title: Expression of liver alpha-amylase in obese mouse hepatocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to demonstrate the relation between the expression of liver alpha-amylase and obesity.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Alpha-amylase catalyses the hydrolysis of 1, 4-alpha-glucosidic linkages in polysaccharides and has three main subtypes, including: salivary, pancreatic, and hepatic. Hepatic alpha-amylase is involved in glycogen metabolism, and has a role in obesity and its management. In this study, we aimed to analyze the expression of liver alpha-amylase in overweight and obese mouse.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, NMRI male mice were randomly divided into two groups. The sample group (obese) took a high-fat and carbohydrate diet, while the control group (normal) took a laboratory pellet chow for eight weeks. During this period, their weight was measured. After eight weeks, liver hepatocytes were isolated using an enzymatic digestion method. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and flow cytometry analysis were performed to measure alpha amylase protein expression in mouse liver hepatocyte cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference in the body weight was observed between the two groups (p<0.05). The qualitative protein expression of liver alpha-amylase was found to be higher in the obese group in both tests (immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry). Animals from the test group presented higher alpha-amylase expression, which suggests that this hepatic protein may constitute a potential indicator of susceptibility for fat tissue accumulation and obesity. The present data demonstrates an increased expression of liver amylase in obese mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that liver amylase secretion might be useful for predicting susceptibility to obesity induced by consumption of a high-fat and carbohydrate diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Afsartala
authors.affiliation: Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sanaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savabkar
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nazemalhosseini Mojarad
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahideh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Assadollahi
authors.affiliation: Department of pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanha
authors.affiliation: Tashkhis Baft Aragene Company Ltd (TBA), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Khosro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bijangi
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran; Deptartment of Anatomical Sciences, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gholami
keywords: Flow cytometry; Gene expression; Hepatic alpha amylase; Obesity