Decreasing hepatic oxalate levels for MASH

Increasing the activity of the aminotransferase AGXT or inhibiting the hepatic lactate dehydrogenase LDHA – which prevent the accumulation and production, respectively, of the metabolite oxalate – could help treat MASH (formerly known as NASH) by decreasing oxalate levels in hepatocytes, which increases fatty acid oxidation and lowers pathogenic lipid accumulation.

AGXT mRNA and protein expression were lower, and LDHA mRNA and protein expression were higher, in liver samples from MASH patients and mice fed a high-fat, high-fructose, high-cholesterol or fructose-palmitate-cholesterol diet than from individuals without MASH and mice fed a normal diet, respectively. In both patients and mice, lower AGXT expression was inversely correlated with MASH severity score. ...