Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are stable perfluoroalkyl sulfonate (PFAS) surfactants, and PFHxS and PFOS are frequently detected in human biomonitoring studies. Some epidemiological studies have shown modest positive correlations of serum PFOS with non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (C). This study investigated the mechanism underlying the effect of PFAS surfactants on lipoprotein metabolism. APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice were fed a Western-type diet with PFBS, PFHxS, or PFOS (30, 6, and 3 mg/kg/day, respectively) for 4-6 weeks. Whereas PFBS modestly reduced only plasma triglycerides (TG), PFHxS and PFOS markedly reduced TG, non-HDL-C, and HDL-C. The decrease in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) was caused by enhanced lipoprotein lipase-mediated VLDL-TG clearance and by decreased production of VLDL-TG and VLDL-apolipoprotein B. Reduced HDL production, related to decreased apolipoprotein AI synthesis, resulted in decreased HDL. PFHxS and PFOS increased liver weight and hepatic TG content. Hepatic gene expression profiling data indicated that these effects were the combined result of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and pregnane X receptor activation. In conclusion, the potency of PFAS to affect lipoprotein metabolism increased with increasing alkyl chain length. PFHxS and PFOS reduce plasma TG and total cholesterol mainly by impairing lipoprotein production, implying that the reported positive correlations of serum PFOS and non-HDL-C are associative rather than causal.

Brief hind limb ischaemia induces protection against renal IRI, which makes this a promising strategy to prevent renal IRI in a clinical setting. Bilateral RIPC was more effective than unilateral RIPC, and this protection occurs via an adenosine-independent mechanism.

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Icosabutate is a structurally engineered eicosapentaenoic acid derivative under development for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In this study, we investigated the absorption and distribution properties of icosabutate in relation to liver targeting and used rodents to evaluate the effects of icosabutate on glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, as well as hepatic steatosis, inflammation, lipotoxicity, and fibrosis. The absorption, tissue distribution, and excretion of icosabutate was investigated in rats along with its effects in mouse models of insulin resistance (ob/ob) and metabolic inflammation/NASH (high‐fat/cholesterol‐fed APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice) and efficacy was compared with synthetic peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α (PPAR‐α) (fenofibrate) and/or PPAR‐γ/(α) (pioglitazone and rosiglitazone) agonists. Icosabutate was absorbed almost entirely through the portal vein, resulting in rapid hepatic accumulation. Icosabutate demonstrated potent insulin‐sensitizing effects in ob/ob mice, and unlike fenofibrate or pioglitazone, it significantly reduced plasma alanine aminotransferase. In high‐fat/cholesterol‐fed APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice, icosabutate, but not rosiglitazone, reduced microvesicular steatosis and hepatocellular hypertrophy. Although both rosiglitazone and icosabutate reduced hepatic inflammation, only icosabutate elicited antifibrotic effects in association with decreased hepatic concentrations of multiple lipotoxic lipid species and an oxidative stress marker. Hepatic gene‐expression analysis confirmed the changes in lipid metabolism, inflammatory and fibrogenic response, and energy metabolism, and revealed the involved upstream regulators. In conclusion, icosabutate selectively targets the liver through the portal vein and demonstrates broad beneficial effects following insulin sensitivity, hepatic microvesicular steatosis, inflammation, lipotoxicity, oxidative stress, and fibrosis. Icosabutate therefore offers a promising approach to the treatment of both dysregulated glucose/lipid metabolism and inflammatory disorders of the liver, including NASH.