title: Nifedipine prevents hepatic fibrosis in a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis             model induced by an L-methionine-and choline-deficient diet.
abstract: Recent reports have shown that nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, increases             peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) activity. Since PPARγ agonists,             such as pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, are effective in reducing non-alcoholic             steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis in animal models, we examined the protective             effects of nifedipine, as compared with bezafibrate, a PPARα agonist, in a NASH             model induced by an L-methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet. An MCD diet             for 20 weeks changed the color of the rat liver to yellow with an irregular surface,             whereas the color of the liver in both the bezafibrate and nifedipine treatment             groups was markedly changed to yellow-brown with a smooth surface. Furthermore,             nifedipine, as well as bezafibrate, significantly prevented liver fibrosis induced             by an MCD diet, as assessed by Masson's trichrome staining, accompanied by a significant             decrease in serum AST. Overall, nifedipine treatment resulted in an improvement             in NASH, similar to bezafibrate, in a rat model. In hypertensive patients with             metabolic syndrome, nifedipine may provide additional benefits, beyond its blood             pressure-lowering effects, to prevent NASH and fatty liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Medicine and Epigenetics, Osaka University                     United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.forename: Munehisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimamura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimosato
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Minobe
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moritani
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiomy Osako
authors.forename: Futoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koriyama
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyutoku
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsuya
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morishita
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001629:Bezafibrate / Q000494:pharmacology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002796:Choline Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000172:deficiency*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D047495:PPAR gamma; D008715:Methionine; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D009543:Nifedipine; D001629:Bezafibrate