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Liu G, Wang YH, Zhang T, Li YQ, Chen XY, Dong W, Li W, Miao QX, Qiao WB, Tian HQ, Yin SL. Astragaloside-IV promotes autophagy via the Akt/mTOR pathway to improve cellular lipid deposition. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37846. [PMID: 38640324 PMCID: PMC11030007 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The current study aimed to investigate the potential role of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) in improving cellular lipid deposition and its underlying mechanism. A fatty liver cell model was established by treating hepatoma cells with palmitic acid. AS-IV and SC79 were used for treatment. Oil Red O staining was applied to detect intracellular lipid deposition, and transmission electron microscopy was utilized to assess autophagosome formation. Immunofluorescence double staining was applied to determine microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3 (LC3) expression. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of LC3, prostacyclin, Beclin-1, V-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (Akt), phosphorylated Akt, mTOR, and phosphorylated mTOR. Oil Red O staining revealed that AS-IV reduced intracellular lipid accumulation. Further, it increased autophagosome synthesis and the expression of autophagy proteins LC3 and Beclin-1 in the cells. It also reduced the phosphorylation levels of Akt and mTOR and the levels of prostacyclin. However, the effects of AS-IV decreased with SC79 treatment. In addition, LC3B + BODIPY493/503 fluorescence double staining showed that AS-IV reduced intracellular lipid deposition levels by enhancing autophagy. AS-IV can reduce lipid aggregation in fatty liver cells, which can be related to enhanced hepatocyte autophagy by inhibiting the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo Liu
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ye-Hui Wang
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Sichuan Province Orthopedic Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ya-Qiong Li
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin-Yue Chen
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Dong
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Li
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qi-Xiang Miao
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wen-Bo Qiao
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hui-Qiang Tian
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shi-Long Yin
- Qionglai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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Cattazzo F, Lombardi R, Mantovani A, Bevilacqua M, Zoncapè M, Iogna Prat L, Roccarina D, Fortuna L, Cespiati A, Sacerdoti D, Fracanzani AL, Tsochatzis E, Fava C, Dalbeni A. Subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with the presence of hypertension. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2022; 32:2839-2847. [PMID: 36404479 DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, it is unclear whether NAFLD contributes independently to the development of CV disease. Our study aimed at assessing the differences in several indices of atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness and cardiac morphology among patients with isolated NAFLD, isolated hypertension (HT) or a combination of the two conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 169 participants (mean age = 50.4 ± 10.2 yrs; males = 73.6%) were divided according to the presence of NAFLD and HT into three groups: only NAFLD (55 patients), only HT (49 patients), and NAFLD + HT (65 patients). Exclusion criteria were a BMI≥35 kg/m2 and a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Carotid ultrasonography was performed to measure markers of atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness. Cardiac remodeling was analyzed using echocardiography. The prevalence of subclinical and overt atherosclerosis was significantly higher in the NAFLD + HT patients as compared to the other two groups (atherosclerotic plaques: 43.1%, 10.9%, and 22.4% (p < 0.001) in NAFLD + HT, NAFLD, and HT groups, respectively). No differences were found among indices of arterial stiffening and cardiac remodeling across the three groups. In multivariate regression analysis, the coexistence of NAFLD and HT was an independent risk factor for overt atherosclerosis (OR = 4.88, CI 95% 1.14-20.93), while no association was found when either NAFLD or HT was considered alone. CONCLUSION Overt atherosclerosis was significantly present only in NAFLD + HT patients, but not in patients with isolated NAFLD. This implies that the impact of NAFLD on vascular structure and function could depend on the coexistence of other major CV risk factors, such as HT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Cattazzo
- General Medicine C, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy; Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - Rosa Lombardi
- Unit of Internal Medicine and Metabolic Disease, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Policlinico Hospital, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Mantovani
- General Medicine C, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy; Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy; UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital and UCL, London, UK
| | - Michele Bevilacqua
- General Medicine C, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy; Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Mirko Zoncapè
- General Medicine C, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy; Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Laura Iogna Prat
- UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital and UCL, London, UK
| | - Davide Roccarina
- UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital and UCL, London, UK
| | - Leonardo Fortuna
- General Medicine C, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Annalisa Cespiati
- Unit of Internal Medicine and Metabolic Disease, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Policlinico Hospital, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - David Sacerdoti
- General Medicine C, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy; Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Anna L Fracanzani
- Unit of Internal Medicine and Metabolic Disease, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Policlinico Hospital, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Emmanouil Tsochatzis
- UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital and UCL, London, UK
| | - Cristiano Fava
- General Medicine C, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Dalbeni
- General Medicine C, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy; Liver Unit, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Gutiérrez-Cuevas J, Santos A, Armendariz-Borunda J. Pathophysiological Molecular Mechanisms of Obesity: A Link between MAFLD and NASH with Cardiovascular Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111629. [PMID: 34769060 PMCID: PMC8583943 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity is now a worldwide epidemic ensuing an increase in comorbidities’ prevalence, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), autoimmune diseases, and some cancers, CVD being one of the main causes of death in the world. Several studies provide evidence for an association between MAFLD and atherosclerosis and cardio-metabolic disorders, including CVDs such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Therefore, the combination of MAFLD/NASH is associated with vascular risk and CVD progression, but the underlying mechanisms linking MAFLD/NASH and CVD are still under investigation. Several underlying mechanisms may probably be involved, including hepatic/systemic insulin resistance, atherogenic dyslipidemia, hypertension, as well as pro-atherogenic, pro-coagulant, and pro-inflammatory mediators released from the steatotic/inflamed liver. MAFLD is strongly associated with insulin resistance, which is involved in its pathogenesis and progression to NASH. Insulin resistance is a major cardiovascular risk factor in subjects without diabetes. However, T2D has been considered the most common link between MAFLD/NASH and CVD. This review summarizes the evidence linking obesity with MAFLD, NASH, and CVD, considering the pathophysiological molecular mechanisms involved in these diseases. We also discuss the association of MAFLD and NASH with the development and progression of CVD, including structural and functional cardiac alterations, and pharmacological strategies to treat MAFLD/NASH and cardiovascular prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Gutiérrez-Cuevas
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Institute for Molecular Biology in Medicine and Gene Therapy, University of Guadalajara, CUCS, Guadalajara 44340, Jalisco, Mexico
- Correspondence: (J.G.-C.); (J.A.-B.); Tel.: +52-331-062-2083 (J.G.-C.); +52-333-677-8741 (J.A.-B.)
| | - Arturo Santos
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Campus Guadalajara, Zapopan 45201, Jalisco, Mexico;
| | - Juan Armendariz-Borunda
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Institute for Molecular Biology in Medicine and Gene Therapy, University of Guadalajara, CUCS, Guadalajara 44340, Jalisco, Mexico
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Campus Guadalajara, Zapopan 45201, Jalisco, Mexico;
- Correspondence: (J.G.-C.); (J.A.-B.); Tel.: +52-331-062-2083 (J.G.-C.); +52-333-677-8741 (J.A.-B.)
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