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Raya Tonetti F, Eguileor A, Mrdjen M, Pathak V, Travers J, Nagy LE, Llorente C. Gut-liver axis: Recent concepts in pathophysiology in alcohol-associated liver disease. Hepatology 2024:01515467-990000000-00873. [PMID: 38691396 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
The growing recognition of the role of the gut microbiome's impact on alcohol-associated diseases, especially in alcohol-associated liver disease, emphasizes the need to understand molecular mechanisms involved in governing organ-organ communication to identify novel avenues to combat alcohol-associated diseases. The gut-liver axis refers to the bidirectional communication and interaction between the gut and the liver. Intestinal microbiota plays a pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis within the gut-liver axis, and this axis plays a significant role in alcohol-associated liver disease. The intricate communication between intestine and liver involves communication between multiple cellular components in each organ that enable them to carry out their physiological functions. In this review, we focus on novel approaches to understanding how chronic alcohol exposure impacts the microbiome and individual cells within the liver and intestine, as well as the impact of ethanol on the molecular machinery required for intraorgan and interorgan communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Raya Tonetti
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Alvaro Eguileor
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Marko Mrdjen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Vai Pathak
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jared Travers
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Laura E Nagy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Cristina Llorente
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Liu Y, Chen H, Yan X, Zhang J, Deng Z, Huang M, Gu J, Zhang J. MyD88 in myofibroblasts enhances nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-related hepatocarcinogenesis via promoting macrophage M2 polarization. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:86. [PMID: 38291436 PMCID: PMC10826060 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01489-x] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver diseases and has emerged as the leading factor in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MyD88 contributes to the development of HCC. However, the underlying mechanism by which MyD88 in myofibroblasts regulates NAFLD-associated liver cancer development remains unknown. RESULTS Myofibroblast MyD88-deficient (SMAMyD88-/-) mice were protected from diet-induced obesity and developed fewer and smaller liver tumors. MyD88 deficiency in myofibroblasts attenuated macrophage M2 polarization and fat accumulation in HCC tissues. Mechanistically, MyD88 signaling in myofibroblasts enhanced CCL9 secretion, thereby promoting macrophage M2 polarization. This process may depend on the CCR1 receptor and STAT6/ PPARβ pathway. Furthermore, liver tumor growth was attenuated in mice treated with a CCR1 inhibitor. CCLl5 (homologous protein CCL9 in humans) expression was increased in myofibroblasts of HCC and was associated with shorter survival of patients with HCC. Thus, our results indicate that MyD88 in myofibroblasts promotes NAFLD-related HCC progression and may be a promising therapeutic target for HCC treatment. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that MyD88 in myofibroblasts can promote nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-related hepatocarcinogenesis by enhancing macrophage M2 polarization, which might provide a potential molecular therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, No.3 Shangyuancun Road, Beijing, 100044, P.R. China
| | - Haiqiang Chen
- College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, No.3 Shangyuancun Road, Beijing, 100044, P.R. China
| | - Xuanxuan Yan
- College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, No.3 Shangyuancun Road, Beijing, 100044, P.R. China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, No.3 Shangyuancun Road, Beijing, 100044, P.R. China
| | - Zhenzhong Deng
- Department of Oncology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| | - Maosheng Huang
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianchun Gu
- Department of Oncology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China.
| | - Jinhua Zhang
- College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, No.3 Shangyuancun Road, Beijing, 100044, P.R. China.
