Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0015695 (fatty liver)
 13,941 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Although there is a considerable interest of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets to manage weight control, their safety is still the subject of considerable debate. They are suspected to be detrimental to the renal and hepatic functions, calcium balance, and insulin sensitivity. However, the long-term effects of a high-protein diet on a broad range of parameters have not been investigated. We studied the effects of a high-protein diet in rats over a period of 6 mo. Forty-eight Wistar male rats received either a normal-protein (NP: 14% protein) or high-protein (HP: 50% protein) diet. Detailed body composition, plasma hormones and nutrients, liver and kidney histopathology, hepatic markers of oxidative stress and detoxification, and the calcium balance were investigated. No major alterations of the liver and kidneys were found in HP rats, whereas NP rats exhibited massive hepatic steatosis. The calcium balance was unchanged, and detoxification markers (GSH and GST) were enhanced moderately in the HP group. In contrast, HP rats showed a sharp reduction in white adipose tissue and lower basal concentrations of triglycerides, glucose, leptin, and insulin. Our study suggests that the long-term consumption of an HP diet in male rats has no deleterious effects and could prevent metabolic syndrome.
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PMID:A long-term high-protein diet markedly reduces adipose tissue without major side effects in Wistar male rats. 1515 76

The mechanism of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity, especially necrosis and fatty liver, has long been a challenging subject of many researchers from various fields over the past 50 years. Even though the mechanisms of tissue damages are different among chemicals and affected tissues, CCl4 has played a role as a key substance of tissue injury. A number of studies have been conducted and various hypotheses have been raised. As a result, several important basic mechanisms of tissue damages have emerged, involving metabolic activation, reactive free radical metabolites, lipid peroxidation, covalent binding and disturbance of calcium homeostasis. Recent studies also revealed inflammation and regeneration as important modification factors in the tissue injury. The author attempted to summarize the history of CCl4 research with some emphasis on the experiments done by the author and his colleagues. Their studies with isolated perfused rat liver suggest that covalent binding of CCl4 metabolites rather than lipid peroxidation has a significant role in the production of centrilobular necrosis following CCl4 administration. Further studies are necessary to unveil detailed mechanisms of hepatocyte necrosis induced by CCl4.
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PMID:[Learning toxicology from carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity]. 1701 19

Glucocorticoids are commonly used to treat cows with clinical ketosis and fatty liver disease, but their use is controversial. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the effects of isoflupredone acetate alone or with insulin on the energy metabolism of dairy cows in early lactation in a large double-blind, randomized clinical trial. A total of 1,162 Holstein cows and first-lactation heifers were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 treatments between the day of parturition and 8 DIM: group A, 20-mg i.m. injection of isoflupredone and 100 units of insulin; group B, 20-mg i.m. injection of isoflupredone; group C (control group), 10-mL i.m. injection of sterile water. Treatments were randomized across 24 dairy farms located near Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Serum samples obtained at the time of treatment and at wk 1 and 2 following treatment were analyzed for beta-hydroxybutyrate, nonesterified fatty acids, glucose, calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride. Cows were assigned a body condition score at the time of enrollment. Data were analyzed using a repeated-measures mixed model that accounted for the effects of parity and body condition score, and the random effects of cow and farm. Cows that received isoflupredone with insulin and isoflupredone alone had higher beta-hydroxybutyrate and nonesterified fatty acid concentrations 1 wk after treatment compared with control cows. Cows that received isoflupredone acetate plus insulin had lower glucose concentrations at 1 wk after treatment. Calcium concentrations 1 wk after treatment were lower for cows that received isoflupredone and insulin or isoflupredone only compared with control cows. Serum sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations were not influenced by treatment. The effect of treatment on the proportion of cows with subclinical ketosis was evaluated with a logistic regression model. Over the 2 wk following treatment, a significant increase in the prevalence of subclinical ketosis was observed in the isoflupredone plus insulin group relative to the control group. Among 972 cows that were not ketotic at enrollment, cows that received isoflupredone acetate plus insulin or isoflupredone acetate only were, respectively, 1.72 and 1.59 times more likely than control cows to develop subclinical ketosis 1 wk after treatment. There were no treatment effects on test-day milk production, milk fat and protein percentages, or the intervals from calving to first insemination or pregnancy.
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PMID:Effect of isoflupredone acetate with or without insulin on energy metabolism, reproduction, milk production, and health in dairy cows in early lactation. 1769 36

