Clinical significance of serum FGF21 levels in diagnosing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease early.

The endogenous FGF21 level is a potential target for diagnosing NAFLD. This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of FGF21 in diagnosing NAFLD and provide new ideas for predicting and preventing NAFLD. A total of 193 patients diagnosed with NAFLD based on diagnostic criteria and 64 healthy individuals were included in the NAFLD and non-NAFLD groups, respectively.

Arg-Vasotocin Directly Activates Isotocin Receptors and Induces COX2 Expression in Ovoviviparous Guppies.

Oxytocin (OT) is a crucial regulator of reproductive behaviors, including parturition in mammals. Arg-vasopressin (AVP) is a nonapeptide homologous to Arg-vasotocin (AVT) in teleosts that has comparable affinity for the OT receptor. In the present study, ovoviviparous guppies () were used to study the effect of AVT on delivery mediated by the activation of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis isotocin (IT) receptors (ITRs).

Melanocortin-4 receptor regulation of reproductive function in black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii).

Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is a G protein-coupled receptor with multiple functions in mammals. However, the functions of MC4R in fish have not been investigated extensively. The purpose of this study was to determine potential regulation of reproduction by the MC4R.

Regulation of pure total flavonoids from Citrus on TH17/Treg balance in mice with NASH.

This study aimed to investigate the involved immunologic mechanism of pure total flavonoids from Citrus (PTFC) on the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). C57BL/6 mice were fed with high .fat diet for 16 weeks to induce the NASH model, and from the 7th week three dosages (25, 50 and 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) of PTFC were administrated intragastric for 10 weeks respectively.

Ursolic acid inhibits the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by attenuating endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid compound, which is enriched with many herbs and plants, such as apple, cranberry and olive. UA performs multiple biological activities including anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer and hepatoprotection. However, the exact mechanism underlying the hepatoprotective activity of UA remains unclear.

[Effect of Nrf2 and related factors on the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis].

Objective: To explore the role of NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2) and its related factors in the progression of nonalcoholi steatohepatitis (NASH) by investigating the alterations of lipid metabolism and liver histopathology as well as the changes of mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2 and its related factors in rats during NASH progression.

Methods: Male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and model group, which were administrated with high fat diet to establish nonalcoholic steatohepatitis model. The rats from both groups were randomly killed at the end of 4, 12 weeks respectively.

[Effect of pure total flavonoids from citrus on hepatic SIRT1/PGC-1alpha pathway in mice with NASH].

Objective: To observe the effect of pure total flavonoids from Citrus (PTFC) on the hepatic fatty degeneration, inflammation, oxidative stress and SIRT1/PGC-1alpha expressions in mice with non-alcohol steatohepatitis (NASH), and discuss the action mechanism of PTFC on NASH.

Method: Mice were given high-fat diet for 16 weeks to induce the NASH model. Since the seventh week after the model establishment, the mice were intervened with 100, 50 and 25 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) PTFC for 10 weeks.

Accumulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and lipogenesis in the liver through generational effects of high fat diets.

Background & Aims: The dramatic rise of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among children in the past decade cannot be solely explained by the increased high fat diet (HFD) intake in kids. Recent studies suggest that the offspring of HFD-fed mothers develop a worse form of NAFLD when weaned on the HFD than when weaned on the normal chow (NC), indicating that a feed-forward circle may exacerbate the syndromes throughout multiple generations. In the present study, the aforementioned feed-forward circle was investigated in mice by employing continuous HFD feeding for three generations.

Ursolic acid inhibits early lesions of diabetic nephropathy.

The present study sought to investigate the effects of ursolic acid (UA) on the development of glomerular hypertrophy and type IV collagen accumulation, two early lesions associated with diabetic nephropathy (DN). By treating streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice with low-dose UA (0.01% in food) for three months, the diabetes-induced glomerular hypertrophy and type IV collagen accumulation in the kidneys were found to be markedly ameliorated.