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Wang L, Zhou K, Wu Q, Zhu L, Hu Y, Yang X, Li D. Microanatomy of the metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) by single-cell transcriptomics. J Drug Target 2023; 31:421-432. [PMID: 36847649 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2023.2185626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide and comprises non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Due to the high prevalence and poor prognosis of NASH, it is critical to identify and treat patients at risk. However, the aetiology and mechanisms remain largely unknown, warranting further analysis. METHODS We first identified differential genes in NASH by single-cell analysis of the GSE129516 dataset and conducted expression profiling data analysis of the GSE184019 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then single-cell trajectory reconstruction and analysis, immune gene score, cellular communication, key gene screening, functional enrichment analysis, and immune microenvironment analysis were carried out. Finally, cell experiments were performed to verify the role of key genes in NASH. RESULTS We conducted transcriptome profiling of 30,038 single cells, including hepatocytes and non-hepatocytes from normal and steatosis adult mouse livers. Comparative analysis of hepatocytes and non-hepatocytes revealed pronounced heterogeneity as non-hepatocytes acted as major cell-communication hubs. The results showed that Hspa1b, Tfrc, Hmox1 and Map4k4 could effectively distinguish NASH tissues from normal samples. The results of scRNA-seq and qPCR indicated that the expression levels of hub genes in NASH were significantly higher than in normal cells or tissues. Further immune infiltration analysis showed significant differences in M2 macrophage distribution between healthy and metabolic-associated fatty liver samples. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that Hspa1b, Tfrc, Hmox1 and Map4k4 have huge prospects as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for NASH and may be potential therapeutic targets for NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Wang
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of Stomatology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Kebing Zhou
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of General Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Qing Wu
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of General Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Lingping Zhu
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of General Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Xuefeng Yang
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of General Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Duo Li
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of General Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
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Dong H, Zhong W, Zhang W, Hao L, Guo W, Yue R, Sun X, Sun Z, Bataller R, Zhou Z. Loss of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 promotes hepatocyte death in alcohol-induced steatohepatitis. Metabolism 2023; 138:155334. [PMID: 36349655 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2022.155334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption has been shown to disrupt hepatic lipid homeostasis. Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) critically regulates hepatic fatty acid metabolism and lipid homeostasis by channeling fatty acids to lipid metabolic pathways. However, it remains unclear how ACSL1 contributes to the development of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). METHODS We performed chronic alcohol feeding animal studies with hepatocyte-specific ACSL1 knockout (ACSL1Δhep) mice, hepatocyte-specific STAT5 knockout (STAT5Δhep) mice, and ACSL1Δhep based-STAT5B overexpression (Stat5b-OE) mice. Cell studies were conducted to define the causal role of ACSL1 deficiency in the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced liver injury. The clinical relevance of the STAT5-ACSL1 pathway was examined using liver tissues from patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and normal subjects (Normal). RESULTS We found that chronic alcohol consumption reduced hepatic ACSL1 expression in AH patients and ALD mice. Hepatocyte-specific ACSL1 deletion exacerbated alcohol-induced liver injury by increasing free fatty acids (FFA) accumulation and cell death. Cell studies revealed that FFA elicited the translocation of BAX and p-MLKL to the lysosomal membrane, resulting in lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and thereby initiating lysosomal-mediated cell death pathway. Furthermore, we identified that the signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) is a novel transcriptional regulator of ACSL1. Deletion of STAT5 exacerbated alcohol-induced liver injury in association with downregulation of ACSL1, and reactivation of ACSL1 by STAT5 overexpression effectively ameliorated alcohol-induced liver injury. In addition, ACSL1 expression was positively correlated with STAT5 and negatively correlated with cell death was also validated in the liver of AH patients. CONCLUSIONS ACSL1 deficiency due to STAT5 inactivation critically mediates alcohol-induced lipotoxicity and cell death in the development of ALD. These findings provide insights into alcohol-induced liver injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Dong
- Center for Translational Biomedical Research, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Wei Zhong
- Center for Translational Biomedical Research, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA; Department of Nutrition, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Wenliang Zhang
- Center for Translational Biomedical Research, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Liuyi Hao
- Center for Translational Biomedical Research, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Wei Guo
- Center for Translational Biomedical Research, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Ruichao Yue
- Center for Translational Biomedical Research, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Xinguo Sun
- Center for Translational Biomedical Research, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Zhaoli Sun
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ramon Bataller
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Zhanxiang Zhou
- Center for Translational Biomedical Research, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA; Department of Nutrition, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
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