title: Ezetimibe prevents hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat but not a high-fructose diet.
abstract: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most frequent liver disease. Ezetimibe, an inhibitor of intestinal cholesterol absorption, has been reported to ameliorate hepatic steatosis in human and animal models. To explore how ezetimibe reduces hepatic steatosis, we investigated the effects of ezetimibe on the expression of lipogenic enzymes and intestinal lipid metabolism in mice fed a high-fat or a high-fructose diet. CBA/JN mice were fed a high-fat diet or a high-fructose diet for 8 wk with or without ezetimibe. High-fat diet induced hepatic steatosis accompanied by hyperinsulinemia. Treatment with ezetimibe reduced hepatic steatosis, insulin levels, and glucose production from pyruvate in mice fed the high-fat diet, suggesting a reduction of insulin resistance in the liver. In the intestinal analysis, ezetimibe reduced the expression of fatty acid transfer protein-4 and apoB-48 in mice fed the high-fat diet. However, treatment with ezetimibe did not prevent hepatic steatosis, hyperinsulinemia, and intestinal apoB-48 expression in mice fed the high-fructose diet. Ezetimibe decreased liver X receptor-α binding to the sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c promoter but not expression of carbohydrate response element-binding protein and fatty acid synthase in mice fed the high-fructose diet, suggesting that ezetimibe did not reduce hepatic lipogenesis induced by the high-fructose diet. Elevation of hepatic and intestinal lipogenesis in mice fed a high-fructose diet may partly explain the differences in the effect of ezetimibe.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
authors.forename: Masateru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ushio
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeno
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ugi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizaki
authors.forename: Katsutaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morino
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kume
authors.forename: Atsunori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maegawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000378:metabolism; D001384:Azetidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001391:Azo Compounds; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000069438:Ezetimibe; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005632:Fructose / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D001384:Azetidines; D001391:Azo Compounds; D008074:Lipoproteins; D005632:Fructose; D012313:RNA; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D000069438:Ezetimibe; C011049:oil red O
keywords: NAFLD; ezetimibe; hepatic and intestinal lipogenesis