Fatty liver question

[Jamiu22]

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Hepatic steatosis is caused by increased ratio of NADH/NAD+....I thought you get that high of a ratio because of increased nadh from overactive alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase..

Is this correct or is it because of decreased nad+....I got this question somewhere and it had both choices I.e increased nadh and decreased nad.. personally...I thought this two parameters go hand in hand. Any ideas?

 

[Myxedema]

Steatosis of liver is the accumulation of fat (mainly triglycerides). It is not necessarily associated with changes in NADH/NAD+ ratio. However, alcohol abuse is one of the most common causes of fatty liver in developed countries (the other being NAFLD). Like you've mentioned, ethanol is processes by alcohol dehydrogenase, which generates NADH from NAD+, resulting in a high NADH/NAD+ ratio. In this high NADH/NAD+ ratio state, beta-oxidation of fatty acids is inhibited. Instead of being processed in the mitochondria, these excess fatty acids are transported to ER, where they're packed into triglycerides. Fatty change seen in alcoholic liver disease is the accumulation of these TGs in the liver parenchyma. In short, steatosis can be caused by many different etiologies; in steatosis of alcoholic liver disease, this steatosis is caused by the high NADH/NAD+ ratio.

As for the question you've mentioned, both high NADH and low NAD+ is seen in alcoholic steatosis. If you have the full question, perhaps we can discuss that in more detail.

 

[Jamiu22]

Steatosis of liver is the accumulation of fat (mainly triglycerides). It is not necessarily associated with changes in NADH/NAD+ ratio. However, alcohol abuse is one of the most common causes of fatty liver in developed countries (the other being NAFLD). Like you've mentioned, ethanol is processes by alcohol dehydrogenase, which generates NADH from NAD+, resulting in a high NADH/NAD+ ratio. In this high NADH/NAD+ ratio state, beta-oxidation of fatty acids is inhibited. Instead of being processed in the mitochondria, these excess fatty acids are transported to ER, where they're packed into triglycerides. Fatty change seen in alcoholic liver disease is the accumulation of these TGs in the liver parenchyma. In short, steatosis can be caused by many different etiologies; in steatosis of alcoholic liver disease, this steatosis is caused by the high NADH/NAD+ ratio.

As for the question you've mentioned, both high NADH and low NAD+ is seen in alcoholic steatosis. If you have the full question, perhaps we can discuss that in more detail.

Thanks Myxedma.. that's sort of what I thought also. ..I can't find the question right now. .. but your sound explanation gives me a piece of mind with regards to understanding the pathophys of this disease.