Sex differences in nuclear receptor-regulated liver metabolic pathways

Accumulation of Non-Pathological Liver Fat Is Associated with the Loss of Glyoxalase I Activity in Humans

The underlying molecular mechanisms for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and its progression to advanced liver diseases remain elusive. Glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) loss, leading to elevated methylglyoxal (MG) and dicarbonyl stress, has been implicated in various diseases, including obesity-related conditions. This study aimed to investigate changes in the glyoxalase system in individuals with non-pathological liver fat. Liver biopsies were obtained from 30 individuals with a narrow range of BMI (24.6-29.8 kg/m2). Whole-body insulin sensitivity was assessed using HOMA-IR. Liver biopsies were analyzed for total triglyceride content, Glo1 and Glo2 mRNA, protein expression, and activity. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry determined liver dicarbonyl content and oxidation and glycation biomarkers. Liver Glo1 activity showed an inverse correlation with HOMA-IR and liver triglyceride content, but not BMI. Despite reduced Glo1 activity, no associations were found with elevated liver dicarbonyls or glycation markers. A sex dimorphism was observed in Glo1, with females exhibiting significantly lower liver Glo1 protein expression and activity, and higher liver MG-H1 content compared to males. This study demonstrates that increasing liver fat, even within a non-pathological range, is associated with reduced Glo1 activity.

Pregnane X receptor knockout mitigates weight gain and hepatic metabolic dysregulation in female C57BL/6 J mice on a long-term high-fat diet

Obesity is a significant risk factor for several chronic diseases. However, pre-menopausal females are protected against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and its adverse effects. The pregnane X receptor (PXR, NR1I2), a xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptor, promotes short-term obesity-associated liver disease only in male mice but not in females. Therefore, the current study investigated the metabolic and pathophysiological effects of a long-term 52-week HFD in female wild-type (WT) and PXR-KO mice and characterized the PXR-dependent molecular pathways involved. After 52 weeks of HFD ingestion, the body and liver weights and several markers of hepatotoxicity were significantly higher in WT mice than in their PXR-KO counterparts. The HFD-induced liver injury in WT female mice was also associated with upregulation of the hepatic mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg), its target genes, fat-specific protein 27 (Fsp27), and the liver-specific Fsp27b involved in lipid accumulation, apoptosis, and inflammation. Notably, PXR-KO mice displayed elevated hepatic Cyp2a5 (anti-obesity gene), aldo-keto reductase 1b7 (Akr1b7), glutathione-S-transferase M3 (Gstm3) (antioxidant gene), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels, contributing to protection against long-term HFD-induced obesity and inflammation. RNA sequencing analysis revealed a general blunting of the transcriptomic response to HFD in PXR-KO compared to WT mice. Pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated enrichment by HFD for several pathways, including oxidative stress and redox pathway, cholesterol biosynthesis, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis in WT but not PXR-KO mice. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms by which PXR deficiency protects against long-term HFD-induced severe obesity and its adverse effects in female mice.

Biological sex differences in hepatic response to in utero dimethylbenz(a)anthracene exposure

Fetal hepatic dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) biotransformation is not defined, thus, this study investigated whether the fetal liver metabolizes DMBA and differs with biological sex. KK.Cg-a/a (lean; n = 20) or KK.Cg-Ay/J (obese; n = 20) pregnant mice were exposed to corn oil (CT) or DMBA (1 mg/kg bw/day) by intraperitoneal injection (n = 10/treatment) from gestation day 7-14. Postnatal day 2 male or female offspring livers were collected. Total RNA (n = 6) and protein (n = 6) were analyzed via a PCR-based array or LC-MS/MS, respectively. The level of Mgst3 was lower (P < 0.05) in livers of female compared to male offspring. Furthermore, in utero DMBA exposure increased (P < 0.1) Cyp2c29 and Gpx3 levels (P < 0.05) in female offspring. In male offspring, the abundance of Ahr, Comt (P < 0.1), Alox5, and Asna1 (P < 0.05) decreased due to DMBA exposure. Female and male offspring had 34 and 21 hepatic proteins altered (P < 0.05) by in utero DMBA exposure, respectively. Opposing patterns for hepatic CD81 and KRT78 occurred, being decreased in females but increased in males, while YWHAG was decreased by DMBA exposure in both. Functional KEGG pathway analysis identified enrichment of 26 and 13 hepatic metabolic proteins in male and female offspring, respectively, due to in utero DMBA exposure. In silico transcription factor analysis of differentially expressed proteins predicted involvement of female NRF1 but male AHR. Thus, hepatic biological sex differences and capacity to respond to toxicants in utero are supported.

Metabolic effects of nuclear receptor activation in vivo after 28-day oral exposure to three endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Environmental exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can lead to metabolic disruption, resulting in metabolic complications including adiposity, dyslipidemia, hepatic lipid accumulation, and glucose intolerance. Hepatic nuclear receptor activation is one of the mechanisms mediating metabolic effects of EDCs. Here, we investigated the potential to use a repeated dose 28-day oral toxicity test for identification of EDCs with metabolic endpoints. Bisphenol A (BPA), pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile (PCN), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were used as reference compounds. Male and female wild-type C57BL/6 mice were orally exposed to 5, 50, and 500 μg/kg of BPA, 1000, 10 000, and 100 000 µg/kg of PCN and 50 and 300 μg/kg of PFOA for 28 days next to normal chow diet. Primary endpoints were glucose tolerance, hepatic lipid accumulation, and plasma lipids. After 28-day exposure, no changes in body weight and glucose tolerance were observed in BPA-, PCN-, or PFOA-treated males or females. PCN and PFOA at the highest dose in both sexes and BPA at the middle and high dose in males increased relative liver weight. PFOA reduced plasma triglycerides in males and females, and increased hepatic triglyceride content in males. PCN and PFOA induced hepatic expression of typical pregnane X receptor (PXR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α target genes, respectively. Exposure to BPA resulted in limited gene expression changes. In conclusion, the observed changes on metabolic health parameters were modest, suggesting that a standard repeated dose 28-day oral toxicity test is not a sensitive method for the detection of the metabolic effect of EDCs.

Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin (SERPINA6) Consolidates Sexual Dimorphism of Adult Rat Liver

Produced by the liver, corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) regulates the plasma distribution and actions of glucocorticoids. A sex difference in pituitary growth hormone secretion patterns established during puberty in rats results in increased hepatic CBG production and 2-fold higher plasma corticosterone levels in females. Glucocorticoids control hepatic development and metabolic activities, and we have therefore examined how disrupting the SerpinA6 gene encoding CBG influences plasma corticosterone dynamics, as well as liver gene expression in male and female rats before and after puberty. Comparisons of corticosterone plasma clearance and hepatic uptake in adult rats, with or without CBG, indicated that CBG limits corticosterone clearance by reducing its hepatic uptake. Hepatic transcriptomic profiling revealed minor sex differences (207 differentially expressed genes) and minimal effect of CBG deficiency in 30-day-old rats before puberty. While liver transcriptomes in 60-day-old males lacking CBG remained essentially unchanged, 2710 genes were differentially expressed in wild-type female vs male livers at this age. Importantly, ∼10% of these genes lost their sexually dimorphic expression in adult females lacking CBG, including those related to cholesterol biosynthesis, inflammation, and lipid and amino acid catabolism. Another 203 genes were altered by the loss of CBG specifically in adult females, including those related to xenobiotic metabolism, circadian rhythm, and gluconeogenesis. Our findings reveal that CBG consolidates the sexual dimorphism of the rat liver initiated by sex differences in growth hormone secretion patterns and provide insight into how CBG deficiencies are linked to glucocorticoid-dependent diseases.

