How a common pollutant messes with liver cells' energy burning
Exposure to short-chain chlorinated paraffins inhibited PPARα-mediated fatty acid oxidation and stimulated aerobic glycolysis in vitro in human cells.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at how a chemical called SCCP affects liver cells. At low levels found in people, it stops the cells from burning fat properly and makes them switch to a less efficient way of making energy, like what happens in cancer cells.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
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Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at how a chemical called SCCP affects liver cells. At low levels found in people, it stops the cells from burning fat properly and makes them switch to a less efficient way of making energy, like what happens in cancer cells.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 53 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Publication
Authors
Gong Y, Geng N, Zhang H, Luo Y, Giesy JP, Sun S, Wu P, Yu Z, Chen J
Related Content
Claims (4)
Turning on a protein called PPARα helps cells move fat into tiny energy factories (mitochondria) so it can be burned for fuel.
Being exposed to a certain chemical (SCCPs) at a specific level seems to mess up how liver cells burn fat, based on lab tests with human liver cells in a dish.
A type of industrial chemical might turn on a certain human cell signal at high levels, but actually turns it off at lower levels that are more like what people are exposed to.
When liver cells are exposed to a common pollutant at a certain level, they start changing how they make energy — switching from their normal method to one usually seen in cancer cells, even though they're not cancerous.