Liver fat reduction with niacin is influenced by DGAT-2 polymorphisms in hypertriglyceridemic patients.
Niacin reduces plasma triglycerides, but it may increase free fatty acids and insulin resistance during long-term treatment. We examined the effect of extended-release niacin on liver fat content in Chinese patients with dyslipidemia and whether the common diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 (DGAT2) polymorphisms influenced this effect. The 39 patients (baseline liver fat content: 12.8 ± 7.6%, triglycerides: 3.30 ± 1.67 mmol/l) were treated with niacin, gradually increasing the dose to 2 g/day for a total of 23 weeks. The liver fat content and visceral/subcutaneous fat was measured before and after treatment. Subjects were genotyped for the DGAT2 rs3060 and rs101899116 polymorphisms. There were significant (P < 0.001) reductions in plasma triglycerides (-34.9 ± 37.6%), liver fat content (-47.2 ± 32.8%), and visceral fat (-6.3 ± 15.8%, P < 0.05) after niacin treatment. Mean body weight decreased by 1.46 ± 2.7% (1.17 ± 2.44 kg, P < 0.001) during the study, but liver fat changes remained significant after adjustment for age, gender, and body weight changes [mean absolute change (95% CI): -6.1% (-8.0, -4.3), P < 0.001]. The DGAT2 variant alleles were associated with a smaller reduction in liver fat content in response to niacin after adjustment for other covariates (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that niacin treatment may reduce liver fat content in Chinese patients with dyslipidemia and that the mechanism may involve inhibition of DGAT2. However, the findings might have been confounded by the small but significant reductions in body weight during the study. Future large randomized controlled trials are needed to verify these findings.
Departments of Medicine and Therapeutics and  The Chinese University of Hong Kong,  Hong Kong.
Miao
M
Hu
Winnie Chiu Wing
WC
Chu
Shizuya
S
Yamashita
David Ka Wai
DK
Yeung
Lin
L
Shi
Defeng
D
Wang
Daisaku
D
Masuda
Yaling
Y
Yang
Brian
B
Tomlinson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D001835:Body Weight; D051048:Diacylglycerol O-Acyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009525:Niacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D014280:Triglycerides; D009525:Niacin; C494885:DGAT2 protein, human; D051048:Diacylglycerol O-Acyltransferase