The influence of environmental and ecological factors on the accumulation and distribution of short- and long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids in a mid-trophic avian insectivore

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) include perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (PFDS), as well as increasingly used alternative short-chain perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs) and short- and long-chain (≥C₉) perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs). In the present study, tissues of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from two sites in southern Ontario, Canada, were analyzed for 17 individual PFAAs and showed egg and nestling tissue (liver, carcass) profiles dominated by PFOS (57-66%). The remaining PFAAs contributed ≤7% each, although collectively the long-chain PFCAs comprised 21-29% of the PFAAs. The short-chain PFSAs and PFCAs were among the lowest concentrations, suggesting that despite increased production and use of these alternative PFAAs, they are not accumulated to the same extent as the long-chain PFSAs and PFCAs. PFOS, PFDS, and some long-chain PFCAs were significantly higher in eggs than in livers and carcasses, whereas PFOA and the two short-chain PFCAs were significantly higher in nestling tissues than in eggs. For the two short-chain PFSAs, concentrations were similar among tissues. Tree swallow tissues at the site near a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall showed higher concentrations of PFOS, PFDS, PFHxS, and some long-chain PFCAs than tree swallows sampled at the nearby reference site; however, the influence of the WWTP was more equivocal for PFOA, other long-chain PFCAs, and short-chain PFSAs and PFCAs. Carbon stable isotopes (δ¹³C) and fatty acid signatures indicated that the diets of the WWTP swallows were more terrestrial than the reference swallows. Nonetheless, models considering environmental and ecological variables indicated that site was often the primary driver of PFAA variation among the swallows, with less or no influence of dietary patterns, or sex or body condition, revealing that of WWTP effluent can be an important environmental source of the major PFAAs in tree swallows.

How Donor and Surgical Factors Affect the Viability and Functionality of Human Hepatocytes Isolated From Liver Resections

Liver resections are a significant source of primary human hepatocytes used mainly in artificial liver devices and pharmacological and biomedical studies. However, it is not well known how patient-donor and surgery-dependent factors influence isolated hepatocytes’ yield, viability, and function. Hence, we aimed to analyze the impact of all these elements on the outcome of human hepatocyte isolation.

Paternally expressed gene 3 (Pw1/Peg3) promotes sexual dimorphism in metabolism and behavior

The paternally expressed gene 3 (Pw1/Peg3) is a mammalian-specific parentally imprinted gene expressed in stem/progenitor cells of the brain and endocrine tissues. Here, we compared phenotypic characteristics in Pw1/Peg3 deficient male and female mice. Our findings indicate that Pw1/Peg3 is a key player for the determination of sexual dimorphism in metabolism and behavior. Mice carrying a paternally inherited Pw1/Peg3 mutant allele manifested postnatal deficits in GH/IGF dependent growth before weaning, sex steroid dependent masculinization during puberty, and insulin dependent fat accumulation in adulthood. As a result, Pw1/Peg3 deficient mice develop a sex-dependent global shift of body metabolism towards accelerated adiposity, diabetic-like insulin resistance, and fatty liver. Furthermore, Pw1/Peg3 deficient males displayed reduced social dominance and competitiveness concomitant with alterations in the vasopressinergic architecture in the brain. This study demonstrates that Pw1/Peg3 provides an epigenetic context that promotes male-specific characteristics through sex steroid pathways during postnatal development.

Pw1/Peg3 is under parental specific epigenetic regulation. We propose that Pw1/Peg3 confers a selective advantage in mammals by regulating sexual dimorphism. To address this question, we examined the consequences of Pw1/Peg3 loss of function in mice in an age- and sex-dependent context and found that Pw1/Peg3 mutants display reduced sexual dimorphism in growth, metabolism and behaviors. Our findings support the intralocus sexual conflict model of genomic imprinting where it contributes in sexual differentiation. Furthermore, our observations provide a unifying role of sex steroid signaling as a common property of Pw1/Peg3 expressing stem/progenitor cells and differentiated endocrine cells, both of which remain proliferative in response to gonadal hormones in adult life.

Hepatic sexual dimorphism - implications for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

The liver is often thought of as a single functional unit, but both its structural and functional architecture make it highly multivalent and adaptable. In any given physiological situation, the liver can maintain metabolic homeostasis, conduct appropriate inflammatory responses, carry out endobiotic and xenobiotic transformation and synthesis reactions, as well as store and release multiple bioactive molecules. Moreover, the liver is a very resilient organ. This resilience means that chronic liver diseases can go unnoticed for decades, yet culminate in life-threatening clinical complications once the adaptive capacity of the liver is overwhelmed. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) predisposes individuals to cirrhosis and increases liver-related and cardiovascular disease-related mortality. This Review discusses the accumulating evidence of sexual dimorphism in NAFLD, which is currently rarely considered in preclinical and clinical studies. Increased awareness of the mechanistic causes of hepatic sexual dimorphism could lead to improved understanding of the biological processes that are dysregulated in NAFLD, to the identification of relevant therapeutic targets and to improved risk stratification of patients with NAFLD undergoing therapeutic intervention.

Alterations in small RNA profiles in liver following a subchronic exposure to a low-dose pesticide mixture in Sprague-Dawley rats

Small RNAs have emerged as a promising new type of biomarker to monitor health status and track the development of diseases. Here we report changes in the levels of small RNAs in the liver of rats exposed to a mixture of six pesticides frequently detected in foodstuffs (azoxystrobin, boscalid, chlorpyrifos, glyphosate, imidacloprid and thiabendazole). Multivariate analysis with OPLS-DA methods showed that small RNA profiles can discriminate samples from pesticide treated rats from their concurrent controls. A total of 9 miRNAs were found to have their levels altered in the liver of the pesticide-treated rats in comparison to the controls, which included 7 that were downregulated (miR-22-5p, miR-193a-3p, miR-32-5p, miR-33-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-22-3p, miR-130a-3p) and 2 that were upregulated (miR-486-5p, miR-146a-5p). These miRNAs were predicted to regulate genes, which were found to have their expression altered by the pesticide mixture and have known health implications in the regulation of hepatic metabolism. This supports and extends our recent conclusions that high- throughput 'omics' analyses can reveal molecular perturbations, which can potentially act as sensitive and accurate markers of health risks arising from exposure to environmental pollutants such as pesticides.

Roles of Estrogens in the Healthy and Diseased Oviparous Vertebrate Liver

The liver is a vital organ that sustains multiple functions beneficial for the whole organism. It is sexually dimorphic, presenting sex-biased gene expression with implications for the phenotypic differences between males and females. Estrogens are involved in this sex dimorphism and their actions in the liver of several reptiles, fishes, amphibians, and birds are discussed. The liver participates in reproduction by producing vitellogenins (yolk proteins) and eggshell proteins under the control of estrogens that act via two types of receptors active either mainly in the cell nucleus (ESR) or the cell membrane (GPER1). Estrogens also control hepatic lipid and lipoprotein metabolisms, with a triglyceride carrier role for VLDL from the liver to the ovaries during oogenesis. Moreover, the activation of the vitellogenin genes is used as a robust biomarker for exposure to xenoestrogens. In the context of liver diseases, high plasma estrogen levels are observed in fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in chicken implicating estrogens in the disease progression. Fishes are also used to investigate liver diseases, including models generated by mutation and transgenesis. In conclusion, studies on the roles of estrogens in the non-mammalian oviparous vertebrate liver have contributed enormously to unveil hormone-dependent physiological and physiopathological processes.

Sex differences feed into nuclear receptor signaling along the digestive tract

Sex differences in physiology are noted in clinical and animal studies. However, mechanisms underlying these observed differences between males and females remain elusive. Nuclear receptors control a wide range of physiological pathways and are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, stomach, liver and intestine. We investigated the literature pertaining to ER, AR, FXR, and PPAR regulation and highlight the sex differences in nutrient metabolism along the digestive system. We chose these nuclear receptors based on their metabolic functions, and hormonal actions. Intriguingly, we noted an overlap in target genes of ER and FXR that modulate mucosal integrity and GLP-1 secretion, whereas overlap in target genes of PPARα with ER and AR modulate lipid metabolism. Sex differences were seen not only in the basal expression of nuclear receptors, but also in activation as their endogenous ligand concentrations fluctuate depending on nutrient availability. Finally, in this review, we speculate that interactions between the nuclear receptors may influence overall metabolic decisions in the gastrointestinal tract in a sex-specific manner.

