[Drug-induced Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis]

Tamoxifen induced hepatic steatosis in high-fat feeding rats through SIRT1-Foxo1 suppression and LXR-SREBP1c activation

Background

Clinically, long-term use of tamoxifen (TAM) would lead to fatty liver disease in breast cancer patients, especially obese women. However, the exact mechanism of TAM-induced hepatic steatosis is still unclear. Meanwhile, there is no drug to prevent and treat it.

Aims and Methods

In view of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) playing a key role in hepatic lipid metabolism regulation, this study was conducted to investigate whether SIRT1 is a potential therapeutic target for TAM-induced hepatic steatosis. In this study, obese female Wistar rats fed with high-fat diet (HFD) for 15 weeks were given TAM (4, 8 mg/kg, intragastric) for 14 days. In vitro, human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 was used to establish a high-fat model with 50 μM oleic acid and TAM (10 μM) was treated simultaneously for 72 h.

Results

The results showed that TAM was more likely to upregulate the expression of lipid synthetase that caused the increase of lipid content in HepG2 cells and rat liver. The expression of SIRT1 was downregulated both in vitro and in vivo. SIRT1 agonist SRT1720 (15 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, i.p.) could resist TAM-induced hepatic lipid synthetase overexpression to relieve TAM-induced hepatic steatosis. Meanwhile, the upregulation of p-forkhead box O1 and LXRα induced by TAM was reversed by SRT1720.

Conclusions

These results indicated that TAM-induced hepatic steatosis was based on SIRT1-p-FoxO/LXRα-sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c pathway under HFD condition. SIRT1 agonist might be a potential therapeutic drug to relieve this side effect.

Highlights

Tamoxifen increased lipid synthesis and regulated lipid transport in HFD rat liver.p-FoxO1/LXRα-SREBP1c signaling was upregulated through the inhibition of SIRT1 in tamoxifen-induced hepatic steatosis under HFD condition.SIRT1 agonist SRT1720 could relieve tamoxifen-induced hepatic steatosis.

Chlorogenic acid abates oxido-inflammatory and apoptotic responses in the liver and kidney of Tamoxifen-treated rats

Plant-derived phenolics are utilized as chemopreventive agents to abate adverse toxic responses associated with drug-induced damages. Tamoxifen (TAM)-a chemotherapeutic agent-is used in managing all stages of hormone-dependent breast cancer. Notwithstanding TAM's clinical side effect-including hepatic toxicity-its use is commonplace. The present study investigates the effect of Chlorogenic acid (CGA: 25 and 50 mg kg-1; per os (p.o)) reported to exhibit various beneficial properties, including antioxidative effect against TAM (50 mg/kg; p.o.)-induced hepatorenal toxicities in rats treated as follows: Control, CGA, or TAM alone, and rats co-treated with CGA and TAM for 2 weeks. Biomarkers of hepatorenal function, oxido-inflammatory stress, and hepatorenal histopathology were performed. We observed that TAM alone decreased relative organ weights (ROW), marginally impacted rat's survivability, and significantly (P < 0.05) increased hepatorenal toxicities and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). TAM decreased (P < 0.05) antioxidant, anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10), besides increase in (P < 0.05) lipid peroxidation (LPO), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), xanthine oxidase (XO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and apoptotic caspases (Casp-3 and -9) levels. These biochemical alterations were accompanied by morphological lesions in experimental rats' liver and kidney. Conversely, that CGA dose-dependently relieved TAM-mediated toxic responses, restored antioxidants capacities, reduced oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, and Casp-3 and -9 activities in experimental rats. Furthermore, CGA protected against lesions observed in the liver and kidney of rats treated with TAM alone. Overall, CGA blocked TAM-mediated hepatorenal injuries associated with pro-oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic mechanisms. CGA may serve as a chemoprotective agent boosting patients prognosis undergoing TAM chemotherapy.

Effects of a structured group intervention on obesity among breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

Obesity is associated with an increased risk for developing breast cancer and poor cancer-related outcomes. Endocrine therapy is a key part of treatment for breast cancer, but can result in weight gain. This study examined the efficacy of a structured group intervention during adjuvant endocrine therapy for obese patients with breast cancer. The intervention involved a combination of proper nutrition, exercise, and group coaching.

METHODS

Participants were patients with breast cancer who were undergoing adjuvant endocrine therapy and exhibited apparent weight gain while undergoing therapy, or had a diagnosis of abnormal lipid metabolism. We conducted a single-arm prospective study with a combined intervention. The intervention comprised 15 min of nutrition education, a 30-min group health coaching program, and three 45-min group aerobic exercise sessions. We evaluated participants' parameters (e.g., body weight, body mass index [BMI], cholesterol, psychological distress) at baseline, and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention.

RESULTS

At 1 month after the intervention, there were significant reductions in body weight (p < 0.01), BMI (p < 0.01), triglyceride levels (p < 0.05), total cholesterol levels (p < 0.01), psychological distress (p < 0.05), and cancer-related fatigue (p < 0.01). At 3 and 6 months after the intervention, we observed further reductions in body weight, BMI, and triceps skinfold thickness.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that a short-term structured intervention helped modify dietary and exercise behaviors and promote health among breast cancer survivors, and resulted in favorable changes in participants' body weight.

Danshen protects against early-stage alcoholic liver disease in mice via inducing PPARα activation and subsequent 4-HNE degradation

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a type of chronic liver disease caused by long-term heavy ethanol consumption. Danshen is one of the most commonly used substances in traditional Chinese medicine and has been widely used for the treatment of various diseases, and most frequently, the ALD. The current study aims to determine the potential beneficial effect of Danshen administration on ALD and to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Danshen administration improved liver pathologies of ALD, attenuated alcohol-induced increment of hepatic 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) formation, and prevented hepatic Peroxisome proliferators activated receptor alpha (PPARα) suppression in response to chronic alcohol consumption. Cell culture studies revealed that both hepatoprotective effect and increased intracellular 4-HNE clearance instigated by Danshen supplementation are PPARα-dependent. In conclusion, Danshen administration can protect against ALD via inducing PPARα activation and subsequent 4-HNE degradation.