Analysis of amino acid profiles of blood over time and biomarkers associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in STAM mice.

Analysis of amino acid profiles of blood over time and biomarkers associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in STAM mice. Exp Anim. 2019 Jun 01;: Authors: Iida A, Kuranuki S, Yamamoto R, Uchida M, Ohta M, Ichimura M, Tsuneyama K, Masaki T, Seike M, Nakamura T Abstract The changes in free amino acid (AA) levels in blood during the progression from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unclear. We investigated serum AA levels, along with biochemical and histological events, in a mouse model of NASH. We induced NASH in male C57BL/6J mice with a streptozotocin injection and high-fat diet after 4 weeks of age (STAM group). We chronologically (6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 weeks, n=4-12 mice/group) evaluated the progression from steatohepatitis to HCC by biochemical and histological analyses. The serum AA levels were determined using an AA analyzer. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were higher in the STAM group than in the normal group (non-NASH-induced mice). Histological analysis revealed that STAM mice had fatty liver, NASH, and fibrosis at 6, 8, and 10 weeks, respectively. Moreover, the mice exhibited fibrosis and HCC at 16 weeks. The serum branched-chain AA levels were higher in the STAM group than in the normal group, especially at 8 and 10 weeks. The Fischer ratio decreased at 16 weeks in the STAM group, with increasing aromatic AA levels. These results suggested th...
Source: Experimental Animals - Category: Research Tags: Exp Anim Source Type: research