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Access Type
Open Access
Document Type
thesis
Degree Program
Molecular & Cellular Biology
Degree Type
Master of Science (M.S.)
Year Degree Awarded
2010
Month Degree Awarded
September
Keywords
hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, srebp1, lipid uptake
Abstract
TGFβ ligands, activin and myostatin have been shown to stimulate insulin production and secretion. Antagonists, Follistatin (FST) and Follistatin like 3 (FSTL3) were partially and fully ablated, respectively, creating hyperinsulinemic mice with fatty liver. Much research has surfaced on the connection between hepatic steatosis and hepatic insulin resistance. We present two different models, each with a different mechanism behind the development of fatty liver. FST288-only mice have increased synthesis of mRNA and proteins responsible for hepatic triglyceride (TG) uptake, while our double mutants have increased synthesis of mRNA and proteins responsible for TG synthesis. This alteration was likely independent of hepatic insulin resistance as livers from both mouse lines were insulin sensitive. Experiments conducted in this study to realize the causal factor of hepatic steatosis can be performed on adipose and muscle tissues in the future to better characterize the phenotype.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/1500310
First Advisor
Alan L Schneyer