Relationship between serum vitamin E levels and CD36 gene expression in individuals with non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Obesity

• Grant number: 23/14389-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Vivian Marques Miguel Suen
• Grantee: Vivian Marques Miguel Suen
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Ribeirão Preto
• Associated researchers: Caroline Bertoncini Silva ; Daniela Saes Sartorelli ; Edson Zangiacomi Martinez ; Jean-Marc Zingg ; Natália Aparecida de Paula Rios

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in the liver due to factors associated with diet, sedentary lifestyle,obesity, insulin resistance, among others, which influence the absorption of fatty acids(AG), decreased serum vitamin E levels and increased CD36 translocator, a factorof redox-sensitive transcription NF-kB and the PPAR³ receptor. It is little investigated in humans how vitamin E deficiency and the consequent increase in CD36 leads to increasedFA uptake, contributing to steatosis.Objective: To evaluate the effects of different serum concentrations of vitamin E on the expression of CD36, NF-kB and PPAR³ genes in adults with obesity and NAFLD.Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational study of patients treated at theGastroenterology Liver Diseases outpatient clinic of a tertiary level hospitalwhich will be subjected to the following assessments: anthropometry (weight and height), dietary intake (24-hour recall), alcohol consumption, gene expression analysisperformed by RT-PCR and serum vitamin E measurement by high-performance liquid chromatography efficiency (HPLC).Expected results. It is expected to observe that individuals with NAFLD and obesity whohave lower levels of vitamin E, have higher expression of the CD36 gene,PPAR³ and NF-kB, contributing to the knowledge of nutrient-gene interactions that may be related to NAFLD. (AU)