Reported herein is a case of focal hepatic steatosis surrounding a metastatic insulinoma in the liver of a 69-year-old woman. The patient complained of losing consciousness after meals, and hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia were confirmed. On CT and abdominal angiography a mass, 1 cm in diameter, was seen in the tail of the pancreas. In the early phase of dynamic CT a mass, 5 mm in diameter, was seen in the liver. In the late phase this mass appeared to be 3 cm in diameter. An arterial calcium stimulation/venous sampling test showed insulin levels after calcium injections in the hepatic artery to be extremely high. Thus, the liver tumor was diagnosed as a metastatic insulinoma, and distal pancreatectomy and partial resection of the liver were performed. The pancreatic tumor cells were immunohistochemically positive for insulin. The liver tumor was pale yellow. A white area surrounded the tumor. Histologically, the liver tumor was an insulinoma and the white area was focal fatty change of the liver. High insulin levels are said to inhibit oxidation of free fatty acids into triglycerides, causing free fatty acids to accumulate in hepatocytes. Focal hepatic steatosis caused by the local effects of insulin can present as a focal rim surrounding a metastatic insulinoma.
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PMID:Focal hepatic steatosis surrounding a metastatic insulinoma. 1806 43

An 11-year-old male developed systemic calciphylaxis during induction therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His predisposing conditions were hypercalcemia, supplements for pamidronate-induced hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia and renal insufficiency. He died of cardiorespiratory arrest on the 20th day of induction treatment. Autopsy revealed extensive calcium deposits in the heart, lungs and kidneys. He had diffused alveolar damage, acute tubular necrosis, chronic pancreatitis and marked hepatic steatosis. Systemic calcium deposition may progress rapidly in children with hypercalcemia of malignancy. Since pamidronate reduces mineral resorption from tissues, calcium and phosphate replacements increase systemic mineral deposits. Thus, mineral supplements should be considered only to combat symptoms.
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PMID:Systemic calciphylaxis. 1849 73

Group VI phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is a family of acyl hydrolases that targets the sn-2 fatty acid on the glycerophospholipid (GPL) backbone. These enzymes are grouped together based on structural homologies and catalytic activities that are independent of calcium and hence are also called the iPLA(2)s. Although the best characterized of these enzymes, iPLA2beta and iPLA2gamma, have long been proposed as homeostatic enzymes involved in basal GPL metabolism, recent studies indicate roles for these enzymes in biomedically relevant processes as well. For example, iPLA2 modulates calcium homeostasis by promoting replenishment of intracellular calcium stores. This function is likely of importance in the pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and potentially allergy as well. iPLA2 has a variety of roles in bacterial pathogenesis and the host response against bacterial and fungal infections. These characteristics suggest that the enzyme as a potential target to control infectious diseases. iPLA2 is linked to both proliferation and chemotherapy-induced apoptosis of tumor cells. As such, the enzyme is a potential target for cancer chemotherapy. Recent studies indicate essential roles for iPLA2 in glucose homeostasis, maintenance of energy balance, adipocyte development, and hepatic lipogenesis. Thus, the enzyme is an attractive target for drugs to control type II diabetes, fatty liver disease, and other manifestations of the metabolic syndrome. Several recent studies have associated iPLA2 inactivation with neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting the possibility that products of the iPLA2 reaction as potential treatments for these disorders. Together, these observations suggest iPLA2 as a novel and important target for drug development. However given the ubiquitous expression of the enzyme and its roles in basal GPL metabolism, drug strategies targeting iPLA2 must exhibit exquisite selectivity to avoid undesired side effects. Furthermore, the cell-specific nature of many iPLA2 functions may present another challenge in the design and implementation of drugs targeted to the enzyme.
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PMID:Group VI phospholipases A2: homeostatic phospholipases with significant potential as targets for novel therapeutics. 1869 Oct 15

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly reported pathology, characterized by fat accumulation within the hepatocyte. Growing evidences suggest specific effects on mitochondrial metabolism, but it is still unclear the relationship between fatty liver progression and mitochondrial function. In the present work we have investigated the impact of fatty liver on mitochondrial bioenergetic functions and susceptibility to mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) induction in animals fed a choline-deficient diet (CDD) for 4, 8, 12 or 16 weeks. Mitochondria isolated from CDD animals always exhibited higher state 4 respiration. Mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased in CDD animals at 4 and 16 weeks. At 12 weeks, oxidative phosphorylation was more efficient in CDD animals, suggesting a possible early response trying to revert the deleterious effect of increased triglyceride storage in the liver. However, mitochondrial dysfunction was evident in CDD animals at 16 weeks as indicated by decreased RCR and ADP/O, with a corresponding decrease in respiratory chain enzymes activities. Such loss of respiratory efficiency was associated with accumulation of protein oxidation products, in tissue and mitochondrial fraction. Additionally, although no differences in ATPase activity, the lag phase was increased in mitochondria from CDD animals at 16 weeks, associated with decreased content of the adenine nucleotide translocator. Increased susceptibility to calcium-induced MPT was evident in CDD animals at all time points. These results suggest a dynamic mechanism for the development of NALFD associated with altered mitochondrial function.
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PMID:Differential alterations in mitochondrial function induced by a choline-deficient diet: understanding fatty liver disease progression. 1876 3

