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Jirásková A, Škrha J, Vítek L. Association of Low Serum Bilirubin Concentrations and Promoter Variations in the UGT1A1 and HMOX1 Genes with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Czech Population. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10614. [PMID: 37445792 PMCID: PMC10342136 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilirubin has potent biological beneficial effects, protecting against atherosclerosis, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to assess serum bilirubin concentrations and (TA)n and (GT)n microsatellite variations in the promoter regions of the UGT1A1 and HMOX1 genes, respectively, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The study was carried out in 220 patients with T2DM and 231 healthy control subjects, in whom standard biochemical tests were performed. The (TA)n and (GT)n dinucleotide variations were determined by means of fragment (size-based) analysis using an automated capillary DNA sequencer. Compared to controls, both male and female patients with T2DM had lower serum bilirubin concentrations (9.9 vs. 12.9 μmol/L, and 9.0 vs. 10.6 μmol/L, in men and women, respectively, p < 0.001). Phenotypic Gilbert syndrome was much less prevalent in T2DM patients, as was the frequency of the (TA)7/7UGT1A1 genotype in male T2DM patients. (GT)nHMOX1 genetic variations did not differ between diabetic patients and controls. Our results demonstrate that the manifestation of T2DM is associated with lower serum bilirubin concentrations. Consumption of bilirubin due to increased oxidative stress associated with T2DM seems to be the main explanation, although (TA)n repeat variations in UGT1A1 partially contribute to this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Jirásková
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, General University Hospital in Prague, Katerinska 32, 12000 Prague, Czech Republic;
| | - Jan Škrha
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, General University Hospital in Prague, Katerinska 32, 12000 Prague, Czech Republic;
| | - Libor Vítek
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, General University Hospital in Prague, Katerinska 32, 12000 Prague, Czech Republic;
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, General University Hospital in Prague, Katerinska 32, 12000 Prague, Czech Republic
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Li D, Yuan X, Dong S, Al-Dhamin Z, Du J, Fu N, Nan Y. Heme oxygenase-1 prevents non-alcoholic steatohepatitis through modulating mitochondrial quality control. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2023; 237:e13918. [PMID: 36602456 DOI: 10.1111/apha.13918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
AIM Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and lacks effective treatment options. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a critical defense against oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver injury. This study aims to investigate the protective role and underlying mechanisms of HO-1 in NASH pathogenesis. METHODS The hepatocyte-specific HO-1 knockout (HO-1HEPKO ) mice on a C57BL/6J background (HO-1fl/fl /Alb-Cre) were generated and fed a high-fat/western-style diet (HFD) or methionine-choline-deficient diet (MCD). Changes in mitochondrial ultrastructure were observed by transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. A mitochondrial PCR array was used to identify the crucial genes associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. RESULTS Hepatocyte-specific HO-1HEPKO mice developed steatohepatitis with severe steatosis, ballooning, and necroinflammation. Dysregulated hepatic expression of mitochondria-related proteins, including DRP1, Tomm20, MFN1 and MFN2 were detected in NASH animals. Ultrastructural mitochondrial damage was observed in HO-1HEPKO mice. Mitochondrial dysfunction was recapitulated in HO-1-knockdown cells in vitro, as evidenced by decreased membrane potential, reduced ATP content, and mtDNA damage. Conversely, HO-1 overexpression restored these changes in vitro. Mechanistically, HO-1 deficiency reduced the inhibitory effect on Tomm20, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, and thereby causing steatohepatitis. CONCLUSIONS HO-1 attenuates diet-induced steatohepatitis by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction, indicating that HO-1 may constitute a potential therapeutic target for NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Li
- Department of Traditional and Western Medical Hepatology, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Diseases, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiwei Yuan
- Department of Traditional and Western Medical Hepatology, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Diseases, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Shiming Dong
- Department of Traditional and Western Medical Hepatology, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Diseases, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zaid Al-Dhamin
- Department of Traditional and Western Medical Hepatology, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Diseases, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jinghua Du
- Department of Traditional and Western Medical Hepatology, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Diseases, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Na Fu
