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Piccinin E, Arconzo M, Pasculli E, Tricase AF, Cultrera S, Bertrand-Michel J, Loiseau N, Villani G, Guillou H, Moschetta A. Pivotal role of intestinal cholesterol and nuclear receptor LXR in metabolic liver steatohepatitis and hepatocarcinoma. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:69. [PMID: 38824560 PMCID: PMC11144344 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01248-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence is continuously increasing worldwide, due to the rise of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) cases. Cholesterol is an essential driver of the metabolic dysregulations that promote HCC progression. Liver X Receptor (LXR) is a nuclear receptor best known for the regulation of lipid and cholesterol homeostasis, with a prominent function in the liver and in the intestine. Here, we aimed to explore whether modifications in intestinal lipid metabolism may contribute to the onset of HCC, particularly taking into account cholesterol metabolism and LXRs. To study the progression of MASH to HCC, we induced metabolic HCC in wild-type male mice and mice carrying an intestinal chronic activation of LXRα. Also, we analysed human hepatic transcriptome datasets. The increased consumption of fat and carbohydrates drives the intestinal activation of LXRα and accelerates the onset of the hepatic tumours. Chronic intestinal-specific activation of LXRα enhances HCC progression only in the presence of a high cholesterol intake. In HCC, despite the increased hepatic cholesterol content, LXR is not active, thus driving liver cancer development. Intriguingly, in line with these results in the mouse model, LXR transcriptome is also downregulated in human hepatocarcinoma and its expression level in liver tumours directly correlates with a decreased survival rate in patients. Overall, our findings establish the relevance of the intestine in influencing the susceptibility to MASH-HCC and point to intestinal LXRα activation as a driver of metabolic liver cancer in the presence of dietary cholesterol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Piccinin
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari, 70124, Italy
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Arconzo
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari, 70124, Italy
| | - Emanuela Pasculli
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari, 70124, Italy
| | - Angela Fulvia Tricase
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari, 70124, Italy
| | - Silvia Cultrera
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari, 70124, Italy
| | | | - Nicolas Loiseau
- Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP-PURPAN, UMR 1331, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Gaetano Villani
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Hervé Guillou
- Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP-PURPAN, UMR 1331, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Antonio Moschetta
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari, 70124, Italy.
- INBB, National Institute for Biostructures and Biosystems, Rome, Italy.
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Liu Z, Huang H, Xie J, Xu Y, Xu C. Circulating fatty acids and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease mortality in the UK Biobank. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3707. [PMID: 38697980 PMCID: PMC11065883 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47960-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based plasma fatty acids are objective biomarkers of many diseases. Herein, we aim to explore the associations of NMR-based plasma fatty acids with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and chronic liver disease (CLD) mortality in 252,398 UK Biobank participants. Here we show plasma levels of n-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and n-6 PUFA are negatively associated with the risk of incident HCC [HRQ4vsQ1: 0.48 (95% CI: 0.33-0.69) and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.28-0.81), respectively] and CLD mortality [HRQ4vsQ1: 0.21 (95% CI: 0.13-0.33) and 0.15 (95% CI: 0.08-0.30), respectively], whereas plasma levels of saturated fatty acids are positively associated with these outcomes [HRQ4vsQ1: 3.55 (95% CI: 2.25-5.61) for HCC and 6.34 (95% CI: 3.68-10.92) for CLD mortality]. Furthermore, fibrosis stage significantly modifies the associations between PUFA and CLD mortality. This study contributes to the limited prospective evidence on the associations between plasma-specific fatty acids and end-stage liver outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhening Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Hangkai Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Jiarong Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, China
| | - Yingying Xu
- Department of Geriatrics, the Third People's Hospital of Yuyao, Yuyao, 311101, China
| | - Chengfu Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
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Sun Q, Xing X, Wang H, Wan K, Fan R, Liu C, Wang Y, Wu W, Wang Y, Wang R. SCD1 is the critical signaling hub to mediate metabolic diseases: Mechanism and the development of its inhibitors. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:115586. [PMID: 38042113 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic diseases, featured with dysregulated energy homeostasis, have become major global health challenges. Patients with metabolic diseases have high probability to manifest multiple complications in lipid metabolism, e.g. obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver. Therefore, targeting the hub genes in lipid metabolism may systemically ameliorate the metabolic diseases, along with the complications. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1(SCD1) is a key enzyme that desaturates the saturated fatty acids (SFAs) derived from de novo lipogenesis or diet to generate monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). SCD1 maintains the metabolic and tissue homeostasis by responding to, and integrating the multiple layers of endogenous stimuli, which is mediated by the synthesized MUFAs. It critically regulates a myriad of physiological processes, including energy homeostasis, development, autophagy, tumorigenesis and inflammation. Aberrant transcriptional and epigenetic activation of SCD1 regulates AMPK/ACC, SIRT1/PGC1α, NcDase/Wnt, etc, and causes aberrant lipid accumulation, thereby promoting the progression of obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver, diabetes and cancer. This review critically assesses the integrative mechanisms of the (patho)physiological functions of SCD1 in metabolic homeostasis, inflammation and autophagy. For translational perspective, potent SCD1 inhibitors have been developed to treat various types of cancer. We thus discuss the multidisciplinary advances that greatly accelerate the development of SCD1 new inhibitors. In conclusion, besides cancer treatment, SCD1 may serve as the promising target to combat multiple metabolic complications simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Sun
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaorui Xing
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Huanyu Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Kang Wan
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Ruobing Fan
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Cheng Liu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yongjian Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Wenyi Wu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yibing Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Ru Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China.