An association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been recently suggested. Indeed, different studies have demonstrated that NAFLD patients present increased subclinical atherosclerosis compared to non-steatosic individuals, and are supported by the few follow-up studies revealing that CVD is the second most common cause of death in NAFLD patients. However, the nature of the relationship NAFLD/CVD is still under debate: is NAFLD a consequence of, or a contributor to, the dysmetabolic cascade leading to atherosclerosis? In this issue of the journal, McKimmie and coauthors analyzed a subset of 623 participants from the Diabetes Heart Study for hepatic steatosis, classic CVD risk factors, subcutaneous and visceral fat, coronary, aortic and carotid artery calcium, and carotid intima-media thickness. After adjusting for all the CVD risk factors plus visceral fat, they did not find independent associations between steatosis and the cardiovascular markers of interest, and conclude that NAFLD may be best described as an epiphenomenon in this context. The strength of this study resides in the numerosity of the sample, the broad cardiovascular examination, and the direct assessment by computed tomography of visceral fat, an undisputed major contributor to NAFLD, the metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. However, waiting for prospective and interventional studies in order to definitely determine the nature of the relationship NAFLD/CVD, sufficient evidence exists to derive a first message and transfer it into the clinical practice: an overall assessment of the CVD risk, and the aggressive management of the atherosclerotic risk factors, seem mandatory in all NAFLD patients.
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PMID:Association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease: a first message should pass. 1885 70

Refsum disease is caused by a deficiency of phytanoyl-CoA hydroxylase (PHYH), the first enzyme of the peroxisomal alpha-oxidation system, resulting in the accumulation of the branched-chain fatty acid phytanic acid. The main clinical symptoms are polyneuropathy, cerebellar ataxia, and retinitis pigmentosa. To study the pathogenesis of Refsum disease, we generated and characterized a Phyh knockout mouse. We studied the pathological effects of phytanic acid accumulation in Phyh(-/-) mice fed a diet supplemented with phytol, the precursor of phytanic acid. Phytanic acid accumulation caused a reduction in body weight, hepatic steatosis, and testicular atrophy with loss of spermatogonia. Phenotype assessment using the SHIRPA protocol and subsequent automated gait analysis using the CatWalk system revealed unsteady gait with strongly reduced paw print area for both fore- and hindpaws and reduced base of support for the hindpaws. Histochemical analyses in the CNS showed astrocytosis and up-regulation of calcium-binding proteins. In addition, a loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum was observed. No demyelination was present in the CNS. Motor nerve conduction velocity measurements revealed a peripheral neuropathy. Our results show that, in the mouse, high phytanic acid levels cause a peripheral neuropathy and ataxia with loss of Purkinje cells. These findings provide important insights in the pathophysiology of Refsum disease.
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PMID:Ataxia with loss of Purkinje cells in a mouse model for Refsum disease. 1900 1

The liver of dairy cows is involved in signaling the current hepatic metabolic state to the brain via metabolites and nerval afferents to control and adjust feed intake. Feed deprivation may result in mobilization of body reserves favoring hepatic steatosis. While the overall metabolic changes are well characterized, specific regulatory mechanisms are not readily understood. To identify molecular events associated with metabolic adaptation and the control of energy homeostasis, liver specimens from six ad libitum-fed and six feed-deprived cows were analyzed for selected metabolites, for the activation of AMP kinase, and for regulatory/regulated proteins using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF-MS. Feed deprivation increased total liver fat and the calcium content, as well as augmented AMPK phosphorylation, while it decreased the contents of protein, glucose, glycogen, and cholesterol when expressed as a percentage of dry matter. Among 34 differentially expressed proteins identified, we found downregulation of proteins associated with fatty acid oxidation, glycolysis, electron transfer, protein degradation, and antigen processing, as well as cytoskeletal rearrangement. Proteins upregulated after feed deprivation included enzymes of the urea cycle, fatty acid or cholesterol transport proteins, an inhibitor of glycolysis, and previously unknown changes in calcium signaling network. Direct correlation was found between expression of glycolytic enzymes and glucose/glycogen content, whereas inverse correlation exists between expression of beta-oxidative enzymes and total liver fat content. In conclusion, the regulatory response of identified proteins may help to explain development and consequences of hepatic lipidosis but also offers novel candidates potentially involved in signaling for maintaining energy homeostasis.
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PMID:Proteome analysis of fatty liver in feed-deprived dairy cows reveals interaction of fuel sensing, calcium, fatty acid, and glycogen metabolism. 1924 Mar


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