Cathepsin B deficiency ameliorates liver lipid deposition, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibrosis after diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

ABSTRACT: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease characterized by fat accumulation and inflammation in liver. Yet, the mechanistic insight and diagnostic and therapeutic options of NASH remain incompletely understood. This study tested the roles of cysteine protease cathepsin B (CatB) in mouse NASH development. Immunoblot revealed increased liver CatB expression in NASH mice. Fructose-palmitate-cholesterol diet increased body weight gain, liver to body weight ratio, blood fasting glucose, plasma total cholesterol and alanine transaminase levels, and liver triglyceride, but decreased plasma high-density lipoprotein in wild-type mice. All these changes were blunted in CatB-deficient (Ctsb^-/-) mice. In parallel to reduced expression of genes

SUBMITTER: Fang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7311307 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature