The Ameliorating Effects of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Liver Steatosis Induced by a High-Fat Methionine Choline-Deficient Diet in Mice

The pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with abnormalities of liver lipid metabolism. On the contrary, a diet enriched with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3-PUFAs) has been reported to ameliorate the progression of NAFLD. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of dietary n-3-PUFA enrichment on the development of NAFLD and liver lipidome. Mice were fed for 6 weeks either a high-fat methionine choline-deficient diet (MCD) or standard chow with or without n-3-PUFAs. Liver histology, serum biochemistry, detailed plasma and liver lipidomic analyses, and genome-wide transcriptome analysis were performed. Mice fed an MCD developed histopathological changes characteristic of NAFLD, and these changes were ameliorated with n-3-PUFAs. Simultaneously, n-3-PUFAs decreased serum triacylglycerol and cholesterol concentrations as well as ALT and AST activities. N-3-PUFAs decreased serum concentrations of saturated and monounsaturated free fatty acids (FAs), while increasing serum concentrations of long-chain PUFAs. Furthermore, in the liver, the MCD significantly increased the hepatic triacylglycerol content, while the administration of n-3-PUFAs eliminated this effect. Administration of n-3-PUFAs led to significant beneficial differences in gene expression within biosynthetic pathways of cholesterol, FAs, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 and TNF-α). To conclude, n-3-PUFA supplementation appears to represent a promising nutraceutical approach for the restoration of abnormalities in liver lipid metabolism and the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Association of Serum Bilirubin and Functional Variants of Heme Oxygenase 1 and Bilirubin UDP-Glucuronosyl Transferase Genes in Czech Adult Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disorder worldwide. The aim of our study was to assess the role of bilirubin, and the heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT1A1) promoter gene variants, which are involved in bilirubin homeostasis, in the NAFLD development in adult patients. The study was performed on 84 patients with NAFLD and 103 age/sex-matched controls. Routine biochemistry, inflammatory markers, adipokines, and the fibrosis/steatohepatitis stage were determined in the NAFLD patients. The (GT)n/(TA)n dinucleotide variations in HMOX1/UGT1A1 gene promoters, respectively, were analyzed by fragment analysis. Compared to controls, serum bilirubin concentrations in NAFLD patients tended to be decreased, while the prevalence of phenotypic Gilbert syndrome was significantly low. Genetic variations in HMOX1 and UGT1A1 gene promoters did not differ between NAFLD patients and controls, and no relationship was found in the NAFLD patients between these gene variants and any of the laboratory or histological parameters. In conclusion, metabolism of bilirubin is dysregulated in NAFLD patients, most likely due to increased oxidative stress, since frequencies of the major functional variants in the HMOX1 or UGT1A1 gene promoters did not have any effect on development of NAFLD in adult patients.

[Hepatic involvement in patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma]

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) represent the most frequent hematological malignancy with frequent extranodal involvement. We have identified 79 pts (4.6%) out of 1,712 patients with NHL, who were diagnosed in our center between 1999-2010. Five cases were primary extranodal lymphomas and we have observed one primary hepatic lymphoma (0.015%). The most frequent (61.3%) NHL subtype in our cohort was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. B-NHL formed 92.4% of all lymphomas. We have observed high number of HBsAg positive patients (10%). The whole group have poor prognostic features with high number of patients (85%) with intermediate-high and high risk according to international prognostic index. The patients were treated with chemotherapy in 95%, B-NHL patients recieved immunochemotherapy with rituximab in 77%. The median progression free survival, resp. overall survival 4.6, resp. 8.4 years in the whole group and 1.4, resp. 8.4 years in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were observed with median follow-up 4.5 years. The outcome of T-NHL patients was significantly worse with overall survival median 1.2 vs 8.4 years (p < 0.033). The patients with B-NHL treated by immunochemoterapy with rituximab had significant death risk reduction (HR 0.44, p = 0.03) compared to the patients treated with chemotherapy.