Genetic variants in SLC22A1 are related to serum lipid levels in Mexican women

Selective Inhibition of Organic Cation Transporter 1 by Benzoylpaeoniflorin Attenuates Hepatic Lipid Accumulation through AMPK Activation

Organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) is a liver-specific transporter and plays an essential role in drug disposition and hepatic lipid metabolism. Therefore, inhibition of OCT1 may not only lead to drug-drug interactions but also represent a potential therapy for fatty liver diseases. In this study, we systematically investigated the inhibitory effect of 200 natural products on OCT1-mediated uptake of 4,4-dimethylaminostyryl-N-methylpyridinium (ASP+) and identified 10 potent OCT1 inhibitors. The selectivity of these inhibitors over OCT2 was evaluated using both in vitro uptake assays and in silico molecular docking analyses. Importantly, benzoylpaeoniflorin was identified as the most potent OCT1 inhibitor with the highest selectivity over OCT2. Additionally, benzoylpaeoniflorin prevented lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, with concomitant activation of AMPK and down-regulation of lipogenic genes, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FASN). To conclude, our findings are of significant value in understanding OCT1-based natural product-drug interactions and provide a natural source of OCT1 inhibitors which may hold promise for treating fatty liver diseases.

Interaction between SIDT2 and ABCA1 Variants with Nutrients on HDL-c Levels in Mexican Adults

Previous studies have reported that the SIDT2 and ABCA1 genes are involved in lipid metabolism. We aimed to analyze the association-the gene x gene interaction between rs17120425 and rs1784042 on SIDT2 and rs9282541 on ABCA1 and their diet interaction on the HDL-c serum levels-in a cohort of 1982 Mexican adults from the Health Workers Cohort Study. Demographic and clinical data were collected through a structured questionnaire and standardized procedures. Genotyping was performed using a predesigned TaqMan assay. The associations and interactions of interest were estimated using linear and logistic regression. Carriers of the rs17120425-A and rs1784042-A alleles had slightly higher blood HDL-c levels compared to the non-carriers. In contrast, rs9282541-A was associated with low blood HDL-c levels (OR = 1.34, p = 0.013). The rs1784042 x rs9282541 interaction was associated with high blood HDL-c levels (p = 3.4 × 10-4). Premenopausal women who carried at least one rs17120425-A allele and consumed high dietary fat, protein, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fatty acids levels had higher HDL-c levels than the non-carriers. These results support the association between the genetic variants on SIDT2 and ABCA1 with HDL-c levels and suggest gene-gene and gene-diet interactions over HDL-c concentrations in Mexican adults. Our findings could be a platform for developing clinical and dietary strategies for improving the health of the Mexican population.