We have these data for mRNA production from "pro-inflammatory" genes in liver tissue:
which we know, from their section of adipose tissue, have absolutely zero correlation with active inflammation, which they assessed in adipose tissue using the activity of the myeloperoxidase system.
The liver is full of resident macrophages, known as Kuffper cells, which are very good at activating their myeloperoxidase system. The group has an assay for this activity. They didn't use it on liver tissue. Why not?
I have no idea whether the liver macrophages actually used any of the reported mRNA products to generate inflammation.
Go figure.
The group did, for some reason, measure plasma CRP levels, CRP being an acute phase protein produced by the liver in response to any inflammation, *anywhere* in the body. It might have been raised in response to the activity of the myeloperoxidase in the adipose tissue of the HF fed mice, that might be logical. We'll never know because they omitted to measure CRP in the plasma of the HF fed mice.
Go figure. I have not edited this chart in any way:
So we know essentially nothing about inflammatory changes in the liver and we know nothing about the levels of CRP produced (or not) in the plasma of HF diet fed mice. Which did have inflamed adipose tissue and *might* have had inflamed liver tissue.
Oh, their one interesting finding was that saturated fat is suppressive of "pro-inflammatory" gene expression in liver tissue. But not in adipose tissue.
Would this be protective against inflammatory liver damage? There is no way you can assess this from this study, but the idea is nice.
But ultimately the liver section of the paper is complete dross.
I said it before, these people are rank amateurs.
Peter
No comments:
Post a Comment