Relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to explore the role of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-KB) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis. Methods: Mice were divided into vacuity contrast group, normal diet group and high fat diet group. After feeding for 15 weeks, diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 45mg/kg) was weekly administrated by intraperitoneal injection into mice in both normal diet and high fat diet groups to gradually establish a model of HCC. The mice in blank control group were not treated with any drugs through the whole experiment. Livers and serum were individually collected from five mice in normal diet and high fat diet groups, respectively, and three mice in the blank control group in week 15, 20, 25 and 30. All the remaining mice were executed in week 36, and serum and liver pathologic gross were collected. The pathological changes of liver tissues were observed with HE staining. The differences in hepatocarcinogenesis among three groups were also analyzed. The levels of serum triglyceride (TC), cholesterol (TC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were detected. The levels of serum NF-KB and IL-6 were assayed by ELISA. Results: Animal models of NAFLD were successfully established after 15 weeks of high-fat diet feeding. In the week 36, no mice in the blank control group developed HCC. Eight of 20 (40.0%) mice in normal diet group developed HCC. Thirteen of 18 (83.3%) mice in high fat diet group developed HCC. The levels of serum NF-KB and IL-6 in high fat diet group were significantly higher than those in the normal diet group in each period during study (all P < 0.01). Conclusion: The results suggest that NAFLD can promote hepatocarcinogenesis in the presence of DEN. The abnormal levels of NF-KB and IL-6 play important roles during the development of HCC.