Sex-dependent dynamics of metabolism in primary mouse hepatocytes

The liver is one of the most sexually dimorphic organs. The hepatic metabolic pathways that are subject to sexual dimorphism include xenobiotic, amino acid and lipid metabolism. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma are among diseases with sex-dependent prevalence, progression and outcome. Although male and female livers differ in their abilities to metabolize foreign compounds, including drugs, sex-dependent treatment and pharmacological dynamics are rarely applied in all relevant cases. Therefore, it is important to consider hepatic sexual dimorphism when developing new treatment strategies and to understand the underlying mechanisms in model systems. We isolated primary hepatocytes from male and female C57BL6/N mice and examined the sex-dependent transcriptome, proteome and extracellular metabolome parameters in the course of culturing them for 96 h. The sex-specific gene expression of the general xenobiotic pathway altered and the female-specific expression of Cyp2b13 and Cyp2b9 was significantly reduced during culture. Sex-dependent differences of several signaling pathways increased, including genes related to serotonin and melatonin degradation. Furthermore, the ratios of male and female gene expression were inversed for other pathways, such as amino acid degradation, beta-oxidation, androgen signaling and hepatic steatosis. Because the primary hepatocytes were cultivated without the influence of known regulators of sexual dimorphism, these results suggest currently unknown modulatory mechanisms of sexual dimorphism in vitro. The large sex-dependent differences in the regulation and dynamics of drug metabolism observed during cultivation can have an immense influence on the evaluation of pharmacodynamic processes when conducting initial preclinical trials to investigate potential new drugs.

Intrauterine growth restriction leads to a high-corticosterone producing offspring: An implication for pulmonary infection susceptibility

AIMS

Although intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) impairs immune system homeostasis and lung development, its relationship with the susceptibility to pulmonary infections remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impact of IUGR on acute lung inflammatory response induced by bacterial stimulus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pregnant female Wistar rats were subjected to 50% caloric-protein food restriction during gestation. To mimic bacterial lung infection, adult male offspring (12 weeks old) were challenged with a single lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intranasal instillation, and 6 h later, we assessed the acute inflammatory response. Normal birth weight (NBW) animals represent the control group.

KEY FINDINGS

LPS instillation increased the protein levels in the airways of both the NBW and low birth weight (LBW) groups, indicating vascular leakage. LBW animals exhibited a lower number of neutrophils, reduced production of interleukin-6 and macrophage-inflammatory protein-2 and decreased upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene expression in lung tissues. Further analysis revealed that the LBW group produced lower levels of prostaglandin-E₂ and failed to secrete leukotriene-B₄ upon LPS stimulation, which correlated with impaired cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase expression. These results were probably associated with their inability to upregulate the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 and downstream signaling proteins, such as nuclear factor kappa-B, in the lungs. The LBW group also exhibited abnormal airway thickening and high corticosterone levels under basal conditions.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study suggests that IUGR-induced foetal programming in LBW offspring threatens HPA axis physiology and corticosterone biodisponibility, and impairs the innate response to bacterial antigens, increasing future susceptibility to pulmonary infection.

Xanthohumol ameliorates Diet-Induced Liver Dysfunction via Farnesoid X Receptor-Dependent and Independent Signaling

The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) plays a critical role in the regulation of lipid and bile acid (BA) homeostasis. Hepatic FXR loss results in lipid and BA accumulation, and progression from hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of xanthohumol (XN), a hop-derived compound mitigating metabolic syndrome, on liver damage induced by diet and FXR deficiency in mice. Wild-type (WT) and liver-specific FXR-null mice (FXR^Liver−/−) were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) containing XN or the vehicle formation followed by histological characterization, lipid, BA and gene profiling. HFD supplemented with XN resulted in amelioration of hepatic steatosis and decreased BA concentrations in FXR^Liver−/− mice, the effect being stronger in male mice. XN induced the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), pregnane X receptor (PXR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene expression in the liver of FXR^Liver−/− mice. These findings suggest that activation of BA detoxification pathways represents the predominant mechanism for controlling hydrophobic BA concentrations in FXR^Liver−/− mice. Collectively, these data indicated sex-dependent relationship between FXR, lipids and BAs, and suggest that XN ameliorates HFD-induced liver dysfunction via FXR-dependent and independent signaling.

Multi-omics phenotyping of the gut-liver axis reveals metabolic perturbations from a low-dose pesticide mixture in rats

Health effects of pesticides are not always accurately detected using the current battery of regulatory toxicity tests. We compared standard histopathology and serum biochemistry measures and multi-omics analyses in a subchronic toxicity test of a mixture of six pesticides frequently detected in foodstuffs (azoxystrobin, boscalid, chlorpyrifos, glyphosate, imidacloprid and thiabendazole) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Analysis of water and feed consumption, body weight, histopathology and serum biochemistry showed little effect. Contrastingly, serum and caecum metabolomics revealed that nicotinamide and tryptophan metabolism were affected, which suggested activation of an oxidative stress response. This was not reflected by gut microbial community composition changes evaluated by shotgun metagenomics. Transcriptomics of the liver showed that 257 genes had their expression changed. Gene functions affected included the regulation of response to steroid hormones and the activation of stress response pathways. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of the same liver samples showed that 4,255 CpG sites were differentially methylated. Overall, we demonstrated that in-depth molecular profiling in laboratory animals exposed to low concentrations of pesticides allows the detection of metabolic perturbations that would remain undetected by standard regulatory biochemical measures and which could thus improve the predictability of health risks from exposure to chemical pollutants.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and metabolic disorders in the liver: What if we also looked at the female side?

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are linked to the worldwide epidemic incidence of metabolic disorders and fatty liver diseases, which affects quality of life and represents a high economic cost to society. Energy homeostasis exhibits strong sexual dimorphic traits, and metabolic organs respond to EDCs depending on sex, such as the liver, which orchestrates both drug elimination and glucose and lipid metabolism. In addition, fatty liver diseases show a strong sexual bias, which in part could also originate from sex differences observed in gut microbiota. The aim of this review is to highlight significant differences in endocrine and metabolic aspects of the liver, between males and females throughout development and into adulthood. It is also to illustrate how the male and female liver differently cope with exposure to various EDCs such as bisphenols, phthalates and persistent organic chemicals in order to draw attention to the need to include both sexes in experimental studies. Interesting data come from analyses of the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota in males exposed to the mentioned EDCs showing significant correlations with hepatic lipid accumulation and metabolic disorders but information on females is lacking or incomplete. As industrialization increases, the list of anthropogenic chemicals to which humans will be exposed will also likely increase. In addition to strengthening existing regulations, encouraging populations to protect themselves and promoting the substitution of harmful chemicals with safe products, innovative strategies based on sex differences in the gut microbiota and in the gut-liver axis could be optimistic outlook.

PPARs in liver physiology

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors and transcriptional modulators with crucial functions in hepatic and whole-body energy homeostasis. Besides their well-documented roles in lipid and glucose metabolism, emerging evidence also implicate PPARs in the control of other processes such as inflammatory responses. Recent technological advances, such as single-cell RNA sequencing, have allowed to unravel an unexpected complexity in the regulation of PPAR expression, activity and downstream signaling. Here we provide an overview of the latest advances in the study of PPARs in liver physiology, with a specific focus on formerly neglected aspects of PPAR regulation, such as tissular zonation, cellular heterogeneity, circadian rhythms, sexual dimorphism and species-specific features.

Effect of sex-specific differences on function of induced hepatocyte-like cells generated from male and female mouse embryonic fibroblasts

BACKGROUND

The liver is one of the vital organs involved in detoxification and metabolism. The sex-based differences between the functionality of male and female liver have been previously reported, i.e., male's liver are good in alcohol clearance and lipid metabolism, while female's liver are better in cholesterol metabolism. To date, studies on novel drug toxicity have not considered the sex-specific dimorphic nature of the liver. However, the use of hepatocyte-like cells to treat liver diseases has increased recently.

