Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease impairs the cytochrome P-450 dependent metabolism of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E)

This study aims at investigate in in vivo and in vitro models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) the enzymatic metabolism of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) and its relationship with vitamin E-responsive genes with key role in the lipid metabolism and detoxification of the liver. The experimental models included mice feed a high-fat diet combined or not with fructose (HFD+F) and HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cells treated with th e lipogenic factors palmitate, oleate or fructose. CYP4F2 protein, a cytochrome P-450 isoform with proposed α-tocopherol ω-hydroxylase activity, decreased in HFD and even more in HFD+F mice liver; this finding was associated with increased hepatic levels of α-tocopherol and decreased formation of the corresponding long-chain metabolites α-13-hydroxy and α-13-carboxy chromanols.
Source: The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Source Type: research