Abstract
Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the major source of the collagens involved in fibrosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), undergo a profound loss of lipid and vitamin A storage capacity, as a consequence of a decline in expression of ‘adipogenic’ transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-¿ (PPAR¿). By contrast, hepatocytes undergo a micro- and macro-vesicular steatosis, reflecting the accumulation of triacylglycerol, and associated with chronic inflammation and fibrosis. These paradoxical findings are extended in this issue: Kang and Chen demonstrate that while low-density lipoproteins (LDL) can activate HSCs, curcumin can inhibit this process by activation of PPAR¿, which not only represses gene expression of SREBP-2 and LDLR, but via induction of expression of SREBP-1c, restores the lipid storage capacity characteristic of quiescent HSCs, suggesting that curcumin may be of therapeutic usage in protecting against liver steatosis and fibrosis.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1352-1353 |
Number of pages | 2 |
Journal | British Journal of Pharmacology |
Volume | 157 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2009 |
Keywords
- adipogenesis
- lipid metabolism
- liver disease