title: New evidence for the therapeutic potential of curcumin to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in humans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The immune system acts on different metabolic tissues that are implicated in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Leptin and linoleic acid have the ability to potentially affect immune cells, whereas curcumin is a known natural polyphenol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to evaluate the pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant effects of leptin and linoleic acid on immune cells from patients with NAFLD and to corroborate the modulatory effects of curcumin and its preventive properties against the progression of NAFLD using a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis mouse model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ex vivo experiments showed that linoleic acid increased the production of reactive oxygen species in monocytes and liver macrophages, whereas leptin enhanced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production in monocytes and interferon-γ production in circulating CD4+ cells. Conversely, oral administration of curcumin prevented HFD-induced liver injury, metabolic alterations, intrahepatic CD4+ cell accumulation and the linoleic acid- and leptin- induced pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant effects on mouse liver macrophages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide new evidence for the therapeutic potential of curcumin to treat human NAFLD. However, the development of a preventive treatment targeting human circulating monocytes and liver macrophages as well as peripheral and hepatic CD4+ cells requires additional research.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo-CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Inzaugarat
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Niños "Dr. R. Gutiérrez", Servicio de Patología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Matteo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo-CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Placida
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baz
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica - Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Laboratorio de Lípidos y Arterioesclerosis, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lucero
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo-CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cecilia Claudia
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martin"- División de Gastroenterología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gonzalez Ballerga
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martin"- División de Gastroenterología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daruich
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martin"- División de Gastroenterología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sorda
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (BIOMED)- Universidad católica Argentina-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Miriam Ruth
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wald
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo-CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandra Claudia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8545-6944
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cherñavsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003474:Curcumin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D020738:Leptin; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D003474:Curcumin