治疗代谢性疾病新的靶分子——脂肪酸结合蛋白aP2

脂质和脂质信号通路在整合代谢和炎症反应的过程中具有重要作用,继而影响慢性代谢性疾病,包括2型糖尿病、脂肪肝和动脉粥样硬化的发病过程。但是,其具体作用和调节机制并不清楚。脂肪酸结合蛋白是一个分子量在14~15kD、对饱和和不饱和长链脂肪酸等具有很强亲和力的蛋白质家族。     

miR-223的表达调控及生物功能研究进展

microRNA (miRNA)是一类非编码的单链小RNA分子,能够调控靶基因表达,对各种生物过程发挥重要的作用。miR-223是一种高度保守的miRNA,在多种组织、细胞中均有表达,并且其表达受到CEBPA和NFIA等重要转录因子的调控。miR-223对肝脏、脂肪组织和血液中的脂质代谢,如脂蛋白吸收、类固醇生成和脂肪酸去饱和等过程起调控作用;另外,它还对造血、癌症发生、炎症以及其他一些重要生物过程起调控作用。对其进行深入研究可以为脂质代谢疾病、血液病和癌症的治疗提供一个新思路,同时,有助于对调控家禽肝脏脂质代谢和控制卵黄脂质沉积,从而改善家禽脂肪肝和蛋黄品质提出新的策略。     

脂质代谢调控与造血干细胞发育及功能维持

造血干细胞(hematopoietic stem cells,HSCs)是一类具有自我更新及多向分化潜能的多能干细胞,成体期主要存在于骨髓微环境中,其功能受到诸多内外在因素的精细调控。脂质是机体重要营养素之一,可用于能量存储和代谢,参与调控多项重要生物学过程。然而,脂质代谢在造血调控中所发挥的作用尚处于探索阶段。该文就近期有关脂质代谢调控HSC命运决定以及功能维持的研究进展进行综述和展望,重点阐述了脂肪酸合成、氧化代谢和胆固醇转运等在其中的作用及其内在调控机制。     

《脂质研究杂志》:研究发现酒精导致脂肪肝的新机制

<正>中科院上海生命科学研究院营养所陈雁研究组在一项研究中揭示了糖原在酒精性肝脏损害方面的作用。相关成果已在线发表于国际脂代谢研究领域期刊《脂质研究杂志》。酒精作为一种肝脏毒素,能导致脂肪肝及多种肝脏损害。酒精本身含有能量,乙醇的能量每克为7卡路里,超过碳水化合物和蛋白质(每克4卡路里)。酒精被肝脏吸收后,可以转化为脂肪或糖原沉积到肝脏,但尚不清楚糖原是否参与了酒精导致脂肪肝的过程。     

低氧对脂肪细胞发育及脂质代谢调控研究进展

脂肪细胞的生长、分化与增殖贯穿整个生命过程,脂肪细胞中脂质代谢紊乱影响脂肪组织免疫和全身能量代谢。脂质代谢参与调控机体多种疾病的发生与发展,如高脂血症、非酒精性脂肪肝病、糖尿病和癌症等,对人和动物健康具有重大威胁。低氧诱导因子（hypoxia inducible factor,HIF）是介导机体组织器官中氧感受器的主要转录因子,HIF可调控脂质合成、脂肪酸代谢和脂滴形成并诱导疾病发生。但由于低氧程度、时间和作用方式的不同,对机体脂肪细胞发育和脂质代谢产生有害或有益的影响还无从定论。本文总结了低氧介导转录因子的调控作用以及对脂肪细胞发育和脂质代谢调控的研究进展,旨在揭示低氧诱导脂肪细胞代谢途径变化的潜在机制。     

孕烷X受体和组成型雄甾烷受体在代谢相关疾病中的调控作用

孕烷X受体(PXR)和组成型雄甾烷受体(CAR)是核受体超家族的两个重要成员,已作为"外源性物质传感器"能够转录调控Ⅰ相与Ⅱ相药物/外源性物质代谢酶被大家所熟知。除了药物代谢方面的功能,越来越多的证据表明PXR和CAR的内生性功能能够在生理和病理条件下调控能量代谢。已经有报道指出激活PXR能够加剧饮食或基因导致的肥胖引起的胰岛素抵抗;与PXR不同,CAR的激活能改善胰岛素抵抗。PXR的激活会增加脂质生成同时也能降低脂肪酸氧化,而这一改变会导致脂肪肝和高甘油三酯血症的形成;激活CAR能减少肝脏的糖异生和脂质生成。本篇主要介绍PXR和CAR在代谢相关疾病中的作用。     

