Iron depletion attenuates steatosis in a mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Role of iron-dependent pathways.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Iron has been proposed as influencing the progression of liver disease in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We have previously shown that, in the Hfe-/- mouse model of hemochromatosis, feeding of a high-calorie diet (HCD) leads to increased liver injury. In this study we investigated whether the feeding of an iron deficient/HCD to Hfe-/- mice influenced the development of NAFLD. METHODS: Liver histology was assessed in Hfe-/- mice fed a standard iron-containing or iron-deficient diet plus or minus a HCD. Hepatic iron concentration, serum transferrin saturation and free fatty acid were measured. Expression of genes implicated in iron regulation and fatty liver disease was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: Standard iron/HCD-fed mice developed severe steatosis whereas NAS score was reduced in mice fed iron-deficient HCD. Mice fed iron-deficient HCD had lower liver weights, lower transferrin saturation and decreased ferroportin and hepcidin gene expression than HCD-fed mice. Serum non-esterified fatty acids were increased in iron-deficient HCD-fed mice compared with standard iron HCD. Expression analysis indicated that genes involved in fatty-acid binding and mTOR pathways were regulated by iron depletion. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that decreasing iron intake attenuates the development of steatosis resulting from a high calorie diet. These results also suggest that human studies of agents that modify iron balance in patients with NAFLD should be revisited.

Assessment of ORAI1-mediated basal calcium influx in mammary epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: The entry of calcium ions into mammary gland epithelial cells is one of the least well-understood processes in the transport of calcium into milk during lactation. The store-operated calcium entry channel ORAI1, has been suggested as a potential mechanism for the entry of Ca(2+) into mammary gland epithelial cells from the maternal blood supply during lactation. The down regulation of the canonical ORAI1 activator STIM1 during lactation suggests that other known ORAI activators such as STIM2 and SPCA2 may be important during lactation. RESULTS: Differentiation of HC11 mammary gland epithelial cells was associated with enhanced basal Ca(2+) influx. Silencing of Orai1 abolished this enhancement of Ca(2+) influx. Stim2 had a modest effect on Ca(2+) influx in this in vitro model of lactation, whereas Stim1 and Spca2 silencing had no effect. Despite pronounced increases in Spca2 mRNA during lactation there was no change in the generation of the alternative splice product generated by Mist1, which increases during lactation. CONCLUSIONS: These studies support the hypothesis that lactation is associated with a remodelling of Ca(2+) influx and this is associated with enhancement of basal Ca(2+) influx. This enhanced Ca(2+) influx appears to occur through the calcium channel Orai1.

New insights into SRY regulation through identification of 5' conserved sequences.

BACKGROUND: SRY is the pivotal gene initiating male sex determination in most mammals, but how its expression is regulated is still not understood. In this study we derived novel SRY 5' flanking genomic sequence data from bovine and caprine genomic BAC clones. RESULTS: We identified four intervals of high homology upstream of SRY by comparison of human, bovine, pig, goat and mouse genomic sequences. These conserved regions contain putative binding sites for a large number of known transcription factor families, including several that have been implicated previously in sex determination and early gonadal development. CONCLUSION: Our results reveal potentially important SRY regulatory elements, mutations in which might underlie cases of idiopathic human XY sex reversal.