Increase in the concentration of carbon 18 monounsaturated fatty acids in the liver with hepatitis C: analysis in transgenic mice and humans.
Steatosis is one of the histologic characteristics of chronic hepatitis C and is well reproduced in a transgenic mouse model for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in which the core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) plays a pivotal role in inducing steatosis and HCC. In the present study, the lipid composition in the liver of the HCV core gene transgenic mice as well as in those of chronic hepatitis C patients was determined. The concentration of carbon 18 monounsaturated (C18:1) fatty acids, such as oleic and vaccenic acids, which are known to increase membrane fluidity leading to higher cell division rates, significantly increased in the livers of transgenic mice compared to nontransgenic control mice. The concentration of C18:1 fatty acids also significantly increased in the livers of chronic hepatitis C patients compared to subjects without HCV infection. These results suggest that HCV may affect a specific pathway in the lipid metabolism and cause steatosis in the liver.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
K
K
Moriya
T
T
Todoroki
T
T
Tsutsumi
H
H
Fujie
Y
Y
Shintani
H
H
Miyoshi
K
K
Ishibashi
T
T
Takayama
M
M
Makuuchi
K
K
Watanabe
T
T
Miyamura
S
S
Kimura
K
K
Koike
D000818:Animals; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000737:chemistry; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D009829:Oleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000737:chemistry; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D009829:Oleic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; D019301:Oleic Acid; C050413:11-octadecenoic acid