title: Liver alpha-amylase gene expression as an early obesity biomarker.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a major health problem worldwide, for which preventive and therapeutic means are still needed. Alpha-amylase is a digestive enzyme whose inhibition has been targeted as a potential anti-obesity strategy. However, alpha-amylase gene expression has not been particularly attended to, and in contrast with pancreatic and salivary amylases, fewer studies have focused on liver alpha-amylase. The present study aimed at investigating the expression of alpha-amylase gene in obese and normal mice at RNA and protein level as well as acarbose effect on this gene expression in hepatocyte cell culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Control and case groups were fed by normal mouse pellet and high-fat diet respectively, during 8 weeks. After this period, serum biochemical parameters including glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, AST, ALT and alpha-amylase were assayed. Liver alpha-amylase gene was analyzed by real time PCR, and liver enzyme was assayed with Bernfeld and ELISA methods Hepatocyte cell culture derived from both group were also treated by acarbose and alpha-amylase activity and gene expression was analyzed by above mentioned methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All biochemical factors showed an increase in obese mice, but the increase in ALT and AST were not statistically significant. Alpha-amylase levels were also increased in obese mice, both at RNA and protein level, while a decrease was seen in obese mice derived hepatocytes after acarbose treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated liver alpha-amylase levels may be indicative of initial stages of obesity and the use of acarbose could be considered as a treatment of obesity which could be potentially effective at multiple levels.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mojbafan
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Afsartala
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: amolimm@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mahsa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Amoli
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Parichehreh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yaghmaei
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bagher
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larijani
authors.affiliation: Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: aehabibi@sina.tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebrahim-Habibi
mesh_terms: D020909:Acarbose / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D000516:alpha-Amylases; D020909:Acarbose
keywords: Acarbose; Alpha-amylase; Elisa; Gene expression; Obesity