WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL) have increased lipid production and changes in enzymes involved in the metabolism of lipids and fatty acids, according to a study in the December issue of Hepatology.
Puneet Puri, M.D., from the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, and colleagues analyzed plasma lipids and eicosanoid metabolites present in samples from 25 patients with NAFL, 50 patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and 50 lean normal controls.
The researchers found that the development of NAFL was accompanied by increased lipogenesis, desaturase, and lipoxygenase activity. Progression to NASH was associated with stabilization of lipogenic activity, increases in lipoxygenase activity, impaired peroxisomal polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, and higher levels of products of non-enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid.
"Although increased lipogenesis, desaturases, and lipoxygenase activities characterize NAFL and NASH, impaired peroxisomal polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism and non-enzymatic oxidation is associated with progression to NASH," Puri and colleagues conclude.
One author reported consulting for Lipomics Technologies, one author reported owning stock in Lipomics, and two authors are employees of Lipomics.
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