Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by triglyceride (TG) accumulation in hepatocytes. Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) is a major secretory product of the liver that transports endogenously synthesized TG. Disrupted VLDL secretion may contribute to the accumulation of TG in hepatocytes. ApoB100 (apolipoprotein B100) is a glycoprotein and an essential protein component of VLDL. Its glycosylation may affect VLDL assembly and secretion. However, which glycosyltransferase catalyzes apoB100 glycosylation is unknown. In this study, we cloned the GLT8D2 (glycosyltransferase 8 domain containing 2) gene from HepG2 cells and generated a series of plasmids for in vitro studies of its molecular functions. We discovered that GLT8D2 was localized in the ER, interacted with apoB100, and positively regulated the levels of apoB100 protein in HepG2 cells. Based on these results, we propose that GLT8D2 is a glycosyltransferase of apoB100 that regulates apoB100 levels in hepatocytes. Full article

To analyze the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the incidence of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes, the incidence of diabetic nephropathy was assessed in 413 type 2 diabetic patients, by testing the 24 h urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER). The NAFLD was diagnosed based on patient’s medical history and liver ultrasound. The difference in diabetic nephropathy incidence between patients with and without NAFLD was tested by χ². Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the factors associated with diabetic nephropathy among type 2 diabetic patients. Total 363 out of 413 type 2 diabetic patients were enrolled in this study. The incidences of NAFLD and diabetic nephropathy in participants were approximately 56% (202/363) and 38% (137/363) respectively, and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy between patients with and without NAFLD (37.1% vs. 38.5%, p = 0.787). The duration of diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.065, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.014–1.120, p = 0.012), waist circumference (OR 1.077, 95% CI 1.040–1.116, p = 0.000), and fasting blood glucose (FBG; OR 1.136, 95% CI 1.023–1.1262, p = 0.017) were significantly associated with diabetic nephropathy, whereas sex, high blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and ankle brachial pressure index (ABI) were not significantly associated with the disorder. The present results suggest that NAFLD is not related to the incidence of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes, but the duration of diabetes, waist circumference, and FBG are important factors for diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes. Full article

Fluctuations in serum autofluorescence (AF) intensity have recently been widely used as markers of certain diseases such as cancer. To determine the diagnostic value of serum AF intensity for liver fibrosis in rats, we induced liver fibrosis by subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride into rats. The rat serum AF intensities were detected at the excitation wavelength of 337 nm and the emission wavelength of 512 nm. The degree of liver fibrosis was evaluated by Van Gieson’s staining. The relationship between serum AF intensity and the degree of liver fibrosis was analyzed by Spearman and Pearson Correlation. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the serum AF was determined by analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Our results show that the serum AF intensity in the rat liver fibrosis model increased when compared with control rats eight weeks and twelve weeks post induction of liver fibrosis. However, there was no significant difference in serum AF intensity between fibrotic and control rats at four week post induction. Furthermore, serum AF intensity correlated positively with the severity of the degree of hepatic fibrosis. ROC analysis further suggested that serum AF intensity is a valid marker for staging fibrosis. Therefore, it may potentially be developed as a novel diagnostic tool for hepatic fibrosis. Full article