In people with fatty liver disease, a new molecular pathway when silenced could restore the normal function of immune cells, said researchers.
Fatty Liver Disease: A Growing Health Problem in India - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of liver dysfunction worldwide and is a rapidly growing health problem in India.
Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of liver dysfunction worldwide and is a rapidly growing health problem in India.
‘Lack of NRF2 protein reveals that obese individuals do not have the ability to properly respond to oxidative stress induced by fat accumulation in the liver.’
In this study, the researchers wanted to examine what happens on a cellular and molecular level in mouse and human livers overloaded with fat, and what may be done to help restore the damage. They found that liver macrophages, a type of white blood cells important for the immune system, respond to the unwanted fat by trying to burn it. In the process, these immune cells end up producing excessive amounts of oxidants that causes damage to the liver. Further investigation revealed that an antioxidant protein called NRF2, which usually protects the body from harmful oxidants, was completely shut down in the liver of the obese patients and mice.
The researchers also found elevated levels of a small non-coding RNA molecule, or a microRNA, called miR144 in the livers of obese individuals and mice. Both the immune cells and the liver's most abundant cells, the hepatocytes, produce more of this specific microRNA in response to oxidative stress. The miR144 molecule affects the NRF2 gene by decreasing its protein levels, which leads to a weaker antioxidant response, according to the researchers.
Test Your Knowledge on Liver Cancer
Primary hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that starts in the liver. The liver is the largest organ in the body situated in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The liver is also a common site for cancer deposits (metastases) from other organs. This is referred to as secondary liver cancer and is more common than primary liver cancer.
Primary hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that starts in the liver. The liver is the largest organ in the body situated in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The liver is also a common site for cancer deposits (metastases) from other organs. This is referred to as secondary liver cancer and is more common than primary liver cancer.
"Given that using exogenous antioxidants has been associated with long-term side effects in several tissues, we believe that targeting miR144 to increase the endogenous antioxidant response represents a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of liver diseases in obese patients including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis which is becoming a major cause of liver cancer worldwide and currently has no pharmacological treatment," says Myriam Aouadi researcher at the Department of Medicine in Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, and the study's corresponding author.
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Brain Plays Key Role in Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
In the liver associated with excessive alcohol consumption, specifically binge drinking, two brain proteins help regulate fat accumulation, stated new research.
In the liver associated with excessive alcohol consumption, specifically binge drinking, two brain proteins help regulate fat accumulation, stated new research.
Obesity Crisis Linked to Rise in Fatty Liver Disease Amongst Young Adults
Obesity crisis is creating a liver disease 'time bomb,' as the study reveals one in five young adults showing the excessive build-up of fat around their organs, which can lead to serious damage.
Obesity crisis is creating a liver disease 'time bomb,' as the study reveals one in five young adults showing the excessive build-up of fat around their organs, which can lead to serious damage.