microRNAs——脂质代谢调控新机制

综述了近年来microRNAs,尤其是miR-33在脂质代谢调控方面的功能研究进展.脂质代谢在细胞水平进行有规律的调控,主要参与者有肝X受体(LXRs)和固醇调节元件结合蛋白(SREBPs)等.最近研究发现,非编码RNAs家族成员microRNAs在转录后水平调节脂质代谢相关基因表达,参与胆固醇、甘油三酯和脂肪酸代谢.其中miR-33可靶向沉默三磷酸脂苷结合盒(ABC)转运体家族成员ABCA1和ABCG1,抑制胆固醇流出和高密度脂蛋白(HDL)合成;通过靶向沉默脂肪酸β-氧化相关基因,如CPT1A、CROT和HADHB表达,抑制脂肪酸氧化;还可沉默AMPK和RIP140的表达,影响甘油三酯代谢.其他microRNAs如miR-122、miR-370、miR-125a-5p、miR-27、miR-320等,也参与调控胆固醇、甘油三脂、脂肪酸代谢及脂肪细胞分化.     

高尔基体跨膜糖蛋白73高表达诱发脂肪肝的脂类特性分析

脂肪性肝病是最常见的慢性肝脏疾病,脂质代谢异常是脂肪性肝病发生的重要原因。为研究高尔基体糖蛋白(Golgi protein 73, GP73)对肝脏脂质代谢的影响,选用八周龄C57BL/6J小鼠通过尾静脉注射搭载GP73的腺相关病毒(AAV-GP73),构建肝脏特异性高表达GP73的小鼠,通过对肝脏进行脂质代谢组学分析发现小鼠肝脏中的脂质尤其是甘油三酯明显增加。京都基因与基因组百科全书(kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes, KEGG)富集分析显示,GP73通过引起脂代谢产物的改变导致诸多与细胞代谢活动相关的信号通路出现紊乱,特别是与人类密切相关的疾病如Ⅱ型糖尿病、非酒精性脂肪性肝病(NAFLD)和癌细胞胆碱代谢更可能发生失调。研究表明,GP73可能通过参与调控脂类代谢并促进肝脏内脂质积累诱发脂肪肝。     

核受体FXR与非酒精性脂肪肝

核受体FXR也称为胆汁酸受体,调控体内胆汁酸的合成及重吸收。研究表明,FXR还与肝脏脂质代谢和糖代谢密切相关,FXR激活后可通过抑制肝脏甘油三酯合成、加速胆固醇逆向转运、抑制糖异生等多种途径缓解肝脏脂质蓄积。另外,FXR激活后还可减轻肝脏炎症和纤维化。因此,FXR可能是潜在的非酒精性脂肪肝的治疗靶点。本文将综述激活的FXR对肝脏糖脂代谢等多种通路的调控作用。     

MicroRNAs通过调节肝脏糖脂代谢调控肝脏胰岛素抵抗

肝脏糖脂代谢的平衡与稳定对肝脏胰岛素抵抗有重要意义。微小RNAs可通过调节肝脏糖脂代谢,从而调控肝脏胰岛素抵抗。微小RNA-33a、微小RNA-33b、微小RNA-122、微小RNA-34a、微小RNA-148a-3p以及微小RNA-676可促进脂质合成,抑制脂质分解,导致肝脏脂质积累,诱发肝脏胰岛素抵抗。微小RNA-223与微小RNA-30c可促进脂质分解,抑制脂质合成,减少肝脏脂质积累,改善肝脏胰岛素抵抗。致死因子-7、微小RNA-29、微小RNA-423-5p、微小RNA-802以及微小RNA-155可抑制胰岛素信号途径,从而抑制肝脏葡萄糖摄取,促进肝脏糖异生,导致肝脏胰岛素抵抗。微小RNA-26a与微小RNA-451可抑制肝脏糖异生,改善肝脏胰岛素抵抗。该文通过研究微小RNAs调控肝脏糖脂代谢的机制,阐明了微小RNAs调节肝脏胰岛素抵抗的机制,加深了人们对微小RNAs的认识,为2型糖尿病的治疗提供了有价值的线索。     

International Commission for Protection against Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens. ICPEMC Working Paper No. 15/2. Metabolism and metabolic effects of ethanol, including interaction with drugs, carcinogens and nutrition

Different pathways of alcohol metabolism, the alcohol dehydrogenase pathway, the microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system and the catalase pathway are discussed. Alcohol consumption leads to accelerated ethanol metabolism by different mechanisms including an increased microsomal function. Microsomal induction leads to interactions of ethanol with drugs, hepatotoxic agents, steroids, vitamins and to an increased activation of mutagens/carcinogens. A number of ethanol-related complications may be explained by the production of its first metabolite, acetaldehyde, such as alterations of mitochondria, increased lipid peroxidation and microtubular alterations with its adverse effects on various cellular activities, including disturbances of cell division. Nutritional factors in alcoholics such as malnutrition are discussed especially with respect to its possible relation to cancer.     

