Impact of galectin-3 inhibition on hepatic insulin resistance and energy metabolism in Non-Alcoholic Steato-Hepatitis

• Grant number: 20/09094-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: João Paulo Gabriel Camporez
• Grantee: Layanne Cabral da Cunha Araujo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/04956-5 - Impact of the estrogen receptor alpha on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and energetic metabolism of the liver, AP.JP

Abstract

Lifestyle and increased consumption of high-fat diets contribute greatly to the development of obesity, insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes (DM2) and cardiovascular disease. Several mechanisms are currently considered to cause insulin resistance, such as abnormal lipid metabolism and ectopic accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress. One consequence of Western lifestyle and high fat diet is Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which affects about 30% of adults and up to 10% of children in developed countries. The progression of NAFLD is its evolution to Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterized by macro and/or microvesicular steatosis, mixed lobular inflammatory infiltrate and heptocellular ballooning in the area of the centrolobular vein (zone III), Mallory fibrosis and corpuscles. Since the liver is a central organ in the development of T2DM, the overall objective of this project is to study the therapeutic potential of the extracellular galactin-3 inhibitor in NASH and hepatic insulin resistance. (AU)