Prevention strategy for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis based on hepatic cholesterol efflux by HDL

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K11073
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Shinohata Ryoko 岡山大学, 保健学域, 助教 (70335587)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 臼井 真一 鳥取大学, 医学部, 教授 (50346417)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: HDL / コレステロール / 非アルコール性脂肪肝炎 / 生活習慣病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A high-fat/high-cholesterol (HFC) diet induced fatty liver and hepatic fibrosis in rats, and their serum HDL-cholesterol levels increased significantly. Cholesterol accumulation was occurred in the liver, and the hepatic expression of ABCA1, which is involved in HDL biosynthesis, was increased, suggesting that HDL may be involved in the export of cholesterol accumulated in the liver. However, we could not obtain similar results in cell culture experiments to support the findings in animal experiments.

Free Research Field

臨床化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回のラットの実験では，肝臓にコレステロール蓄積が起きると，肝ABCA1発現が増加し，血清HDL-コレステロールが増加するメカニズムが推定された。このHDL-コレステロールの増加が単純性脂肪肝から脂肪肝炎への移行に対し防御的に働いているかどうかを今後明らかにすることができれば，NASHの予防や治療法の確立に貢献することが期待される。