METHODS

Mouse embryos were isolated from a pregnant female C57BL/6J mouse where mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were isolated from back skin tissue of each embryo. MEFs were transduced with human transcription factors hHnf1α, hHnf4α, and hFoxa3 using the lentiviral system. The transduced MEFs were further treated with hepatocyte-conditioned media followed by its analysis through RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence, functional assays, and finally whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing analysis. For in vivo investigation, the mouse hepatocyte-like cells (miHep) were transplanted into CCl4-induced acute liver mouse model.

RESULTS

In this study, we evaluated the sex-specific effect of miHep induced from male- and female-specific mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). We observed miHeps with a polygonal cytoplasm and bipolar nucleus and found that male miHeps showed higher mHnf4a, albumin secretion, and polyploidization than female miHeps. Transcriptomes from miHeps were similar to those from the liver, especially for Hnf4a of male miHeps. Male Cyps were normalized to those from females, which revealed Cyp expression differences between liver and miHeps. In both liver and miHeps, Cyp 4a12a and Cyp 4b13a/2b9 predominated in males and females, respectively. After grafting of miHeps, AST/ALT decreased, regardless of mouse sex.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, activation of endogenic Hnf4a is important for generation of successful sex-specific miHeps; furthermore, the male-derived miHep exhibits comparatively enhanced hepatic features than those of female miHep.

Obese mother offspring have hepatic lipidic modulation that contributes to sex-dependent metabolic adaptation later in life

With the increasing prevalence of obesity in women of reproductive age, there is an urgent need to understand the metabolic impact on the fetus. Sex-related susceptibility to liver diseases has been demonstrated but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we report that maternal obesity impacts lipid metabolism differently in female and male offspring. Males, but not females, gained more weight and had impaired insulin sensitivity when born from obese mothers compared to control. Although lipid mass was similar in the livers of female and male offspring, sex-specific modifications in the composition of fatty acids, triglycerides and phospholipids was observed. These overall changes could be linked to sex-specific regulation of genes controlling metabolic pathways. Our findings revised the current assumption that sex-dependent susceptibility to metabolic disorders is caused by sex-specific postnatal regulation and instead we provide molecular evidence supporting in utero metabolic adaptations in the offspring of obese mothers.

Rapid Jetlag Resetting of Behavioral, Physiological, and Molecular Rhythms in Proestrous Female Mice

A gradual adaptation to a shifted light-dark (LD) cycle is a key element of the circadian clock system and believed to be controlled by the central circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Endocrine factors have a strong influence on the regulation of the circadian clock network and alter acute photic responses of the SCN clock. In females, endocrine function depends on the stage of the ovarian cycle. So far, however, little is known about the effect of the estrous cycle on behavioral and molecular responses to shifts in the LD rhythm. Based on this, we investigated whether estrous state affects the kinetics of phase shift during jetlag in behavior, physiology, and molecular clock rhythms in the SCN and in peripheral tissues. Female mice exposed to an advanced LD phase at proestrous or metestrous showed different phase-shift kinetics, with proestrous females displaying accelerated adaptation in behavior and physiology. Constant darkness release experiments suggest that these fast phase shifts do not reflect resetting of the SCN pacemaker. Explant experiments on SCN, adrenal gland, and uterus confirmed this finding with proestrous females showing significantly faster clock phase shifts in peripheral tissues compared with the SCN. Together, these findings provide strong evidence for an accelerated adaptation of proestrous compared with metestrous females to new LD conditions that is accompanied by rapid behavioral, physiological, and molecular rhythm resetting. Not only do these findings open up a new avenue to understand the effect of estrous cycle on the clock network under changing environmental conditions but also imply a greater susceptibility in proestrous females.

Effect of endurance exercise training on liver gene expression in male and female mice

Chronic endurance exercise is a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of many chronic diseases in humans, including the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Metabolic, cardiorespiratory, and endocrine pathways targeted by chronic endurance exercise have been identified. In the liver, however, the cellular and molecular pathways that are modified by exercise and have preventive or therapeutic relevance to metabolic disease need to be elucidated. The mouse model used in the current study allows for the quantification of a human-relevant exercise "dosage". In this study we show hepatic gene expression differences between sedentary female and sedentary male mice and that chronic exercise modifies the transcription of hepatic genes related to metabolic disease and steatosis in both male and female mice. Chronic exercise induces molecular pathways involved in glucose tolerance, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis while producing a decrease in pathways related to insulin resistance, steatosis, fibrosis, and inflammation. Given these findings, this mouse exercise model has potential to dissect the cellular and molecular hepatic changes following chronic exercise with application to understanding the role that chronic exercise plays in preventing human diseases. Novelty: Exercise modifies the hepatic gene expression and hepatic pathways related to metabolic disease in male and female mice. Sex differences were seen in hepatic gene expression between sedentary and exercised mice. The mouse exercise model used in this study allows for application and evaluation of exercise effects in human disease.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease as a Canonical Example of Metabolic Inflammatory-Based Liver Disease Showing a Sex-Specific Prevalence: Relevance of Estrogen Signaling

There is extensive evidence supporting the interplay between metabolism and immune response, that have evolved in close relationship, sharing regulatory molecules and signaling systems, to support biological functions. Nowadays, the disruption of this interaction in the context of obesity and overnutrition underlies the increasing incidence of many inflammatory-based metabolic diseases, even in a sex-specific fashion. During evolution, the interplay between metabolism and reproduction has reached a degree of complexity particularly high in female mammals, likely to ensure reproduction only under favorable conditions. Several factors may account for differences in the incidence and progression of inflammatory-based metabolic diseases between females and males, thus contributing to age-related disease development and difference in life expectancy between the two sexes. Among these factors, estrogens, acting mainly through Estrogen Receptors (ERs), have been reported to regulate several metabolic pathways and inflammatory processes particularly in the liver, the metabolic organ showing the highest degree of sexual dimorphism. This review aims to investigate on the interaction between metabolism and inflammation in the liver, focusing on the relevance of estrogen signaling in counteracting the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a canonical example of metabolic inflammatory-based liver disease showing a sex-specific prevalence. Understanding the role of estrogens/ERs in the regulation of hepatic metabolism and inflammation may provide the basis for the development of sex-specific therapeutic strategies for the management of such an inflammatory-based metabolic disease and its cardio-metabolic consequences.

High-fat diet in a mouse insulin-resistant model induces widespread rewiring of the phosphotyrosine signaling network

Obesity-associated type 2 diabetes and accompanying diseases have developed into a leading human health risk across industrialized and developing countries. The complex molecular underpinnings of how lipid overload and lipid metabolites lead to the deregulation of metabolic processes are incompletely understood. We assessed hepatic post-translational alterations in response to treatment of cells with saturated and unsaturated free fatty acids and the consumption of a high-fat diet by mice. These data revealed widespread tyrosine phosphorylation changes affecting a large number of enzymes involved in metabolic processes as well as canonical receptor-mediated signal transduction networks. Targeting two of the most prominently affected molecular features in our data, SRC-family kinase activity and elevated reactive oxygen species, significantly abrogated the effects of saturated fat exposure in vitro and high-fat diet in vivo. In summary, we present a comprehensive view of diet-induced alterations of tyrosine signaling networks, including proteins involved in fundamental metabolic pathways.

Hepatic PGC-1α is not essential for fasting-induced cytochrome p450 regulation in mouse liver

Fasting has been shown to regulate the expression of the cytochrome p450 (CYP) enzyme system in the liver. However, the exact mechanism behind the fasting-induced regulation of the CYP's remains unknown. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), which is a key-regulator of energy metabolism, is responsible for the fasting-induced regulation of the CYP's. Lox/lox and liver specific PGC-1α (LKO) mice of both sexes, fasted for 18 h and the content of the CYP's as well as the hepatic metabolome was assessed. Fasting increased the mRNA content of Cyp2a4, Cyp2e1, Cyp3a11 and Cyp4a10. The fasting-induced response in Cyp4a10 mRNA content was different between lox/lox and LKO mice, while the absence of PGC-1α had no effect on the fasting-induced response for the other Cyp's. Moreover, the fasting-induced response in mRNA content of Sirtinus 1 and Perilipin 2 was different between lox/lox and LKO mice. Only the CYP1A isoform showed a fasting-induced response at the protein level. Absence of hepatic PGC-1α had no effect on the apparent metabolome, where fasting vs fed was the only discriminate in the following multivariate analysis. In conclusion, hepatic PGC-1α is not essential for the fasting-induced regulation of hepatic CYP's.

