Oxidative stress is a strong contributor to the progression from simple fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Molecular hydrogen is an effective antioxidant that reduces cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich water and the drug pioglitazone on the progression of NASH in mouse models. A methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet mouse model was prepared. Mice were divided into three experimental groups and fed for 8 weeks as follows: (1) MCD diet 1 control water (CW group); (2) MCD diet 1 hydrogen-rich water (HW group); and (3) MCD diet mixed with pioglitazone (PGZ group). Plasma alanine aminotransferase levels, hepatic expression of tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-6, fatty acid synthesis-related genes, oxidative stress biomarker 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and apoptosis marker terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nickend labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells in the liver were decreased in the HW and PGZ groups. The HW group showed a smaller decrease in hepatic cholesterol; however, stronger antioxidative effects in serum and lower peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-a expression in the liver were seen in comparison with the PGZ group. We then investigated the effects of hydrogen in the prevention of hepatocarcinogenesis in STAM mice, known as the NASH-related hepatocarcinogenesis model. Eight-week-old male STAM mice were divided into three experimental groups as follows: (1) control water (CW-STAM); (2) hydrogen-rich water (HW-STAM); and (3) pioglitazone (PGZ-STAM). After 8 weeks, hepatic tumors were evaluated. The number of tumors was significantly lower in the HW-STAM and PGZ-STAM groups than in the CW-STAM group. The maximum tumor size was smaller in the HW-STAM group than in the other groups. Conclusion: Consumption of hydrogen-rich water may be an effective treatment for NASH by reducing hepatic oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and hepatocarcinogenesis. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;56:912-921)
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Gpnmb is classified as a type 1 membrane protein and its soluble form is secreted by ADAM10-mediated cleavage. Gpnmb mRNA was found in the Kupffer cells and white adipose tissues (WATs) and its upregulation in obesity was recently found. Here, we generated aP2 promoter-driven Gpnmb transgenic (Tg) mice and the overexpression of Gpnmb ameliorated the fat accumulation and fibrosis of the liver in diet-induced obesity model. Soluble form of Gpnmb in sera was elevated in Gpnmb Tg mice and Gpnmb concentrated in hepatic macrophages and stellate cells interacted with calnexin, which resulted in the reduction of oxidative stress. In the patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, serum soluble GPNMB concentrations were higher compared with the patients with simple steatosis. The GPNMB is a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for the development and progression of NAFLD in obesity.
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease characterized by lobular inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, and fibrosis with an inherent risk for progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mitochondrial dysfunction appears to play a role in the progression from simple steatosis to NASH. L-carnitine (L-b-hydroxy-g-N-trimethylaminobutyric acid), an essential nutrient that converts fat into energy in mitochondria, has been shown to ameliorate liver damage. The aim of the present study was to explore the preventive and therapeutic effect of L-carnitine in NASH model mice. Eight-week-old male STAM mice, a NASH-cirrhosis-hepatocarcinogenic model, were divided into 3 experimental groups and fed as follows: 1) high-fat diet (HFD) (control group); 2) HFD mixed with 0.28% L-carnitine (L-carnitine group); and 3) HFD mixed with 0.01% α-tocopherol (α-tocopherol group). After 4 or 8 weeks, mice were sacrificed. Blood samples and livers were collected, and hepatic tumors were counted and measured. Livers were subjected to histological study, immunohistochemical staining of 4-hydroxynonenal and ferritin, determination of 8-OHdG levels, mRNA and protein expressions for multiple genes, and metabolomic analysis. The intestinal microbiome was also analyzed. L-carnitine increased hepatic expression of genes related to long-chain fatty acid transport, mitochondrial β-oxidation, and antioxidant enzymes following suppression of hepatic oxidative stress markers and inflammatory cytokines in NASH, and mice treated with L-carnitine developed fewer liver tumors. Although α-tocopherol resulted in NASH improvement in the same manner as L-carnitine, it increased periodontitis-related microbiotic changes and hepatic iron transport-related gene expression and led to less effective for anti-hepatocarcinogenesis.ConclusionL-carnitine prevents progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in a mouse model by upregulating the mitochondrial β-oxidation and redox system.
NA exerted a long-term efficacy and improved hepatic reservation in CHB and cirrhosis. After NA treatment, AFP dropped to lower than 10 ng/mL with marked elevation of specificity, leading to an earlier detection of HCC.
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