The Study
GPAM upregulation enhances hepatic fat deposition and reduces visceral adipose tissue in response to trans-fatty acids
This study saw that when mice and human liver cells were fed trans fats, they made more of a protein called GPAM and stored more fat. But it didn't prove that trans fats caused the fat buildup — it just showed they often happened together.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Eating trans fats turns on a gene called GPAM in your liver, which tricks your body into storing fat in the liver instead of around your belly.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 540 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this means trans fats may cause fatty liver disease while making it harder to lose belly fat, even if you don't eat more calories.
- 2Mice on trans fats had 40% more liver fat and 30% less belly fat than mice on other fats; humans with severe liver fat had much higher GPAM levels.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Gastroenterology
Year
2025
Authors
T. Miyake, O. Yoshida, Shinya Furukawa, Y. Sato, Yoshimasa Murakami, Ayumi Kanamoto, Masumi Miyazaki, Akihito Shiomi, Hironobu Nakaguchi, M. Koizumi, Takao Watanabe, Yoshio Tokumoto, M. Hirooka, Masanori Abe, B. Matsuura, Y. Hiasa
Related Content
Claims (6)
In mice fed trans fats, lowering GPAM activity in the liver reduces fat accumulation in the liver and increases fat storage in visceral fat tissue, showing that GPAM is required for moving fat from fat stores to the liver.
Higher levels of GPAM protein in the liver correlate with more triglycerides stored in liver cells and less fat stored around internal organs in humans and mice.
Consuming trans-fatty acids is linked to higher levels of GPAM in the liver, more fat stored in the liver, and less fat stored in visceral adipose tissue in humans and mice.
Diets high in trans-fatty acids are linked to higher levels of alanine aminotransferase in the blood, a marker of liver cell damage, compared to diets high in palmitic or oleic acid in people and mice with MASLD.
In people with severe fatty liver disease, the GPAM gene is more active in the liver than in people with mild or no fatty liver disease.
Eating trans fats leads to more fat accumulating around internal organs, even if the total number of calories consumed stays the same.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.