Objective The aim of this study was to explore the role of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in liver lipid metabolism of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. Methods In this study, pathology and clinical criteria confirmed NAFLD in patients. Fatty acid synthetase (FAS)-positive liver cells were visualized by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Levels of FXR, liver X receptor (LXR), sterol regulatory element binding protein 1C (SREBP-1C), and small heterodimer partner (SHP) proteins were detected by Western blot. FXR, LXR, and SHP mRNA levels were measured by real-time PCR. Results In patients with NAFLD, a significant positive relationship between the degree of hepatic steatosis and serum triglycerides and cholesterol (correlation coefficient [ 0.5, P \ 0.05) was seen. The NAFLD patients had more FAS protein in liver, which suggests that there could have been more of fatty acid synthesis in hepatic cells (P \ 0.05). The levels of FXR protein and mRNA were decreased in patients with NAFLD (P \ 0.05), while those of LXR and SREBP-1C were increased (P \ 0.05). The levels of SREBP-1C positively correlated with the degree of hepatic steatosis. There were no differences between the levels of SHP protein and mRNA both in NAFLD patients and normal controls (P [ 0.05).Conclusion Our data showed that the decreased expression of hepatic FXR is associated with an increased expression of LXR, SREBP-1C, and hepatic triglyceride synthesis; furthermore, increased SREBP-1C is associated with the degree of hepatic steatosis in the NAFLD patients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.