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Kim DH, Song NY, Yim H. Targeting dysregulated lipid metabolism in the tumor microenvironment. Arch Pharm Res 2023; 46:855-881. [PMID: 38060103 PMCID: PMC10725365 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-023-01473-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The reprogramming of lipid metabolism and its association with oncogenic signaling pathways within the tumor microenvironment (TME) have emerged as significant hallmarks of cancer. Lipid metabolism is defined as a complex set of molecular processes including lipid uptake, synthesis, transport, and degradation. The dysregulation of lipid metabolism is affected by enzymes and signaling molecules directly or indirectly involved in the lipid metabolic process. Regulation of lipid metabolizing enzymes has been shown to modulate cancer development and to avoid resistance to anticancer drugs in tumors and the TME. Because of this, understanding the metabolic reprogramming associated with oncogenic progression is important to develop strategies for cancer treatment. Recent advances provide insight into fundamental mechanisms and the connections between altered lipid metabolism and tumorigenesis. In this review, we explore alterations to lipid metabolism and the pivotal factors driving lipid metabolic reprogramming, which exacerbate cancer progression. We also shed light on the latest insights and current therapeutic approaches based on small molecular inhibitors and phytochemicals targeting lipid metabolism for cancer treatment. Further investigations are worthwhile to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and the correlation between altered lipid metabolism and carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do-Hee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, College of Convergence and Integrated Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon, 16227, Korea
| | - Na-Young Song
- Department of Applied Life Science, The Graduate School, BK21 Four Project, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Korea
- Department of Oral Biology, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Hyungshin Yim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Korea.
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Piccinin E, Arconzo M, Matrella ML, Cariello M, Polizzi A, Lippi Y, Bertrand-Michel J, Guillou H, Loiseau N, Villani G, Moschetta A. Intestinal Pgc1α ablation protects from liver steatosis and fibrosis. JHEP Rep 2023; 5:100853. [PMID: 37886435 PMCID: PMC10597770 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims The gut-liver axis modulates the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a spectrum of conditions characterised by hepatic steatosis and a progressive increase of inflammation and fibrosis, culminating in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1α (Pgc1α) is a transcriptional co-regulator of mitochondrial activity and lipid metabolism. Here, the intestinal-specific role of Pgc1α was analysed in liver steatosis and fibrosis. Methods We used a mouse model in which Pgc1α was selectively deleted from the intestinal epithelium. We fed these mice and their wild-type littermates a Western diet to recapitulate the major features of liver steatosis (after 2 months of diet) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (after 4 months of diet). The chow diet was administered as a control diet. Results In humans and mice, low expression of intestinal Pgc1α is inversely associated with liver steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Intestinal disruption of Pgc1α impairs the transcription of a wide number of genes, including the cholesterol transporter Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (Npc1l1), thus limiting the uptake of cholesterol from the gut. This results in a lower cholesterol accretion in the liver and a decreased production of new fatty acids, which protect the liver from lipotoxic lipid species accumulation, inflammation, and related fibrotic processes. Conclusions In humans and mice, intestinal Pgc1α induction during Western diet may be another culprit driving hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Here, we show that enterocyte-specific Pgc1α ablation protects the liver from steatosis and fibrosis by reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption, with subsequent decrease of cholesterol and de novo fatty acid accumulation in the liver. Impact and implications Liver diseases result from several insults, including signals from the gut. Although the incidence of liver diseases is continuously increasing worldwide, effective drug therapy is still lacking. Here, we showed that the modulation of an intestinal coactivator regulates the liver response to a Western diet, by limiting the uptake of dietary cholesterol. This results in a lower accumulation of hepatic lipids together with decreased inflammation and fibrosis, thus limiting the progression of liver steatosis and fibrosis towards severe end-stage diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Piccinin
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Arconzo
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Matrella
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