Altered hepatic lipid metabolism in C57BL/6 mice fed alcohol: a targeted lipidomic and gene expression study

Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with fatty liver disease in mammals. The object of this study was to gain an understanding of dysregulated lipid metabolism in alcohol-fed C57BL/6 mice using a targeted lipidomic approach. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze several lipid classes, including free fatty acids, fatty acyl-CoAs, fatty acid ethyl esters, sphingolipids, ceramides, and endocannabinoids, in plasma and liver samples from control and alcohol-fed mice. The interpretation of lipidomic data was augmented by gene expression analyses for important metabolic enzymes in the lipid pathways studied. Alcohol feeding was associated with i) increased hepatic free fatty acid levels and decreased fatty acyl-CoA levels associated with decreased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and decreased fatty acyl-CoA synthesis, respectively; ii) increased hepatic ceramide levels associated with higher levels of the precursor molecules sphingosine and sphinganine; and iii) increased hepatic levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide associated with decreased expression of its catabolic enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase. The unique combination of lipidomic and gene expression analyses allows for a better mechanistic understanding of dysregulated lipid metabolism in the development of alcoholic fatty liver disease.     

The role of short-chain fatty acids in the interplay between diet,gut microbiota,and host energy metabolism

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the end products of fermentation of dietary fibers by the anaerobic intestinal microbiota, have been shown to exert multiple beneficial effects on mammalian energy metabolism. The mechanisms underlying these effects are the subject of intensive research and encompass the complex interplay between diet, gut microbiota, and host energy metabolism. This review summarizes the role of SCFAs in host energy metabolism, starting from the production by the gut microbiota to the uptake by the host and ending with the effects on host metabolism. There are interesting leads on the underlying molecular mechanisms, but there are also many apparently contradictory results. A coherent understanding of the multilevel network in which SCFAs exert their effects is hampered by the lack of quantitative data on actual fluxes of SCFAs and metabolic processes regulated by SCFAs. In this review we address questions that, when answered, will bring us a great step forward in elucidating the role of SCFAs in mammalian energy metabolism.     

Redox regulation of hepatitis C in nonalcoholic and alcoholic liver

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family that is estimated to have infected 170 million people worldwide. HCV can cause serious liver disease in humans, such as cirrhosis, steatosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV induces a state of oxidative/nitrosative stress in patients through multiple mechanisms, and this redox perturbation has been recognized as a key player in HCV-induced pathogenesis. Studies have shown that alcohol synergizes with HCV in the pathogenesis of liver disease, and part of these effects may be mediated by reactive species that are generated during hepatic metabolism of alcohol. Furthermore, reactive species and alcohol may influence HCV replication and the outcome of interferon therapy. Alcohol consumption has also been associated with increased sequence heterogeneity of the HCV RNA sequences, suggesting multiple modes of interaction between alcohol and HCV. This review summarizes the current understanding of oxidative and nitrosative stress during HCV infection and possible combined effects of HCV, alcohol, and reactive species in the pathogenesis of liver disease.     

The intestinal microbiome associated with lipid metabolism and obesity in humans and animals

Intestinal microbiota is considered to play an integral role in maintaining health of host by modulating several physiological functions including nutrition, metabolism and immunity. Accumulated data from human and animal studies indicate that intestinal microbes can affect lipid metabolism in host through various direct and indirect biological mechanisms. These mechanisms include the production of various signalling molecules by the intestinal microbiome, which exert a strong effect on lipid metabolism, bile secretion in the liver, reverse transport of cholesterol and energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues. This review discusses the findings of recent studies suggesting an emerging role of intestinal microbiota and its metabolites in regulating lipid metabolism and the association of intestinal microbiota with obesity. Additionally, we discuss the controversies and challenges in this research area. However, intestinal micro-organisms are also affected by some external factors, which in turn influence the regulation of microbial lipid metabolism. Therefore, we also discuss the effects of probiotics, prebiotics, diet structure, exercise and other factors on intestinal microbiological changes and lipid metabolism regulation.     

