Research Article Details
Article ID: | A33735 |
PMID: | 25279794 |
Source: | Endocrinology |
Title: | Osteocalcin protects against nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome. |
Abstract: | Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, particularly its more aggressive form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is associated with hepatic insulin resistance. Osteocalcin, a protein secreted by osteoblast cells in bone, has recently emerged as an important metabolic regulator with insulin-sensitizing properties. In humans, osteocalcin levels are inversely associated with liver disease. We thus hypothesized that osteocalcin may attenuate NASH and examined the effects of osteocalcin treatment in middle-aged (12-mo-old) male Ldlr(-/-) mice, which were fed a Western-style high-fat, high-cholesterol diet for 12 weeks to induce metabolic syndrome and NASH. Mice were treated with osteocalcin (4.5 ng/h) or vehicle for the diet duration. Osteocalcin treatment not only protected against Western-style high-fat, high-cholesterol diet-induced insulin resistance but substantially reduced multiple NASH components, including steatosis, ballooning degeneration, and fibrosis, with an overall reduction in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity scores. Further, osteocalcin robustly reduced expression of proinflammatory and profibrotic genes (Cd68, Mcp1, Spp1, and Col1a2) in liver and suppressed inflammatory gene expression in white adipose tissue. In conclusion, these results suggest osteocalcin inhibits NASH development by targeting inflammatory and fibrotic processes. |
DOI: | 10.1210/en.2014-1430 |

Strategy ID | Therapy Strategy | Synonyms | Therapy Targets | Therapy Drugs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
S01 | Improve insulin resistance | insulin sensitizer; insulin resistance; glucose tolerance | Biguanide: increases 5-AMP activated protein kinase signaling; SGLT-2 inhibitor; Thiazalidinedione: selective PPAR-γ agonists; GLP-1 agonist | Metformin; Empagliflozin; Canagliflozin; Rosiglitazone; Pioglitazone; Liraglutide | Details |
S03 | Anti-fibrosis | fibrosis | Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB); CCR2/CCR5 antagonist; Thyroid receptor β agonist; PEGylated human FGF21 analogue; Monoclonal antibody to lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2); Galectin-3 inhibitor; FGF19 variant | Losartan; Cenicriviroc; VK-2809; MGL-3196; Pegbelfermin; Simtuzumab; GR-MD-02; NGM282 | Details |
S05 | Anti-inflammatory | inflammatory | Bile acid; TNF-a inhibitor; Dual PPAR-α and -δ agonists; Toll-Like Receptor; (TLR)-4 antagonist; Caspase inhibitor; ASK-1 inhibitor | Ursodeoxycholic Acid; Pentoxifylline; Elafibranor; JKB-121; Emricasan; Selonsertib; | Details |
Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I05 | 9352 | Type 2 diabetes mellitus | A diabetes that is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2 | disease of metabolism/inherited metabolic disorder/ carbohydrate metabolic disorder/glucose metabolism disease/diabetes/ diabetes mellitus | Details |
Drug ID | Drug Name | Type | DrugBank ID | Targets | Category | Latest Progress | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D248 | Obeticholic Acid | Chemical drug | DB05990 | NR1H4 activator; NR1H4 agonist; FXR agonist | Enhance lipid metabolism | Approval rejected | Details |
D182 | Insulin | Biological drug | DB00030 | INSR agonist; CPE modulator&product of | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |