Method of Treating Hepatic Steatosis

Abstract

A method of treating hyperglycemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance (insulin insensitivity), impaired glucose tolerance, high glucose levels, pulmonary hypertension, and/or a condition arising from any of the foregoing in a patient is provided. The method comprises knocking down mARC2 or mARC1 expression in the patient, or otherwise decreasing mARC2 and mARC1 activity in the patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating hepatic steatosis in a patient in need thereof, comprising knocking down expression of a mitochondrial amidoxime reducing component (mARC) in a patient, thereby treating hepatic steatosis in the patient, wherein the mARC is mARC2 or mARC1. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mARC mRNA levels are reduced in a cell of the patient. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mARC mRNA levels are reduced by administration of a RNAi agent to the patient. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the RNAi specifically hybridizes to the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1 or the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the RNAi ranges from 21-33 bases in length and comprises or consists of a sequence GTGCTCATCTCCATCATTTAT (SEQ ID NO: 5), GATGAACTCCTAATTGGTAGT (SEQ ID NO: 6), GAACTCCTAATTGGTAGTGTA (SEQ ID NO: 7), GAGGGATTGACTGAGATCTTA (SEQ ID NO: 8), ACAACAGCAGCAACGATACAT (SEQ ID NO: 9), GATGTGCAGGACGCATGTTAC (SEQ ID NO: 10), GGACCTACTACTGCCTATCAA (SEQ ID NO: 11), GAAGAGTTATCGCCAGTGTGA (SEQ ID NO: 12), GACCCTTCAGAACGAAAGTTA (SEQ ID NO: 13), GGTGTCTCAATGCTTCAATGT (SEQ ID NO: 14), GGCTGGAAGAATATCCTAGAA (SEQ ID NO: 15), or GTGATTTCAGATAGACTACTG (SEQ ID NO: 16). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hepatic steatosis is associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hepatic steatosis is associated with Type 2 diabetes.