Liver Unit, University Hospital of the Canary Islands, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Technologies and Canarian Biomedical Research Centre, University of La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2022 Oct 1;323(4):G362-G374. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00300.2021. Epub 2022 Aug 2.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a progressive disease that ranges from simple steatosis to cirrhosis. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) are implicated in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. However, the overlapping consequences of CIH on liver sinusoidal endothelial function over time in NAFLD are largely unknown. We explored endothelial dysfunction in a rat model of NAFLD with a high-fat diet exposed to CIH [12 h/day, every 30 s to fractional concentration of oxygen ([Formula: see text] 8%-10%]. The livers were isolated and perfused, and the endothelial function was determined by testing the vasodilation of the liver circulation to increased concentrations of acetylcholine and von Willebrand factor (vWF) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression. Phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (p-eNOS), cGMP, and oxidative stress were assessed to determine nitric oxide bioavailability. Inflammation and fibrosis were evaluated by transaminases, myeloperoxidase activity, hydroxyproline, and histological evaluation. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) were studied as a marker of hypoxia and after a second insult with acetaminophen. CIH exposure provoked typical systemic features of OSAS and provoked a decreased response in vasodilation to acetylcholine. This was associated with increased oxidative stress and reduced p-eNOS and cGMP. The microcirculation impairment due to CIH preceded significant hepatic inflammation and fibrotic changes, despite the presence of HIF expression. In conclusion, CIH exacerbates endothelial dysfunction in NAFLD rats associated with increased oxidative stress and reduced nitric oxide bioavailability. This occurs before inflammation and fibrosis establish. Our results suggest that with CIH endothelial dysfunction should be considered an early target. We believe the findings are of relevance because we demonstrate that chronic intermittent hypoxia further augments impaired hepatic endothelial dysfunction in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease rats. Because obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is associated with systemic endothelial dysfunction in cardiovascular disorders, and chronic intermittent hypoxia is an independent and reversible risk factor for hypertension and coronary artery disease, we hypothesized that this entity may be of potential relevance in the pathophysiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
非酒精性脂肪性肝病(NAFLD)是一种从单纯性脂肪变性到肝硬化的进行性疾病。阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征(OSAS)和慢性间歇性低氧(CIH)与 NAFLD 的发病机制有关。然而,在 NAFLD 中,CIH 对肝窦内皮功能的重叠后果随时间的推移而逐渐增加,在很大程度上尚不清楚。我们通过高脂肪饮食暴露于 CIH [12 小时/天,每 30 秒至氧分压([Formula: see text] 8%-10%]的大鼠模型中探索了内皮功能障碍。分离并灌注肝脏,并通过测试肝循环对乙酰胆碱和血管性血友病因子(vWF)和细胞间黏附分子 1(ICAM-1)表达增加的血管舒张来确定内皮功能。评估磷酸化内皮型一氧化氮合酶(p-eNOS)、cGMP 和氧化应激以确定一氧化氮生物利用度。通过转氨基酶、髓过氧化物酶活性、羟脯氨酸和组织学评估评估炎症和纤维化。研究缺氧诱导因子(HIFs)作为缺氧的标志物,并在第二次用对乙酰氨基酚刺激后进行研究。CIH 暴露引起典型的 OSAS 全身特征,并引起乙酰胆碱血管舒张反应减弱。这与氧化应激增加和 p-eNOS 和 cGMP 减少有关。尽管存在 HIF 表达,但由于 CIH 引起的微循环障碍先于明显的肝炎症和纤维化变化。总之,CIH 加重了 NAFLD 大鼠的内皮功能障碍,与氧化应激增加和一氧化氮生物利用度降低有关。这发生在炎症和纤维化发生之前。我们的结果表明,内皮功能障碍应被视为 CIH 的早期靶点。我们认为这些发现是相关的,因为我们证明慢性间歇性低氧进一步加剧了非酒精性脂肪性肝病大鼠受损的肝内皮功能障碍。因为阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征与心血管疾病中的全身内皮功能障碍有关,而慢性间歇性低氧是高血压和冠心病的独立且可逆的危险因素,我们假设该实体可能与非酒精性脂肪性肝病的病理生理学有关。
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