Peroxisome-generated succinate induces lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in the kidneys of diabetic mice

Diabetes normally causes lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in the kidneys, which plays a critical role in the onset of diabetic nephropathy; however, the mechanism by which dysregulated fatty acid metabolism increases lipid and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in the diabetic kidney is not clear. As succinate is remarkably increased in the diabetic kidney, and accumulation of succinate suppresses mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and increases ROS formation, we hypothesized that succinate might play a role in inducing lipid and ROS accumulation in the diabetic kidney. Here we demonstrate a novel mechanism by which diabetes induces lipid and ROS accumulation in the kidney of diabetic animals. We show that enhanced oxidation of dicarboxylic acids by peroxisomes leads to lipid and ROS accumulation in the kidney of diabetic mice via the metabolite succinate. Furthermore, specific suppression of peroxisomal β-oxidation improved diabetes-induced nephropathy by reducing succinate generation and attenuating lipid and ROS accumulation in the kidneys of the diabetic mice. We suggest that peroxisome-generated succinate acts as a pathological molecule inducing lipid and ROS accumulation in kidney, and that specifically targeting peroxisomal β-oxidation might be an effective strategy in treating diabetic nephropathy and related metabolic disorders.     

Aberrant lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma cells as well as immune microenvironment: A review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver with a high worldwide prevalence and poor prognosis. Researches are urgently needed on its molecular pathogenesis and biological characteristics. Metabolic reprogramming for adaptation to the tumour microenvironment (TME) has been recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism especially fatty acid (FA) metabolism, which involved in the alternations of the expression and activity of lipid‐metabolizing enzymes, is a hotspot in recent study, and it may be involved in HCC development and progression. Meanwhile, immune cells are also known as key players in the HCC microenvironment and show complicated crosstalk with cancer cells. Emerging evidence has shown that the functions of immune cells in TME are closely related to abnormal lipid metabolism. In this review, we summarize the recent findings of lipid metabolic reprogramming in TME and relate these findings to HCC progression. Our understanding of dysregulated lipid metabolism and associated signalling pathways may suggest a novel strategy to treat HCC by reprogramming cell lipid metabolism or modulating TME.     

Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 controls mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation and survival of retinal photoreceptor cells

Due to their high energy demands and characteristic morphology, retinal photoreceptor cells require a specialized lipid metabolism for survival and function. Accordingly, dysregulation of lipid metabolism leads to the photoreceptor cell death and retinal degeneration. Mice bearing a frameshift mutation in the gene encoding lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (Lpcat1), which produces saturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) composed of two saturated fatty acids, has been reported to cause spontaneous retinal degeneration in mice; however, the mechanism by which this mutation affects degeneration is unclear. In this study, we performed a detailed characterization of LPCAT1 in the retina and found that genetic deletion of Lpcat1 induces light-independent and photoreceptor-specific apoptosis in mice. Lipidomic analyses of the retina and isolated photoreceptor outer segment (OS) suggested that loss of Lpcat1 not only decreased saturated PC production but also affected membrane lipid composition, presumably by altering saturated fatty acyl-CoA availability. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Lpcat1 deletion led to increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels in photoreceptor cells, but not in other retinal cells, and did not affect the OS structure or trafficking of OS-localized proteins. These results suggest that the LPCAT1-dependent production of saturated PC plays critical roles in photoreceptor maturation. Our findings highlight the therapeutic potential of saturated fatty acid metabolism in photoreceptor cell degeneration–related retinal diseases.     

What Choline Metabolism Can Tell Us About the Underlying Mechanisms of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

The consequences of fetal exposure to alcohol are very diverse and the likely molecular mechanisms involved must be able to explain how so many developmental processes could go awry. If pregnant rat dams are fed alcohol, their pups develop abnormalities characteristic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), but if these rat dams were also treated with choline, the effects from ethanol were attenuated in their pups. Choline is an essential nutrient in humans, and is an important methyl group donor. Alcohol exposure disturbs the metabolism of choline and other methyl donors. Availability of choline during gestation directly influences epigenetic marks on DNA and histones, and alters gene expression needed for normal neural and endothelial progenitor cell proliferation. Maternal diets low in choline alter development of the mouse hippocampus, and decrement memory for life. Women eating low-choline diets have an increased risk of having an infant with a neural tube or orofacial cleft birth defect. Thus, the varied effects of choline could affect the expression of FASD, and studies on choline might shed some light on the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for FASD.