Álbert S Peixoto, Mayara F Moreno, Érique Castro, Luiz A Perandini, Thiago Belchior, Tiago E Oliveira, Thayna S Vieira, Gustavo R Gilio, Caroline A Tomazelli, Bianca F Leonardi, Milene Ortiz-Silva, Luciano P Silva Junior, Eduardo H Moretti, Alexandre A Steiner, William T Festuccia
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) markedly enhances liver secretion of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), a hepatokine that increases brown and subcutaneous inguinal white adipose tissues (BAT and iWAT, respectively) uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) content, thermogenesis and energy expenditure. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that an enhanced BAT and iWAT UCP-1-mediated thermogenesis induced by high levels of FGF-21 is involved in HCC-associated catabolic state and fat mass reduction. For this, we evaluated body weight and composition, liver mass and morphology, serum and tissue levels of FGF-21, BAT and iWAT UCP-1 content, and thermogenic capacity in mice with Pten deletion in hepatocytes that display a well-defined progression from steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH) and HCC upon aging...
July 5, 2023: Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry