Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, ranging from steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Recently, cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO 2 NPs) have emerged as a new antioxidant agent with hepatoprotective properties in experimental liver disease. The aim of the current investigation was to elucidate whether CeO 2 NPs display beneficial effects in an experimental model of NAFLD.Therefore, fifteen Wistar rats were subjected to a methionine and choline deficient diet (MCDD) for 6 weeks and intravenously treated with CeO 2 NP or vehicle during the weeks three and four of the diet. The effect of CeO 2 NPs on serum biochemistry, hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fatty acid content and expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid metabolism related genes was assessed. MCDD fed rats showed increased inflammation, enhanced hepatic lipid accumulation of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) and overexpression of genes related to fatty liver and ROS metabolism. Treatment with CeO 2 NPs was able to reduce the size and content of hepatocyte lipid droplets, the hepatic concentration of triglyceride- and cholesterol ester-derived FAs and the expression of several genes involved in cytokine, adipokine and chemokine signaling pathways. These findings suggest that CeO 2 NPs could be of beneficial value in NAFLD.

No abstract

A method is described for separating lymphocytes by using heparinized venous blood. The platelets are eliminated by means of aggregation with ADP, and the lymphocytes are separated from the red cells and granulocytes by a variant of Thorsby's modification of the Bøyum method. Our method is very rapid; pure lymphocyte suspensions are obtained in less than an hour. This technique ensures the elimination of platelets which could give rise to inhibition phenomena in the lymphotoxicity reaction. The platelets are eliminated without the need to defibrinate the blood.