The influence of biological sex and sex hormones on bile acid synthesis and cholesterol homeostasis

Obesity and elevated serum lipids are associated with a threefold increase in the risk of developing atherosclerosis, a condition that underlies stroke, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. Strategies that aim to reduce serum cholesterol through modulation of liver enzymes have been successful in decreasing the risk of developing atherosclerosis and reducing mortality. Statins, which inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver, are considered among the most successful compounds developed for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, recent debate surrounding their effectiveness and safety prompts consideration of alternative cholesterol-lowering therapies, including increasing cholesterol catabolism through bile acid (BA) synthesis. Targeting the enzymes that convert cholesterol to BAs represents a promising alternative to other cholesterol-lowering approaches that treat atherosclerosis as well as fatty liver diseases and diabetes mellitus. Compounds that modify the activity of these pathways have been developed; however, there remains a lack of consideration of biological sex. This is necessary in light of strong evidence for sexual dimorphisms not only in the incidence and progression of the diseases they influence but also in the expression and activity of the proteins affected and in the manner in which men and women respond to drugs that modify lipid handling in the liver. A thorough understanding of the enzymes involved in cholesterol catabolism and modulation by biological sex is necessary to maximize their therapeutic potential.

Early life exposure to triphenyl phosphate: Effects on thyroid function, growth, and resting metabolic rate of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) chicks

Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP; CAS # 115-86-6), a commonly used plasticizer and flame retardant, has been reported in wild birds and identified as a potential high-risk chemical. We exposed Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) by in ovo injection, and once hatched, orally each day for 5 days to safflower oil (controls) or TPHP dissolved in vehicle at low (5 ng TPHP/g), mid (50 ng TPHP/g), or high (100 ng TPHP/g) nominal TPHP doses. The low TPHP dose reflected concentrations in wild bird eggs, with mid and high doses 10x and 20x greater to reflect potential increases in environmental TPHP concentrations in the future. Despite no effects on mRNA expression in thyroid-related genes, TPHP exposure enhanced thyroid gland structure in high TPHP males, but in females, suppressed thyroid gland structure and activity (all TPHP females), and circulating free triiodothyronine (high TPHP females only). Consistent with thyroidal changes, and compared to controls, mid and high TPHP chicks experienced significantly reduced resting metabolic rate (≤13%) and growth (≤53%); mid TPHP males and high TPHP females were significantly smaller. The observed thyroidal effects and suppressed growth and metabolic rate of the quail chicks suggest that TPHP may adversely affect the health of wild birds.

Reproductive Endocrinology of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The liver and the reproductive system interact in a multifaceted bidirectional fashion. Sex steroid signaling influences hepatic endobiotic and xenobiotic metabolism and contributes to the pathogenesis of functional and structural disorders of the liver. In turn, liver function affects the reproductive axis via modulating sex steroid metabolism and transport to tissues via sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). The liver senses the body's metabolic status and adapts its energy homeostasis in a sex-dependent fashion, a dimorphism signaled by the sex steroid milieu and possibly related to the metabolic costs of reproduction. Sex steroids impact the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, including development of hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. Preclinical studies in male rodents demonstrate that androgens protect against hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance both via androgen receptor signaling and, following aromatization to estradiol, estrogen receptor signaling, through regulating genes involved in hepatic lipogenesis and glucose metabolism. In female rodents in contrast to males, androgens promote hepatic steatosis and dysglycemia, whereas estradiol is similarly protective against liver disease. In men, hepatic steatosis is associated with modest reductions in circulating testosterone, in part consequent to a reduction in circulating SHBG. Testosterone treatment has not been demonstrated to improve hepatic steatosis in randomized controlled clinical trials. Consistent with sex-dimorphic preclinical findings, androgens promote hepatic steatosis and dysglycemia in women, whereas endogenous estradiol appears protective in both men and women. In both sexes, androgens promote hepatic fibrosis and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, whereas estradiol is protective.

Long-term exposure to chemicals in sewage sludge fertilizer alters liver lipid content in females and cancer marker expression in males

BACKGROUND

The increased incidence of diseases, including metabolic syndrome and infertility, may be related to exposure to the mixture of chemicals, which are ubiquitous in the modern environment (environmental chemicals, ECs). Xeno-detoxification occurs within the liver which is also the source of many plasma proteins and growth factors and plays an important role in the regulation of homeostasis.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ECs on aspects of liver function, in a well characterized ovine model of exposure to a real-life EC mixture.

METHODS

Four groups of sheep (n = 10-12/sex/treatment) were maintained long-term on control or sewage sludge-fertilized pastures: from conception to culling at 19 months of age in females and from conception to 7 months of age and thereafter in control plots until culling at 19 months of age in males. Environmental chemicals were measured in sheep livers and RNA and protein extracts were assessed for exposure markers. Liver proteins were resolved using 2D differential in-gel electrophoresis and differentially expressed protein spots were identified by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Higher levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lower levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the livers of control males compared to control females indicated sexually dimorphic EC body burdens. Increased levels of the PAHs Benzo[a]anthracene and chrysene and reduced levels of PCB 153 and PCB 180 were observed in the livers of continuously exposed females. EC exposure affected xenobiotic and detoxification responses and the liver proteome in both sexes and included major plasma-secreted and blood proteins, and metabolic enzymes whose pathway analysis predicted dysregulation of cancer-related pathways and altered lipid dynamics. The latter were confirmed by a reduction in total lipids in female livers and up-regulation of cancer-related transcript markers in male livers respectively by sewage sludge exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that chronic exposure to ECs causes major physiological changes in the liver, likely to affect multiple systems in the body and which may predispose individuals to increased disease risks.

Intrauterine Malnutrition Reduced Long Leptin Receptor Isoform Expression and Proinflammatory Cytokine Production in Male Rat Pulmonary Endothelial Cells Stimulated by Lipopolysaccharide

Background/Aims

We have previously shown that low birth weight (LBW) rats exposed to intrauterine malnutrition have an impaired lung inflammatory response and reduced levels of inflammatory mediators; however, circulating leptin levels were not increased. We evaluated long leptin receptor isoform (ObRb) expression in lung endothelial cells from low birth weight rats and examined its role in the production of lipid mediators and cytokines.

Methods

Lung endothelial cells were obtained from normal birth weight (NBW) rats or LBW rats subjected to intrauterine malnutrition. These cells were stimulated with leptin (10 ng/mL), LPS (lipopolysaccharide, 1 μg/mL), or leptin plus LPS. Six hours after stimulation, the production of inflammatory mediators (PGE₂, LTB₄, IL-1β, and IL-6) was evaluated using commercial ELISA kits, and Western blotting was performed to investigate p38MAPK, NF-κB, and ObRb expression.

Results

Leptin increased IL-1β levels in only cells from the NBW group, whereas LPS increased PGE₂ and LTB₄ levels in cells from both groups; leptin addition potentiated lipid mediator production induced by LPS in the NBW group. LPS enhanced the production of IL-1β and IL-6 in only endothelial cells from NBW rats. Leptin receptor expression was decreased (63%) in endothelial cells from LBW rats. None of the stimuli increased NF-κB or p38 signaling pathway expression in cells from LBW rats.

Conclusion

These results suggest that intrauterine malnutrition compromises leptin receptor expression and cytokine production in pulmonary endothelial cells stimulated by LPS; these effects seem to involve the NF-κB and p38MAPK signaling pathways.

Estrogens and female liver health

Due to declining estrogen levels during menopause, NAFLD prevalence is higher in postmenopausal women compared to in premenopausal women or in men. Postmenopausal women are more susceptible to weight gain, fat redistribution and dyslipidemia, all major hallmarks of metabolic syndrome associated with increased NAFLD risk. Gut microbiota plays important roles in development of gastrointestinal tract, metabolism and immunity. Host-microbe interactions allows regulation of a wide range of pathways that affect healthy and diseased physiology. Recent advances in - omics technologies, such as microbiome, transcriptome and metabolome analysis, provided evidence that estrogens and intestinal microbiota (IM) can collectively influence obesity, inflammatory disease, diabetes, and cancers. By understanding underlying mechanisms of estrogens and microbiota crosstalk, we might design dietary and pharmacological interventions to alleviate the metabolic syndrome and NAFLD.

LiverSex Computational Model: Sexual Aspects in Hepatic Metabolism and Abnormalities

The liver is to date the best example of a sexually dimorphic non-reproductive organ. Over 1,000 genes are differentially expressed between sexes indicating that female and male livers are two metabolically distinct organs. The spectrum of liver diseases is broad and is usually prevalent in one or the other sex, with different contributing genetic and environmental factors. It is thus difficult to predict individual's disease outcomes and treatment options. Systems approaches including mathematical modeling can aid importantly in understanding the multifactorial liver disease etiology leading toward tailored diagnostics, prognostics and therapy. The currently established computational models of hepatic metabolism that have proven to be essential for understanding of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are limited to the description of gender-independent response or reflect solely the response of the males. Herein we present LiverSex, the first sex-based multi-tissue and multi-level liver metabolic computational model. The model was constructed based on in silico liver model SteatoNet and the object-oriented modeling. The crucial factor in adaptation of liver metabolism to the sex is the inclusion of estrogen and androgen receptor responses to respective hormones and the link to sex-differences in growth hormone release. The model was extensively validated on literature data and experimental data obtained from wild type C57BL/6 mice fed with regular chow and western diet. These experimental results show extensive sex-dependent changes and could not be reproduced in silico with the uniform model SteatoNet. LiverSex represents the first large-scale liver metabolic model, which allows a detailed insight into the sex-dependent complex liver pathologies, and how the genetic and environmental factors interact with the sex in disease appearance and progression. We used the model to identify the most important sex-dependent metabolic pathways, which are involved in accumulation of triglycerides representing initial steps of NAFLD. We identified PGC1A, PPARα, FXR, and LXR as regulatory factors that could become important in sex-dependent personalized treatment of NAFLD.

Bile acid detoxifying enzymes limit susceptibility to liver fibrosis in female SHRSP5/Dmcr rats fed with a high-fat-cholesterol diet

During middle age, women are less susceptible to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) than men. Thus, we investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms behind these sexual differences using an established rat model of NASH. Mature female and male stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive 5/Dmcr rats were fed control or high-fat-cholesterol (HFC) diets for 2, 8, and 14 weeks. Although HFC-induced hepatic fibrosis was markedly less severe in females than in males, only minor gender differences were observed in expression levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP)7A1, CYP8B1 CYP27A1, and CYP7B1, and multidrug resistance-associated protein 3, and bile salt export pump, which are involved in fibrosis-related bile acid (BA) kinetics. However, the BA detoxification-related enzymes UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) and sulfotransferase (SULT) 2A1, and the nuclear receptors constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and pregnane X receptor (PXR), were strongly suppressed in HFC-fed males, and were only slightly changed in HFC-diet fed females. Expression levels of the farnesoid X receptor and its small heterodimer partner were similarly regulated in a gender-dependent fashion following HFC feeding. Hence, the pronounced female resistance to HFC-induced liver damage likely reflects sustained expression of the nuclear receptors CAR and PXR and the BA detoxification enzymes UGT and SULT.

Sex-dependent changes in lipid metabolism, PPAR pathways and microRNAs that target PPARs in the fetal liver of rats with gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent disease that impairs fetal metabolism and development. We have previously characterized a rat model of GDM induced by developmental programming. Here, we analyzed lipid content, the levels of the three PPAR isotypes and the expression of microRNAs that regulate PPARs expression in the liver of male and female fetuses of control and GDM rats on day 21 of pregnancy. We found increased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the livers of male fetuses of GDM rats compared to controls, and, oppositely, reduced levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids and free fatty acids in the livers of female fetuses of GDM rats compared to controls. Although GDM did not change PPARα levels in male and female fetal livers, PPARγ was increased in the liver of male fetuses of GDM rats, a change that occurred in parallel to a reduction in the expression of miR-130, a microRNA that targets PPARγ. In livers of female fetuses of GDM rats, no changes in PPARγ and miR-130 were evidenced, but PPARδ was increased, a change that occurred in parallel to a reduction in the expression of miR-9, a microRNA that targets PPARδ, and was unchanged in the liver of male fetuses of GDM and control rats. These results show clear sex-dependent changes in microRNAs that target different PPAR isotypes in relation to changes in the levels of their targets and the differential regulation of lipid metabolism evidenced in fetal livers of GDM pregnancies.

Deletion of Macrophage Mineralocorticoid Receptor Protects Hepatic Steatosis and Insulin Resistance Through ERα/HGF/Met Pathway

Although the importance of macrophages in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been recognized, how macrophages affect hepatocytes remains elusive. Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) has been implicated to play important roles in NAFLD and T2DM. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. We report that myeloid MR knockout (MRKO) improves glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis in obese mice. Estrogen signaling is sufficient and necessary for such improvements. Hepatic gene and protein expression suggests that MRKO reduces hepatic lipogenesis and lipid storage. In the presence of estrogen, MRKO in macrophages decreases lipid accumulation and increases insulin sensitivity of hepatocytes through hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/Met signaling. MR directly regulates estrogen receptor 1 (Esr1 [encoding ERα]) in macrophages. Knockdown of hepatic Met eliminates the beneficial effects of MRKO in female obese mice. These findings identify a novel MR/ERα/HGF/Met pathway that conveys metabolic signaling from macrophages to hepatocytes in hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance and provide potential new therapeutic strategies for NAFLD and T2DM.

A Pathway to Personalizing Therapy for Metastases Using Liver-on-a-Chip Platforms

Metastasis accounts for most cancer-related deaths. The majority of solid cancers, including those of the breast, colorectum, prostate and skin, metastasize at significant levels to the liver due to its hemodynamic as well as tumor permissive microenvironmental properties. As this occurs prior to detection and treatment of the primary tumor, we need to target liver metastases to improve patients' outcomes. Animal models, while proven to be useful in mechanistic studies, do not represent the heterogeneity of human population especially in drug metabolism lack proper human cell-cell interactions, and this gap between animals and humans results in costly and inefficient drug discovery. This underscores the need to accurately model the human liver for disease studies and drug development. Further, the occurrence of liver metastases is influenced by the primary tumor type, sex and race; thus, modeling these specific settings will facilitate the development of personalized/targeted medicine for each specific group. We have adapted such all-human 3D ex vivo hepatic microphysiological system (MPS) (a.k.a. liver-on-a-chip) to investigate human micrometastases. This review focuses on the sources of liver resident cells, especially the iPS cell-derived hepatocytes, and examines some of the advantages and disadvantages of these sources. In addition, this review also examines other potential challenges and limitations in modeling human liver.

Effect of Fabp1/Scp-2/Scp-x Ablation on Whole Body and Hepatic Phenotype of Phytol-Fed Male Mice

Liver fatty acid binding protein (Fabp1) and sterol carrier protein-2/sterol carrier protein-x (SCP-2/SCP-x) genes encode proteins that enhance hepatic uptake, cytosolic transport, and peroxisomal oxidation of toxic branched-chain fatty acids derived from dietary phytol. Since male wild-type (WT) mice express markedly higher levels of these proteins than females, the impact of ablating both genes (TKO) was examined in phytol-fed males. In WT males, high phytol diet alone had little impact on whole body weight and did not alter the proportion of lean tissue mass (LTM) versus fat tissue mass (FTM). TKO conferred on dietary phytol the ability to induce weight loss as well as reduce liver weight, FTM, and even more so LTM. Concomitantly TKO induced hepatic lipid accumulation, preferentially threefold increased phospholipid (PL) at the expense of decreased triacylglycerol (TG) and total cholesterol. Increased PL was associated with upregulation of membrane fatty acid transport/translocase proteins (FATP 2,4), cytosolic fatty acid/fatty acyl-CoA binding proteins (FABP2, ACBP), and the rate limiting enzyme in PL synthesis (Gpam). Decreased TG and cholesterol levels were not attributable to altered levels in respective synthetic enzymes or nuclear receptors. These data suggest that the higher level of Fabp1 and Scp2/Scpx gene products in WT males was protective against deleterious effects of dietary phytol, but TKO significantly exacerbated phytol effects in males.

