Impact of artificial sunlight therapy on the progress of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats.

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS:

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is recognized as the most severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with likely progression to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, there is no unified standard for diagnosis and therapeutics. This study aimed to characterize lipid transfer/metabolic proteins as non-invasive diagnostic markers, and to evaluate the therapeutic effects of phototherapy on the progression of NASH in rats.

METHODS:

Lewis rats given a choline-deficient and iron-supplemented l-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet and Zucker fa/fa rats were used as a diet-induced and an obesity-related NASH models, respectively, with or without phototherapy.

RESULTS:

Serum apolipoprotein E and low molecular weight-adiponectin levels were gradually reduced and reached the lowest level at fatty liver/NASH stage both in CDAA diet-induced NASH model and in genetically obese model. Total-adiponectin levels were dramatically elevated after NASH was established in CDAA diet-induced NASH model. Phototherapy ameliorated hepatocyte apoptosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and insulin/leptin resistance caused by CDAA diet with alteration of the levels of lipid transfer/metabolic proteins and elevation of the circulating active form of vitamin D(3). Vitamin D(3) supplementation ameliorated NASH progression in CDAA diet-induced NASH model. However, phototherapy failed to ameliorate the obesity and steatosis, suggesting that phototherapy may possess anti-inflammatory/fibrotic activity rather than anti-obesity/steatotic activity.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results suggest that serum lipid transfer/metabolic proteins and vitamin D(3) status may be effective biomarkers for non-invasive diagnosis of NASH progression, and that phototherapy may be a good complementary therapy for NASH because of its regulation of lipid transfer/metabolic proteins and vitamin D(3).

• Authors: Toshiaki Nakano, Yu-Fan Cheng, Chia-Yun Lai, Li-Wen Hsu, Yen-Chen Chang, Jia-Yi Deng, Yu-Zhu Huang, Hiroyuki Honda, Kuang-Den Chen, Chih-Chi Wang, King-Wah Chiu, Bruno Jawan, Hock-Liew Eng, Shigeru Goto, Chao-Long Chen
• Journal: Journal of hepatology (J Hepatol) Vol. 55 Issue 2 Pg. 415-25 (Aug 2011) ISSN: 1600-0641 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 21184788 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Adiponectin
• Apolipoprotein A-I
• Apolipoproteins E
• Apoproteins
• Carrier Proteins
• Cytokines
• Receptors, Adiponectin
• lipid transfer protein
• Cholecalciferol

Topics

• Adiponectin (blood, metabolism)
• Animals
• Apolipoprotein A-I (blood)
• Apolipoproteins E (blood, genetics)
• Apoproteins
• Carrier Proteins (metabolism)
• Cholecalciferol (administration & dosage)
• Cytokines (genetics)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Disease Progression
• Fatty Liver (etiology, metabolism, pathology, therapy)
• Gene Expression
• Heliotherapy
• Liver (metabolism, pathology)
• Male
• Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• Obesity (complications, genetics)
• Rats
• Rats, Inbred Lew
• Rats, Zucker
• Receptors, Adiponectin (metabolism)