- Department of Traditional and Western Medical Hepatology, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Diseases, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yuemin Nan
- Department of Traditional and Western Medical Hepatology, Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Diseases, Shijiazhuang, China
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Kipp ZA, Xu M, Bates EA, Lee WH, Kern PA, Hinds TD. Bilirubin Levels Are Negatively Correlated with Adiposity in Obese Men and Women, and Its Catabolized Product, Urobilin, Is Positively Associated with Insulin Resistance. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12010170. [PMID: 36671031 PMCID: PMC9854555 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12010170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilirubin levels in obese humans and rodents have been shown to be lower than in their lean counterparts. Some studies have proposed that the glucuronyl UGT1A1 enzyme that clears bilirubin from the blood increases in the liver with obesity. UGT1A1 clearance of bilirubin allows more conjugated bilirubin to enter the intestine, where it is catabolized into urobilin, which can be then absorbed via the hepatic portal vein. We hypothesized that when bilirubin levels are decreased, the urobilin increases in the plasma of obese humans, as compared to lean humans. To test this, we measured plasma levels of bilirubin and urobilin, body mass index (BMI), adiposity, blood glucose and insulin, and HOMA IR in a small cohort of obese and lean men and women. We found that bilirubin levels negatively correlated with BMI and adiposity in obese men and women, as compared to their lean counterparts. Contrarily, urobilin levels were positively associated with adiposity and BMI. Only obese women were found to be insulin resistant based on significantly higher HOMA IR, as compared to lean women. The urobilin levels were positively associated with HOMA IR in both groups, but women had a stronger linear correlation. These studies indicate that plasma urobilin levels are associated with obesity and its comorbidities, such as insulin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A. Kipp
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, 760 Press Avenue, Healthy Kentucky Research Building, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Mei Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, 760 Press Avenue, Healthy Kentucky Research Building, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Evelyn A. Bates
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, 760 Press Avenue, Healthy Kentucky Research Building, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Wang-Hsin Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, 760 Press Avenue, Healthy Kentucky Research Building, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Philip A. Kern
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Terry D. Hinds
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, 760 Press Avenue, Healthy Kentucky Research Building, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
- Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
- Correspondence:
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Serum Bilirubin and Markers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in a Healthy Population and in Patients with Various Forms of Atherosclerosis. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11112118. [PMID: 36358491 PMCID: PMC9686784 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11112118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress and inflammation contribute significantly to atherogenesis. We and others have demonstrated that mildly elevated serum bilirubin levels protect against coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis, most likely due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of bilirubin. The aim of the present study was to assess serum bilirubin and the markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in both healthy subjects and patients with various forms of atherosclerosis. The study was performed in patients with premature myocardial infarction (n = 129), chronic ischemic heart disease (n = 43), peripheral artery disease (PAD, n = 69), and healthy subjects (n = 225). In all subjects, standard serum biochemistry, UGT1A1 genotypes, total antioxidant status (TAS), and concentrations of various pro- and anti-inflammatory chemokines were determined. Compared to controls, all atherosclerotic groups had significantly lower serum bilirubin and TAS, while having much higher serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and most of the analyzed proinflammatory cytokines (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Surprisingly, the highest inflammation, and the lowest antioxidant status, together with the lowest serum bilirubin, was observed in PAD patients, and not in premature atherosclerosis. In conclusion, elevated serum bilirubin is positively correlated with TAS, and negatively related to inflammatory markers. Compared to healthy subjects, patients with atherosclerosis have a much higher degree of oxidative stress and inflammation.
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Bilirubin 2022: The Past, the Present and the Future. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11091632. [PMID: 36139706 PMCID: PMC9495766 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11091632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The present Special Issue (SI) addresses the double-faced Janus behavior of bilirubin [...]
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