AUTHOR=Vecchione Giulia , Grasselli Elena , Cioffi Federica , Baldini Francesca , Oliveira Paulo J. , Sardão Vilma A. , Cortese Katia , Lanni Antonia , Voci Adriana , Portincasa Piero , Vergani Laura TITLE=The Nutraceutic Silybin Counteracts Excess Lipid Accumulation and Ongoing Oxidative Stress in an In Vitro Model of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Progression JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition VOLUME=4 YEAR=2017 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2017.00042 DOI=10.3389/fnut.2017.00042 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT=
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. Oxidative stress and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), are major consequences of hepatic lipid overload, which can contribute to progression of NAFLD to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Also, mitochondria are involved in the NAFLD pathogenesis for their role in hepatic lipid metabolism. Definitive treatments for NAFLD/NASH are lacking so far. Silybin, the extract of the milk thistle seeds, has previously shown beneficial effects in NAFLD. Sequential exposure of hepatocytes to high concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) and TNFα resulted in fat overload and oxidative stress, which mimic