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Alcoholic liver disease

ASMase implicated in alcoholic liver disease

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 10, pages 384–385 (2013)Cite this article

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The pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) remains unclear, and several different factors are thought to have a role. In particular, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress might have an important role in contributing to steatosis and liver injury. ASMase (acid sphingomyelinase) has previously been shown to regulate hepatic steatosis in NASH and alcoholic steatohepatitis. “However, its role in regulating alcohol-induced hepatic ER stress has not been addressed, and this was the main aim of our study,” says Jose Fernandez-Checa, corresponding author of a recent study published in the Journal of Hepatology.

To investigate the potential role of ASMase, the researchers used ASMase-knockout mice fed an alcohol diet (Leiber De Carli) for 4 weeks. “This model of alcohol intake causes hepatic steatosis, increased lipogenesis, ER stress and sensitization to circulating and cell-bound TNF,” explains Fernandez-Checa.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Fernandez, A. et al. Asmase is required for chronic alcohol induced hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial cholesterol loading. J. Hepatol. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2013.05.023

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  1. Isobel Leake
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Leake, I. ASMase implicated in alcoholic liver disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 10, 384–385 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2013.104

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2013.104

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