Marimastat Reverses Liver Fat and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Mice
Author Information
Author(s): de Meijer Vincent E., Le Hau D., Meisel Jonathan A., Sharma Anisha K., Popov Yury, Puder Mark
Primary Institution: Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School
Hypothesis
Treatment with the pharmacologic tumor necrosis factor-α converting enzyme (TACE)-inhibitor Marimastat would reverse established steatosis, leading to improved outcome following hepatectomy.
Conclusion
Marimastat treatment improved insulin sensitivity and reversed liver fat in mouse models, reducing post-operative liver injury after surgery.
Supporting Evidence
- Marimastat treatment led to a 66% decrease in hepatic steatosis.
- Post-operative liver injury was significantly decreased by 57% and 44% for AST and ALT levels, respectively.
- Insulin sensitivity markers improved significantly after Marimastat treatment.
- Histological analysis showed nearly normal liver architecture in treated mice.
Takeaway
Researchers gave a medicine called Marimastat to mice with fatty livers to see if it would help them get better before surgery, and it worked!
Methodology
C57BL/6 male mice were fed a high fat diet and treated with Marimastat or vehicle, followed by surgical removal of two-thirds of the liver.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from the animal model and the controlled environment of the study.
Limitations
Results may not directly translate to humans, and long-term effects of TACE inhibition are uncertain.
Participant Demographics
C57BL/6 male mice and ob/ob mice were used in the study.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.010
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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