Upregulated absorption of dietary saturated fatty acids with changes in intestinal fatty acid transporters in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K19335
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Gastroenterology
• Research Institution: Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research (2016); Ehime University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Yasunori 公益財団法人がん研究会, 有明病院 消化器内科, 医員 (20649066)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 非アルコール性脂肪肝炎 / 飽和脂肪酸 / MTTP / CD36

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Background & Aims: Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) such as palmitic acid are an important risk factor for the development of hepatic steatosis, lipotoxicity (hepatocellular death), and hepatocarcinogenesis. Major sources of hepatic SFAs are adipose tissue, de novo lipogenesis in the liver, and diet. Increases in SFA from adipose tissue and de novo lipogenesis have been reported in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but changes in dietary SFA intestinal absorption are unclear. Thus, we aimed to clarify these changes and their role in NASH.
Conclusion: Significantly upregulated absorption of dietary SFA was evident in the jejunum of e-NASH patients. This alteration in absorption of SFA would be associated with the increase of MTTP and FABPs in the jejunum, and resulted to the chylomicronemic response in e-NASH patients. Those change of SFA metabolism might relate to the onset or pathogenesis of the early stages of NASH.

Free Research Field

肝臓