Impact of artificial sunlight therapy on the progress of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats

• Published in: Journal of hepatology 2011-08, Vol.55 (2), p.415-425
• Main Authors: Nakano, Toshiaki, Cheng, Yu-Fan, Lai, Chia-Yun, Hsu, Li-Wen, Chang, Yen-Chen, Deng, Jia-Yi, Huang, Yu-Zhu, Honda, Hiroyuki, Chen, Kuang-Den, Wang, Chih-Chi, Chiu, King-Wah, Jawan, Bruno, Eng, Hock-Liew, Goto, Shigeru, Chen, Chao-Long
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adiponectin - blood; Adiponectin - metabolism; Animals; Apolipoprotein A-I - blood; Apolipoproteins E - blood; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Apoproteins; Apoptosis; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Cholecalciferol - administration & dosage; Cytokines - genetics; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Fatty liver; Fatty Liver - etiology; Fatty Liver - metabolism; Fatty Liver - pathology; Fatty Liver - therapy; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Expression; Heliotherapy; Inflammation; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; NASH; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - genetics; Other diseases. Semiology; Phototherapy; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Rats, Zucker; Receptors, Adiponectin - metabolism; Vitamin D3
• ISSN: 0168-8278; 1600-0641
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2010.11.028

Background & Aims Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is recognized as the most severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with likely progression to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, there is no unified standard for diagnosis and therapeutics. This study aimed to characterize lipid transfer/metabolic proteins as non-invasive diagnostic markers, and to evaluate the therapeutic effects of phototherapy on the progression of NASH in rats. Methods Lewis rats given a choline-deficient and iron-supplemented l -amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet and Zucker fa/fa rats were used as a diet-induced and an obesity-related NASH models, respectively, with or without phototherapy. Results Serum apolipoprotein E and low molecular weight-adiponectin levels were gradually reduced and reached the lowest level at fatty liver/NASH stage both in CDAA diet-induced NASH model and in genetically obese model. Total-adiponectin levels were dramatically elevated after NASH was established in CDAA diet-induced NASH model. Phototherapy ameliorated hepatocyte apoptosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and insulin/leptin resistance caused by CDAA diet with alteration of the levels of lipid transfer/metabolic proteins and elevation of the circulating active form of vitamin D3 . Vitamin D3 supplementation ameliorated NASH progression in CDAA diet-induced NASH model. However, phototherapy failed to ameliorate the obesity and steatosis, suggesting that phototherapy may possess anti-inflammatory/fibrotic activity rather than anti-obesity/steatotic activity. Conclusions These results suggest that serum lipid transfer/metabolic proteins and vitamin D3 status may be effective biomarkers for non-invasive diagnosis of NASH progression, and that phototherapy may be a good complementary therapy for NASH because of its regulation of lipid transfer/metabolic proteins and vitamin D3.