title: β-glycosphingolipids ameliorated non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in the Psammomys obesus model.
abstract: Liver steatosis is a common characteristic of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease is increasingly recognized as a major health burden. Accumulating evidence suggests that β-glycosphingolipids play an important role in insulin sensitivity and thus could affect hepatic steatosis. To determine the effect associated with β-glycosphingolipid-mediated amelioration of liver injury, seven groups of Psammomys obesus on a high-energy diet were studied. Animals were treated with daily injections of β-glucosylceramide, β-lactosylceramide, or a combination of both. β-glycosphingolipids ameliorated the hepatic injury manifested by decreased liver enzymes, liver weight, and hepatic fat, and improved liver histology. Administration of both β-glucosylceramide and β-lactosylceramide also decreased interferon (IFN)-γ serum levels. These effects were associated with improved serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. These data suggest that β-glycosphingolipids ameliorate liver injury in an animal model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zigmond
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Oshrat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tayer-Shifman
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Gadi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lalazar
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Ami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Ya'acov
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weksler-Zangen
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shasha
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sklair-Levy
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Lidya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zolotarov
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shalev
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Rony
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalman
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ziv
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Itamar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Raz
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Yaron
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ilan
keywords: NAFLD; NASH; STAT; diabetes; glycolipids; insulin resistance