Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Potential new drugs to treat fatty liver disease in cats
By Haaker, Maya W et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2020·Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Identification of potential drugs for treatment of hepatic lipidosis in cats using an in vitro feline liver organoid system.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that two potential new drugs could help treat hepatic lipidosis, a serious liver condition in cats that occurs when they stop eating and their bodies start breaking down fat. The drugs tested were T863, which helps reduce fat accumulation in the liver, and AICAR, which also lowers fat levels but works differently. Both drugs showed promise in reducing fat buildup in liver cells from cats. While these treatments are still in the research phase, they could lead to effective options for managing this condition in cats in the future.
People also search for: cat liver disease treatment · hepatic lipidosis in cats · T863 for cat liver problems · AICAR for feline health
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hepatic lipidosis is increasing in incidence in the Western world, with cats being particularly sensitive. When cats stop eating and start utilizing their fat reserves, free fatty acids (FFAs) increase in blood, causing an accumulation of triacylglycerol (TAG) in the liver. OBJECTIVE: Identifying potential new drugs that can be used to treat hepatic lipidosis in cats using a feline hepatic organoid system. ANIMALS: Liver organoids obtained from 6 cats. METHODS: Eight different drugs were tested, and the 2 most promising were further studied using a quantitative TAG assay, lipid droplet staining, and qPCR. RESULTS: Both T863 (a diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 [DGAT1] inhibitor) and 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR; an adenosine monophosphate kinase activator) decreased TAG accumulation by 55% (P < .0001) and 46% (P = .0003), respectively. Gene expression of perilipin 2 (PLIN2) increased upon the addition of FFAs to the medium and decreased upon treatment with AICAR but not significantly after treatment with T863. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Two potential drugs useful in the treatment of hepatic lipidosis in cats were identified. The drug T863 inhibits DGAT1, indicating that DGAT1 is the primary enzyme responsible for TAG synthesis from external fatty acids in cat organoids. The drug AICAR may act as a lipid-lowering compound via decreasing PLIN2 mRNA. Liver organoids can be used as an in vitro tool for drug testing in a species-specific system and provide the basis for further clinical testing of drugs to treat steatosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31830357/