No abstract

Background: While tumour necrosis factor a (TNF-a) appears to be associated with the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), its precise role in the pathogenesis of NASH is not well understood. Methods: Male mice deficient in both TNF receptors 1 (TNFR1) and 2 (TNFR2) (TNFRDKO mice) and wildtype mice were fed a methionine and choline deficient (MCD) diet or a control diet for eight weeks, maintaining isoenergetic intake. Results: MCD dietary feeding of TNFRDKO mice for eight weeks resulted in attenuated liver steatosis and fibrosis compared with control wild-type mice. In the liver, the number of activated hepatic Kupffer cells recruited was significantly decreased in TNFRDKO mice after MCD dietary feeding. In addition, hepatic induction of TNF-a, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, and intracellular adhesion molecule 1 was significantly suppressed in TNFRDKO mice. While in control animals MCD dietary feeding dramatically increased mRNA expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) in both whole liver and hepatic stellate cells, concomitant with enhanced activation of hepatic stellate cells, both factors were significantly lower in TNFRDKO mice. In primary cultures, TNF-a administration enhanced TIMP-1 mRNA expression in activated hepatic stellate cells and suppressed apoptotic induction in activated hepatic stellate cells. Inhibition of TNF induced TIMP-1 upregulation by TIMP-1 specific siRNA reversed the apoptotic suppression seen in hepatic stellate cells. Conclusions: Enhancement of the TNF-a/TNFR mediated signalling pathway via activation of Kupffer cells in an autocrine or paracrine manner may be critically involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis in this NASH animal model.

X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a movement disorder endemic to the Philippines. The disease locus, DYT3, has been mapped to Xq13.1. In a search for the causative gene, we performed genomic sequencing analysis, followed by expression analysis of XDP brain tissues. We found a disease-specific SVA (short interspersed nuclear element, variable number of tandem repeats, and Alu composite) retrotransposon insertion in an intron of the TATA-binding protein-associated factor 1 gene (TAF1), which encodes the largest component of the TFIID complex, and significantly decreased expression levels of TAF1 and the dopamine receptor D2 gene (DRD2) in the caudate nucleus. We also identified an abnormal pattern of DNA methylation in the retrotransposon in the genome from the patient's caudate, which could account for decreased expression of TAF1. Our findings suggest that the reduced neuron-specific expression of the TAF1 gene is associated with XDP.