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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Impairs the Liver-Alpha Cell Axis Independent of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis.

ABSTRACT: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with impaired hepatic actions of glucagon and insulin. Glucagon and amino acids are linked in an endocrine feedback circuit, the liver-alpha cell axis, that may be disrupted by NAFLD. We investigated how NAFLD severity affects glucagon and insulin resistance in individuals with obesity and whether bariatric surgery improves these parameters. Plasma and liver biopsies from 33 individuals with obesity (collectively, OBE) were obtained before and 12 months after bariatric surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB] or sleeve gastrectomy [SG]). Nine healthy control individuals (collectively, CON) undergoing cholecystectomy were used as a comparison group. The NAFLD activity score (NAS) was used to subdivide study participants into the following groups: OBE-no steatosis, OBE+steatosis, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and/or grade 2 fibrosis (Fib) (OBE-NASH-Fib). Measurements of amino acids by targeted metabolomics and glucagon were performed. Glucagon, amino acids (P < 0.05), and the glucagon-alanine index, a validated surrogate marker of glucagon resistance, were increased in OBE by 60%, 56%, and 61%, respectively, when compared with CON but irrespective of NAFLD severity. In contrast, markers of hepatic insulin resistance increased concomitantly with NAS. Hyperglucagonemia resolved in OBE-no steatosis and OBE+steatosis but not in OBE-NASH-Fib (median, 7.0; interquartile range, 5.0-9.8 pmol/L), regardless of improvement in insulin resistance and NAS. The type of surgery that participants underwent had no effect on metabolic outcomes. Conclusion: Glucagon resistance to amino acid metabolism exists in individuals with NAFLD independent of NAS severity. Patients with NASH showed persistent hyperglucagonemia 12 months after bariatric surgery, indicating that a disrupted liver-alpha cell may remain in NAFLD despite major improvement in liver histology.

SUBMITTER: Pedersen JS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7603528 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Impairs the Liver-Alpha Cell Axis Independent of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis.

Pedersen Julie Steen JS Rygg Marte Opseth MO Kristiansen Viggo Bjerregaard VB Olsen Beth Hærstedt BH Serizawa Reza Rafiolsadat RR Holst Jens Juul JJ Madsbad Sten S Gluud Lise Lotte LL Bendtsen Flemming F Wewer Albrechtsen Nicolai Jacob NJ

Hepatology communications 20200901 11

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with impaired hepatic actions of glucagon and insulin. Glucagon and amino acids are linked in an endocrine feedback circuit, the liver-alpha cell axis, that may be disrupted by NAFLD. We investigated how NAFLD severity affects glucagon and insulin resistance in individuals with obesity and whether bariatric surgery improves these parameters. Plasma and liver biopsies from 33 individuals with obesity (collectively, OBE) were obtained before a ...[more]

