesterol diet, and exhibit hepatic changes resembling human NAFLD within four to eight months on the NASH diet.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Haoyu Tian, Shuairan Zhang, Ying Liu, Yifan Wu, Dianbao Zhang
Summary: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic condition associated with metabolic dysfunction and obesity, and has become an epidemic worldwide. There is currently no FDA-approved drug for NAFLD, but fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) have shown promising therapeutic benefits in clinical trials. FGF-based therapies, particularly FGF analogs, have been effective in treating NAFLD by alleviating steatosis, liver inflammation, and fibrosis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qi Guan, Xin-Wen Ding, Ling-Yue Zhong, Chuang Zhu, Pan Nie, Li-Hua Song
Summary: This study investigated the nutrients and phytochemicals of Lactobacillus-fermented black barley and found that fermentation significantly increased the content of beneficial compounds. Fermented black barley treatment showed an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity and a decrease in lipid metabolism products, suggesting its beneficial effects in reducing oxidative stress and hepatic steatosis.
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Manal F. Abdelmalek
Summary: In 2020, there were significant advances in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, including new insights into pathophysiology, advancements in non-invasive diagnostics, and the publication of interim results from the first phase III trial showing improvement in hepatic fibrosis.
NATURE REVIEWS GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Prince K. K. Akowuah, Carolina Lema, Rolando E. E. Rumbaut, Alan R. R. Burns
Summary: Feeding mice with a high-fat/sucrose diet causes loss of corneal nerve function and impairs corneal wound healing. Changing to a low fat/sugar diet with enrichments in complex carbohydrates mitigates the reduction in nerve function, but its effect on corneal wound healing needs further investigation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Simona Cernea, Danusia Onisor
Summary: Liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is a common type of cancer worldwide. In addition to viral infections and certain liver diseases, other risk factors such as old age, obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes also contribute to the occurrence of HCC. Screening for HCC in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients is still lacking, and identifying individuals who progress to HCC without cirrhosis is a challenge. Lifestyle changes and pharmacological interventions may play a protective role in preventing NAFLD/NASH-associated HCC, but more research is needed to understand the relationship.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Xiaoli Qian, Ting Wang, Jiahong Gong, Li Wang, Xuyan Chen, Haiyan Lin, Wenzhan Tu, Songhe Jiang, Shengcun Li
Summary: Exercise can prevent liver injury, steatosis, and fibrosis associated with NAFLD by blocking the upregulation of HMGCS2 and attenuating the Wnt3a/beta-catenin pathway.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Han Qiu, Erfei Song, Yue Hu, Tengfei Li, Kam Ching Ku, Cunchuan Wang, Bernard M. Y. Cheung, Lai Yee Cheong, Qin Wang, Xiaoping Wu, Ruby L. C. Hoo, Yong Wang, Aimin Xu
Summary: This study found that serum levels of autotaxin in NAFLD patients were positively correlated with histologic scores and disease severity. In mouse models, reducing hepatic autotaxin or using an anti-autotaxin antibody significantly decreased high-fat diet-induced NAFLD and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis, with increased serum FGF21.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Rong Xiang, Yuxing Liu, Liangliang Fan, Boyue Jiang, Fang Wang
Summary: This study explores the protective function of ADAR1 in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), showing that overexpression of ADAR1 can alleviate liver injury and inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation. On the other hand, ADAR1 knockdown enhances NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These findings suggest that ADAR1 may be a potential target for NAFLD treatment.
LABORATORY INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Letter
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Tarana Gupta
Summary: The burden of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing due to the rising epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Antidiabetic medications, air pollutants, and newer genetic mutations are the latest concerns as risk factors for HCC development in patients with NASH. However, cost-effective molecular signatures are not yet applicable in larger populations. Multicentric longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the complex interplay of different risk factors and genetics in these patients.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Martin Karl, Solveig Hasselwander, Yawen Zhou, Gisela Reifenberg, Yong Ook Kim, Kyoung-Sook Park, Dirk A. Ridder, Xiaoyu Wang, Eric Seidel, Nadine Hoevelmeyer, Beate K. Straub, Huige Li, Detlef Schuppan, Ning Xia
Summary: This study suggests that B lymphocytes play both detrimental and protective roles in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The lack of secretion of pathogenic antibodies partially protects from NAFLD, while certain subsets of B cells provide additional protection. Regulatory B cells producing IL-10 may represent a protective subset of B cells.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Eri Nanizawa, Shun Otsuka, Naoyuki Hatayama, Yuki Tamaki, Yumi Hayashi, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Shuichi Hirai, Munekazu Naito
Summary: This study investigated and compared the inflammatory and coagulative state of the liver in mice fed high-fat diet (HFD) or high-carbohydrate diet (HCD) after acute liver injury. The results showed that HFD increased fibrinogen/fibrin depositions, while HCD induced stronger inflammation. These findings suggest that HFD and HCD may have different mechanisms of pathologic progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Liujun Chen, Lisha Li, Donghong Cui, Yiheng Huang, Haibin Tong, Haleh Zabihi, Shuxia Wang, Yadan Qi, Ted Lakowski, Lin Leng, Suixin Liu, Hong Wu, Lawrence H. Young, Richard Bucala, Dake Qi
Summary: Attenuation of adipose hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) may impair lipolysis and exacerbate obesity. Cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays a role in regulating adipose HSL and adipocyte hypertrophy. Both intracellular and extracellular MIF have opposing effects on HSL, but extracellular action predominates to downregulate HSL and exacerbate obesity development during high-fat diet (HFD).
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2024)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Mengyang Tang, Yi Zhang, Rong Zhang, Yuemei Zhang, Jiangfei Zheng, Daixi Wang, Xinyu Wang, Jing Yan, Cheng Hu
Summary: This study aimed to explore the role of GPSM1 in POMC neurons and the underlying mechanisms in metabolic homeostasis. Through various molecular, biochemical, immunofluorescent, immunohistochemical analyses, and cell culture studies, the study revealed the pathophysiological role of GPSM1 in POMC neurons and its regulation of POMC neuron activity.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2024)