| | - Marica Cariello
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
| | - Arnaud Polizzi
- Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP-PURPAN, UMR 1331, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Yannick Lippi
- Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP-PURPAN, UMR 1331, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Hervé Guillou
- Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP-PURPAN, UMR 1331, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Loiseau
- Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP-PURPAN, UMR 1331, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Gaetano Villani
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Moschetta
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
- INBB, National Institute for Biostructures and Biosystems, Rome, Italy
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Musso G, Saba F, Cassader M, Gambino R. Lipidomics in pathogenesis, progression and treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): Recent advances. Prog Lipid Res 2023; 91:101238. [PMID: 37244504 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2023.101238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease affecting up to 30% of the general adult population. NAFLD encompasses a histological spectrum ranging from pure steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH can progress to cirrhosis and is becoming the most common indication for liver transplantation, as a result of increasing disease prevalence and of the absence of approved treatments. Lipidomic readouts of liver blood and urine samples from experimental models and from NASH patients disclosed an abnormal lipid composition and metabolism. Collectively, these changes impair organelle function and promote cell damage, necro-inflammation and fibrosis, a condition termed lipotoxicity. We will discuss the lipid species and metabolic pathways leading to NASH development and progression to cirrhosis, as well as and those species that can contribute to inflammation resolution and fibrosis regression. We will also focus on emerging lipid-based therapeutic opportunities, including specialized proresolving lipid molecules and macrovesicles contributing to cell-to-cell communication and NASH pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Musso
- Dept of Emergency Medicine, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, Orbassano, Turin, Italy.
| | - Francesca Saba
- Dept. of Medical Sciences, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Maurizio Cassader
- Dept. of Medical Sciences, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Roberto Gambino
- Dept. of Medical Sciences, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Chua D, Low ZS, Cheam GX, Ng AS, Tan NS. Utility of Human Relevant Preclinical Animal Models in Navigating NAFLD to MAFLD Paradigm. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314762. [PMID: 36499091 PMCID: PMC9737809 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty liver disease is an emerging contributor to disease burden worldwide. The past decades of work established the heterogeneous nature of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) etiology and systemic contributions to the pathogenesis of the disease. This called for the proposal of a redefinition in 2020 to that of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) to better reflect the current understanding of the disease. To date, several clinical cohort studies comparing NAFLD and MAFLD hint at the relevancy of the new nomenclature in enriching for patients with more severe hepatic injury and extrahepatic comorbidities. However, the underlying systemic pathogenesis is still not fully understood. Preclinical animal models have been imperative in elucidating key biological mechanisms in various contexts, including intrahepatic disease progression, interorgan crosstalk and systemic dysregulation. Furthermore, they are integral in developing novel therapeutics against MAFLD. However, substantial contextual variabilities exist across different models due to the lack of standardization in several aspects. As such, it is crucial to understand the strengths and weaknesses of existing models to better align them to the human condition. In this review, we consolidate the implications arising from the change in nomenclature and summarize MAFLD pathogenesis. Subsequently, we provide an updated evaluation of existing MAFLD preclinical models in alignment with the new definitions and perspectives to improve their translational relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Chua
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308232, Singapore
- Correspondence: (D.C.); (N.S.T.); Tel.: +65-63162941 (N.S.T.); Fax: +65-67913856 (N.S.T.)
| | - Zun Siong Low
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308232, Singapore
| | - Guo Xiang Cheam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Aik Seng Ng
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Nguan Soon Tan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308232, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
- Correspondence: (D.C.); (N.S.T.); Tel.: +65-63162941 (N.S.T.); Fax: +65-67913856 (N.S.T.)
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