PMID: 33163832

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Project description:Abstract Background Overweight/obesity are associated with relative growth hormone (GH) deficiency, and GH deficiency has been implicated in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD and its progressive form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and no approved therapies currently exist. We hypothesized that GH administration would reduce hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis in individuals with overweight/obesity and NAFLD. Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of GH administration in adults with overweight/obesity and NAFLD was conducted (NCT02217345). Fifty-three adults ages 18-70 years with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and NAFLD were randomly assigned to receive daily subcutaneous GH or placebo for 6 months. Target IGF-1 was upper quartile of normal. Primary endpoints included intrahepatic lipid content (IHL) by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and radiographic inflammation and fibrosis by LiverMultiScan corrected T1 score (cT1). Secondary endpoints included alanine transaminase (ALT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), hsCRP and HOMA-IR. Data are reported as mean ± SD. Results Forty-one subjects completed the 6-month study. Mean age (45±12 years), BMI (33±5 kg/m2), sex distribution (50% female) and baseline IHL (21.4±14.5%) did not differ between the GH and placebo groups. Over the 6-month study period, there was no difference in change in weight between the groups (GH -0.7±3.8% and placebo -0.6±4.0%, p=0.7). Change in absolute percent IHL was significantly greater in the GH vs placebo group (-5.1±10.5% vs 3.8±6.9%, p=0.003), resulting in a net treatment effect of an 8.9% reduction in IHL (95% CI 3.3-14.6%). Improvements in serum ALT (-10±13 IU/L vs -2±12 IU/L, p=0.009) and cT1 score (-11±63 ms vs 27±57 ms, p=0.037) were greater in the GH vs placebo group. There were also significant reductions in DEXA VAT area (-10±9 cm2 vs 0±20 cm2, p=0.050) and hsCRP (-0.8±0.9 mg/dL vs -0.3±1.7 mg/dL, p=0.017) in the GH vs placebo group. In multivariable models controlling for age, sex, change in weight and change in HOMA-IR, significant effects of GH vs placebo were observed on IHL (p=0.012) and ALT (p=0.015) with a trend towards improvement in cT1 score (p=0.088). In a secondary analysis excluding all subjects with >3% weight loss, which has been shown to independently impact NAFLD outcomes, there were significant improvements in IHL (p=0.001), ALT (p=0.040) and cT1 score (p=0.050) in the GH vs placebo group. No subjects were discontinued due to hyperglycemia (fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL or HbA1c ≥6.5%). Mild edema was the only treatment-emergent side effect that had a significantly greater incidence in the GH vs placebo group (19% vs 0%, p=0.048). Conclusion GH administration reduces hepatic steatosis and markers of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in adults with overweight/obesity and NAFLD. The GH/IGF-1 axis may offer targetable therapeutic options for NAFLD/NASH. Presentation: Tuesday, June 14, 2022 10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Project description:Dyslipidemia and cardiovascular complications are comorbidities of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which ranges from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis up to hepatocellular carcinoma. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) has been associated with cardiovascular risk and metabolic abnormalities, but its impact on the severity of liver damage in patients with NAFLD remains to be clarified. Circulating Lp(a) levels were assessed in 600 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD. The association of Lp(a) with liver damage was explored by categorizing serum Lp(a) into quartiles. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the accuracy of serum Lp(a) in hepatic fibrosis prediction. Hepatic expression of lipoprotein A (LPA) and of genes involved in lipid metabolism and fibrogenic processes were evaluated by RNA sequencing in a subset of patients with NAFLD for whom Lp(a) dosage was available (n = 183). In patients with NAFLD, elevated Lp(a) levels were modestly associated with circulating lipids, carotid plaques, and hypertension (P < 0.05). Conversely, patients with low serum Lp(a) displayed insulin resistance (P < 0.05), transaminase elevation (P < 0.05), and increased risk of developing severe fibrosis (P = 0.007) and cirrhosis (P = 0.002). In addition, the diagnostic accuracy of Lp(a) in predicting fibrosis increased by combining it with transaminases (area under the curve fibrosis stage 4, 0.87; P < 0.0001). Hepatic LPA expression reflected serum Lp(a) levels (P = 0.018), and both were reduced with the progression of NAFLD (P < 0.05). Hepatic LPA messenger RNA levels correlated with those of genes involved in lipoprotein release, lipid synthesis, and fibrogenesis (P < 0.05). Finally, transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2) rs58542926, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) rs445925, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) rs7552841, known variants that modulate circulating lipids, may influence serum Lp(a) levels (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Circulating Lp(a) combined with transaminases may represent a novel noninvasive biomarker to predict advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS:De novo lipogenesis is increased in livers of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Acetyl-coenzyme carboxylase catalyzes the rate-limiting step in this process. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of GS-0976, an inhibitor of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase in liver, in a phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled trial of patients with NASH. METHODS:We analyzed data from 126 patients with hepatic steatosis of at least 8%, based on the magnetic resonance imaging-estimated proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF), and liver stiffness of at least 2.5 kPa, based on magnetic resonance elastography measurement or historical biopsy result consistent with NASH and F1-F3 fibrosis. Patients were randomly assigned (2:2:1) to groups given GS-0976 20 mg, GS-0976 5 mg, or placebo daily for 12 weeks, from August 8, 2016 through July 18, 2017. Measures of hepatic steatosis, stiffness, serum markers of fibrosis, and plasma metabolomics were evaluated. The primary aims were to confirm previous findings and evaluate the relation between dose and efficacy. RESULTS:A relative decrease of at least 30% from baseline in MRI-PDFF (PDFF response) occurred in 48% of patients given GS-0976 20 mg (P = .004 vs placebo), 23% given GS-0976 5 mg (P = .43 vs placebo), and 15% given placebo. Median relative decreases in MRI-PDFF were greater in patients given GS-0976 20 mg (decrease of 29%) than those given placebo (decrease of 8%; P = .002). Changes in magnetic resonance elastography-measured stiffness did not differ among groups, but a dose-dependent decrease in the fibrosis marker tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 was observed in patients given GS-0976 20 mg. Plasma levels of acylcarnitine species also decreased in patients with a PDFF response given GS-0976 20 mg. GS-0976 was safe, but median relative increases of 11% and 13% in serum levels of triglycerides were observed in patients given GS-0976. CONCLUSIONS:In a randomized placebo-controlled trial of patients with NASH, we found 12-week administration of GS-0976 20 mg decreased hepatic steatosis, selected markers of fibrosis, and liver biochemistry. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02856555.

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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Impairs the Liver-Alpha Cell Axis Independent of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis.

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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Impairs the Liver-Alpha Cell Axis Independent of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis.

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