A phospholipid called DLPC protects the liver against fat accumulation, according to scientists from the US in the journal Nature.
The molecule appears to be a good drug candidate against diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
Increased liver fat accumulation has been linked to diabetes. David Moore and colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine discovered the signaling pathway responsible for controlling fat levels in the liver of mice. A molecule called dilauroylphosphatidylcholine – DLPC has been found to increase the production of bile acids in the liver, which lowers fat levels. DLPC also prevents the accumulation of fat in the liver and prevents the development of diabetes in mice whose cells are not sensitive to insulin.
According to the authors of the study, DLPC acts through a nuclear receptor called LRH-1. It is possible that other substances that act on the same receptor would also protect the liver from steatosis (PAP).