Estrogen Accelerates Cell Proliferation through Estrogen Receptor α during Rat Liver Regeneration after Partial Hepatectomy

Although estrogen is implicated in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation in many organs, the exact mechanism for liver regeneration is not completely understood. We investigated the effect of estrogen on liver regeneration in male and female Wistar rats after 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) and performed immunohistochemistry, western blotting and Southwestern histochemistry. 17β-estradiol (E₂) and ICI 182,780 were injected into male rats on the day before PHx. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling index reached a maximum at 48 hr after PHx in males, and at 36 hr in females and E₂-treated male rats. Estrogen receptor α (ERα) was expressed in zones 1 and 2 in male rats, but was found in all zones in female rats. Interestingly, ERα was not detected at 6-12 hr after PHx but was found at 24-168 hr in male rats. However, ERα expression was found at all sampling time-points in female and E₂-treated male rats. The activity of estrogen responsive element binding proteins was detected from 12 hr after PHx in male rats but was found from 6 hr in female and E₂-treated male rats. ERα was co-expressed with PCNA during liver regeneration. These results indicate that estrogen may play an important role in liver regeneration through ERα.

Disrupting Hepatocyte Cyp51 from Cholesterol Synthesis Leads to Progressive Liver Injury in the Developing Mouse and Decreases RORC Signalling

Development of mice with hepatocyte knockout of lanosterol 14α-demethylase (H^Cyp51−/−) from cholesterol synthesis is characterized by the progressive onset of liver injury with ductular reaction and fibrosis. These changes begin during puberty and are generally more aggravated in the knockout females. However, a subgroup of (pre)pubertal knockout mice (runts) exhibits a pronounced male prevalent liver dysfunction characterized by downregulated amino acid metabolism and elevated Casp12. RORC transcriptional activity is diminished in livers of all runt mice, in correlation with the depletion of potential RORC ligands subsequent to CYP51 disruption. Further evidence for this comes from the global analysis that identified a crucial overlap between hepatic Cyp51^−/− and Rorc^−/− expression profiles. Additionally, the reduction in RORA and RORC transcriptional activity was greater in adult H^Cyp51−/− females than males, which correlates well with their downregulated amino and fatty acid metabolism. Overall, we identify a global and sex-dependent transcriptional de-regulation due to the block in cholesterol synthesis during development of the Cyp51 knockout mice and provide in vivo evidence that sterol intermediates downstream of lanosterol may regulate the hepatic RORC activity.

Impact of Drug Treatment at Neonatal Ages on Variability of Drug Metabolism and Drug-drug Interactions in Adult Life

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

As the number of patients taking more than one medication concurrently continues to increase, predicting and preventing drug-drug interactions (DDIs) is now more important than ever. Administration of one drug can cause changes in the expression and activity of drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) and alter the efficacy or toxicity of other medications that are substrates for these enzymes, resulting in a DDI. In today's medical practice, potential DDIs are evaluated based on the current medications a patient is taking with little regard to drugs the patient has been exposed to in the past. The purpose of this review is to discuss potential impacts of drug treatment at neonatal ages on the variability of drug metabolism and DDIs in adult life.

RECENT FINDINGS

Existing evidence from the last thirty years has shown that exposure to certain xenobiotics during neonatal life has the potential to persistently alter DME expression through adult life. With recent advancements in the understanding of epigenetic regulation on gene expression, this phenomenon is resurfacing in the scientific community in hopes of defining possible mechanisms. Exposure to compounds that have the ability to bind nuclear receptors and trigger epigenetic modifications at neonatal and pediatric ages may have long-term, if not permanent, consequences on gene expression and DME activity.

SUMMARY

The information summarized in this review should challenge the way current healthcare providers assess DDI potential and may offer an explanation to the significant interindividual variability in drug metabolism that is observed among patients.

Inhaling Benzene, Toluene, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Sulfur Dioxide, Disrupts Thyroid Function in Captive American Kestrels (Falco sparverius)

Research investigating the effects of air contaminants on biota has been limited to date. Captive adult female American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were exposed to a mixture of benzene (0.6 ppm), toluene (1 ppm), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂; 2 ppm) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂; 5.6 ppm), in a whole-body inhalation chamber. Thyroid axis responses to meet metabolic demands were examined through thyroid histology, plasma thyroxine (T₄), and triiodothyronine (T₃), and hepatic outer ring deiodination (T₄-ORD). Plasma free (F) T₃ and T₄ were measured at baseline, and at 9 days and 18 days of exposure, whereas total (T) T₃ and TT₄, thyroid histology and hepatic T₄-ORD were determined at the final 18 day exposure. Inhalation of these contaminants significantly suppressed plasma FT₄ and TT₄, and depleted follicular colloid and increased epithelial cell height at 18 days, and significantly altered the temporal pattern of plasma FT₄. Significant histological changes in the follicular colloid:epithelial cell height ratio indicated sustained T₄ production and release by the thyroid glands. There was no effect on plasma FT₃, TT₃, or hepatic T₄-ORD. We hypothesize that contaminant-related activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis in the kestrels increased elimination of plasma T₄ through Phase II enzymes. Further research is required to test this hypothesis in wild birds.

[Mechanism Analysis and Prevention of Pathogenesis of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disease in humans having a broad spectrum of liver histology from simple fatty liver to mixed inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH), which is a more severe and progressing form. NASH/NAFLD is significantly associated with lifestyle such as diet and exercise, obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Age and gender are also associated with the development. On the other hand, NAFLD has been found in a high percentage of nonobese individuals in the Asia-Pacific area. Some characteristic animal models of NAFLD/NASH have been developed to clarify the pathogenesis of human NAFLD/NASH. We have recently developed a novel NASH rat model (stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats, SHRSP5/Dmcr), which showed hepatic steatosis and inflammation at 2 weeks, ballooning, macrovesicular steatosis and fibrosis at 8 weeks, and bridging fibrosis at 14 weeks by feeding of high-fat and -cholesterol (HFC) diet alone. This animal model does not have obesity, insulin resistance or diabetes. Therefore, this may be an excellent animal model of human NASH/NAFLD without obesity and diabetes. Sex and strain differences observed in fibrogenesis by the HFC diet in SHRSP5/Dmcr may be associated with the sensitivity to detoxification enzymes in the liver, because the levels of UGP-glucuronosyltransferase and sulfotransferase and their regulating nuclear receptors only decreased in male SHRSP5/Dmcr rats, but not in female and SHRSP rats. This suggests the importance of phase II reactions of drug-metabolizing enzymes in NASH progression. Importantly, SHRSP5/Dmcr rats are spontaneously hypertensive; therefore, when we use the original strain Wistar Kyoto, which has normal blood pressure, the involvement of blood pressure in the development of human NASH/NAFLD may also be clarified.

Dysregulated signaling hubs of liver lipid metabolism reveal hepatocellular carcinoma pathogenesis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high mortality rate and early detection of HCC is crucial for the application of effective treatment strategies. HCC is typically caused by either viral hepatitis infection or by fatty liver disease. To diagnose and treat HCC it is necessary to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. As a major cause for development of HCC is fatty liver disease, we here investigated anomalies in regulation of lipid metabolism in the liver. We applied a tailored network-based approach to identify signaling hubs associated with regulation of this part of metabolism. Using transcriptomics data of HCC patients, we identified significant dysregulated expressions of lipid-regulated genes, across many different lipid metabolic pathways. Our findings, however, show that viral hepatitis causes HCC by a distinct mechanism, less likely involving lipid anomalies. Based on our analysis we suggest signaling hub genes governing overall catabolic or anabolic pathways, as novel drug targets for treatment of HCC that involves lipid anomalies.

