SMN Depleted Mice Offer a Robust and Rapid Onset Model of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Marc‐Olivier Deguise, Chantal A. Pileggi, Yves De Repentigny, Ariane Beauvais, Alexandra Tierney, Lucia Chehadé, Jean Michaud, Maica Llavero-Hurtado, Douglas J. Lamont, Abdelmadjid Atrih, Thomas M. Wishart, Thomas H. Gillingwater, Bernard L. Schneider, Mary‐Ellen Harper, Simon H. Parson, Rashmi Kothary
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: mice display typical features of NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). METHODS: Biochemical, histologic, electron microscopy, proteomic, and high-resolution respirometry were used. RESULTS: mice lose weight because of their associated neurological condition (spinal muscular atrophy) and develop hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: mice represent a good model of microvesicular steatohepatitis. Like other models, it is not representative of the complete NAFLD/NASH spectrum. Nevertheless, it offers a reliable, low-cost, early-onset model that is not dependent on diet to identify molecular players in NAFLD pathogenesis and can serve as one of the very few models of microvesicular steatohepatitis for both adult and pediatric populations.