title: Clinical assessment of hepatic de novo lipogenesis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is heralded as the next big global epidemic. Hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL), the synthesis of new fatty acids from non-lipid sources, is thought to play a pivotal role in the development of NAFLD. While there is currently no NAFLD-specific therapeutic agent available, pharmaceutical drugs aimed at reducing hepatic fat accretion may prove to be a powerful ally in the treatment and management of this disease. With a focus on NAFLD, the present review summarizes current techniques examining DNL from a clinical perspective, and describes the merits and limitations of three commonly used assays; stable-label isotope tracer studies, fatty acid indexes and indirect calorimetry as non-invasive measures of hepatic DNL. Finally, the application of DNL assessments in the pharmacological and nutraceutical treatment of NAFLD/NASH is summarized. In a clinical research setting, measures of DNL are an important marker in the development of anti-NAFLD treatments.
authors.affiliation: Global Clinical Research, Celerion, 2420 West Baseline Road, Tempe, AZ, 85283, USA. sabina.paglialunga@celerion.com.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paglialunga
authors.affiliation: Global Clinical Research, Celerion, 2420 West Baseline Road, Tempe, AZ, 85283, USA.|Current affiliation: Umbrella Corporation, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Clayton A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dehn
mesh_terms: D004032:Diet; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D050155:Lipogenesis; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: Fatty acid indexes; Fructose; Indirect calorimetry; MIDA; Stable label isotope