The direction of cross affects [corrected] obesity after puberty in male but not female offspring

BACKGROUND

We investigated parent-of-origin and allele-specific expression effects on obesity and hepatic gene expression in reciprocal crosses between the Berlin Fat Mouse Inbred line (BFMI) and C57Bl/6NCrl (B6N).

RESULTS

We found that F1-males with a BFMI mother developed 1.8 times more fat mass on a high fat diet at 10 weeks than F1-males of a BFMI father. The phenotype was detectable from six weeks on and was preserved after cross-fostering. RNA-seq data of liver provided evidence for higher biosynthesis and elongation of fatty acids (p = 0.00635) in obese male offspring of a BFMI mother versus lean offspring of a BFMI father. Furthermore, fatty acid degradation (p = 0.00198) and the peroxisome pathway were impaired (p = 0.00094). The circadian rhythm was affected as well (p = 0.00087). Among the highest up-regulated protein coding genes in obese males were Acot4 (1.82 fold, p = 0.022), Cyp4a10 (1.35 fold, p = 0.026) and Cyp4a14 (1.32 fold, p = 0.012), which hydroxylize fatty acids and which are known to be increased in liver steatosis. Obese males showed lower expression of the genetically imprinted and paternally expressed 3 (Peg3) gene (0.31 fold, p = 0.046) and higher expression of the androgen receptor (Ar) gene (2.38 fold, p = 0.068). Allelic imbalance was found for expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter gene Abca8b. Several of the differentially expressed genes contain estrogen response elements.

CONCLUSIONS

Parent-of-origin effects during gametogenesis and/or fetal development in an obese mother epigenetically modify the transcription of genes that lead to enhanced fatty acid synthesis and impair β-oxidation in the liver of male, but not female F1 offspring. Down-regulation of Peg3 could contribute to trigger this metabolic setting. At puberty, higher amounts of the androgen receptor and altered access to estrogen response elements in affected genes are likely responsible for male specific expression of genes that were epigenetically triggered. A suggestive lack of estrogen binding motifs was found for highly down-regulated genes in adult hepatocytes of obese F1 males (p = 0.074).

Hepatoprotective effects of Portulaca oleracea extract against CCl4-induced damage in rats

CONTEXT

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L., Portulacaceae) has been traditionally used in folk medicine to afford protection against liver injury, although its actual efficacy remains uncertain.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate purslane as a hepatoprotective agent, we investigated the protective effect of its ethanol extract against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic toxicity in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 108 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 12 groups. The first group was maintained as normal control, whereas CCl4 (0.5 ml/kg bw, 50% CCl4 in olive oil, i.p.), purslane extract (0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 g/kg bw, intragastrically), and purslane extract (five doses as above) along with CCl4 were administered to the Groups II, III-VII, and VIII-XII, respectively. The rats were sacrificed on the 30th day, and blood was withdrawn by cardiac puncture. Liver damage was assessed by measuring hepatic marker enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, and SOD) and histopathological observation.

RESULTS

Treatment with CCl4 resulted in increased serum activities of marker enzymes with a concomitant decrease in SOD. Histological alterations were also observed in the liver tissue upon CCl4 treatment. Administration of purslane extract (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 g/kg b.w.) significantly showed a marked tendency towards normalization of all measured biochemical parameters in CCl4-treated rats. Histopathological changes also paralleled the detected alteration in markers of liver function.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that purslane exerts protective effects against CCl4-induced damage in rat liver and supports a potential therapeutic use of purslane as an alternative for patients with liver diseases.

Latent carcinogenicity of early-life exposure to dichloroacetic acid in mice

Environmental exposures occurring early in life may have an important influence on cancer risk later in life. Here, we investigated carryover effects of dichloroacetic acid (DCA), a small molecule analog of pyruvate with metabolic programming properties, on age-related incidence of liver cancer. The study followed a stop-exposure/promotion design in which 4-week-old male and female B6C3F1 mice received the following treatments: deionized water alone (dH2O, control); dH2O with 0.06% phenobarbital (PB), a mouse liver tumor promoter; or DCA (1.0, 2.0 or 3.5g/l) for 10 weeks followed by dH2O or PB (n = 20-30/group/sex). Pathology and molecular assessments were performed at 98 weeks of age. In the absence of PB, early-life exposure to DCA increased the incidence and number of hepatocellular tumors in male and female mice compared with controls. Significant dose trends were observed in both sexes. At the high dose level, 10 weeks of prior DCA treatment induced comparable effects (≥85% tumor incidence and number) to those seen after continuous lifetime exposure. Prior DCA treatment did not enhance or inhibit the carcinogenic effects of PB, induce persistent liver cytotoxicity or preneoplastic changes on histopathology or alter DNA sequence variant profiles within liver tumors compared with controls. Distinct changes in liver messenger RNA and micro RNA profiles associated with prior DCA treatment were not apparent at 98 weeks. Our findings demonstrate that early-life exposure to DCA may be as carcinogenic as life-long exposures, potentially via epigenetic-mediated effects related to cellular metabolism.

Sex-dependent regulation of hepatic CYP3A by growth hormone: Roles of HNF6, C/EBPα, and RXRα

Sex-based differences in the pharmacological profiles of many drugs are due in part to the female-predominant expression of CYP3A4, which is the most important CYP isoform responsible for drug metabolism. Transcription factors trigger the sexually dimorphic expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes in response to sex-dependent growth hormone (GH) secretion. We investigated the roles of HNF6, C/EBPα, and RXRα in the regulation of human female-predominant CYP3A4, mouse female-specific CYP3A41, and rat male-specific CYP3A2 expression by GH secretion patterns using HepG2 cells, growth hormone receptor (GHR) knockout mice as well as rat models of orchiectomy and hypophysectomy. The constitutive expression of HNF6 and RXRα was GH-dependent, and GHR deficiency decreased HNF6/C/EBPα complex levels and increased HNF6/RXRα complex levels. Feminine GH secretion induced the binding of HNF6 and C/EBPα to the CYP3A4 and Cyp3a41 promoters and HNF6/C/EBPα complex levels was more efficiently compared with masculine pattern. Additionally, a greater inhibition of the binding of RXRα to the CYP3A4 and Cyp3a41 promoters and HNF6/RXRα complex levels was observed by feminine GH secretion, but less inhibition was observed by masculine pattern. The binding of HNF6, C/EBPα, and RXRα to the CYP3A2 promoter was not directly regulated by androgens. RXRα completely abolished the synergistic activation of the CYP3A4, Cyp3a41, and CYP3A2 promoters by HNF6 and C/EBPα. The results demonstrate that sex-dependent GH secretion patterns affect the expressions and interactions of HNF6, C/EBPα, and RXRα as well as their binding to CYP3A genes. RXRα mediates the sex-dependent influence of GH on CYP3A expression as an important signalling molecule.

Explaining human recreational use of 'pesticides': The neurotoxin regulation model of substance use vs. the hijack model and implications for age and sex differences in drug consumption

Most globally popular drugs are plant neurotoxins or their close chemical analogs. These compounds evolved to deter, not reward or reinforce, consumption. Moreover, they reliably activate virtually all toxin defense mechanisms, and are thus correctly identified by human neurophysiology as toxins. Acute drug toxicity must therefore play a more central role in drug use theory. We accordingly challenge the popular idea that the rewarding and reinforcing properties of drugs "hijack" the brain, and propose instead that the brain evolved to carefully regulate neurotoxin consumption to minimize fitness costs and maximize fitness benefits. This perspective provides a compelling explanation for the dramatic changes in substance use that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood, and for pervasive sex differences in substance use: because nicotine and many other plant neurotoxins are teratogenic, children, and to a lesser extent women of childbearing age, evolved to avoid ingesting them. However, during the course of human evolution many adolescents and adults reaped net benefits from regulated intake of plant neurotoxins.