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Lin XL, Zeng YL, Ning J, Cao Z, Bu LL, Liao WJ, Zhang ZM, Zhao TJ, Fu RG, Yang XF, Gong YZ, Lin LM, Cao DL, Zhang CP, Liao DF, Li YM, Zeng JG. Nicotinate-curcumin improves NASH by inhibiting the AKR1B10/ACCα-mediated triglyceride synthesis. Lipids Health Dis 2024; 23:201. [PMID: 38937844 PMCID: PMC11210137 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-024-02162-5] [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: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a prevalent chronic liver condition. However, the potential therapeutic benefits and underlying mechanism of nicotinate-curcumin (NC) in the treatment of NASH remain uncertain. METHODS A rat model of NASH induced by a high-fat and high-fructose diet was treated with nicotinate-curcumin (NC, 20, 40 mg·kg- 1), curcumin (Cur, 40 mg·kg- 1) and metformin (Met, 50 mg·kg- 1) for a duration of 4 weeks. The interaction between NASH, Cur and Aldo-Keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) was filter and analyzed using network pharmacology. The interaction of Cur, NC and AKR1B10 was analyzed using molecular docking techniques, and the binding energy of Cur and NC with AKR1B10 was compared. HepG2 cells were induced by Ox-LDL (25 µg·ml- 1, 24 h) in high glucose medium. NC (20µM, 40µM), Cur (40µM) Met (150µM) and epalrestat (Epa, 75µM) were administered individually. The activities of ALT, AST, ALP and the levels of LDL, HDL, TG, TC and FFA in serum were quantified using a chemiluminescence assay. Based on the changes in the above indicators, score according to NAS standards. The activities of Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA were measured using an ELISA assay. And the expression and cellular localization of AKR1B10 and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCα) in HepG2 cells were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. RESULTS The results of the animal experiments demonstrated that NASH rat model induced by a high-fat and high-fructose diet exhibited pronounced dysfunction in liver function and lipid metabolism. Additionally, there was a significant increase in serum levels of FFA and TG, as well as elevated expression of AKR1B10 and ACCα, and heightened activity of Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA in liver tissue. The administration of NC showed to enhance liver function in rats with NASH, leading to reductions in ALT, AST and ALP levels, and decrease in blood lipid and significant inhibition of FFA and TG synthesis in the liver. Network pharmacological analysis identified AKR1B10 and ACCα as potential targets for NASH treatment. Molecular docking studies revealed that both Cur and NC are capable of binding to AKR1B10, with NC exhibiting a stronger binding energy to AKR1B10. Western blot analysis demonstrated an upregulation in the expression of AKR1B10 and ACCα in the liver tissue of NASH rats, accompanied by elevated Acetyl-CoA and Malonyl-CoA activity, and increased levels of FFA and TG. The results of the HepG2 cell experiments induced by Ox-LDL suggest that NC significantly inhibited the expression and co-localization of AKR1B10 and ACCα, while also reduced levels of TC and LDL-C and increased level of HDL-C. These effects are accompanied by a decrease in the activities of ACCα and Malonyl-CoA, and levels of FFA and TG. Furthermore, the impact of NC appears to be more pronounced compared to Cur. CONCLUSION NC could effectively treat NASH and improve liver function and lipid metabolism disorder. The mechanism of NC is related to the inhibition of AKR1B10/ACCα pathway and FFA/TG synthesis of liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Lian Lin
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Ya-Ling Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Ning
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
- Department of Endocrinology, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Longhua Central Hospital, Shenzhen, 518110, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhe Cao
- Hunan Laituofu Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Jinzhou New District, Ningxiang, 410604, Hunan, China
| | - Lan-Lan Bu
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Wen-Jing Liao
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Zhi-Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Tan-Jun Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Rong-Geng Fu
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Xue-Feng Yang
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, Hengyang, 421002, Hunan, China
| | - Yong-Zhen Gong
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - Li-Mei Lin
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
| | - De-Liang Cao
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China
- Hunan Laituofu Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Jinzhou New District, Ningxiang, 410604, Hunan, China
| | - Cai-Ping Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Duan-Fang Liao
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, Hengyang, 421002, Hunan, China.
| | - Ya-Mei Li
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China.
| | - Jian-Guo Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, China.
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Wang X, Zhang L, Dong B. Molecular mechanisms in MASLD/MASH-related HCC. Hepatology 2024:01515467-990000000-00739. [PMID: 38349726 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000786] [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: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths and ranks as the sixth most prevalent cancer type globally. NAFLD or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and its more severe manifestation, NASH or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), pose a significant global health concern, affecting approximately 20%-25% of the population. The increased prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and MASH is parallel to the increasing rates of obesity-associated metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and fatty liver diseases. MASH can progress to MASH-related HCC (MASH-HCC) in about 2% of cases each year, influenced by various factors such as genetic mutations, carcinogen exposure, immune microenvironment, and microbiome. MASH-HCC exhibits distinct molecular and immune characteristics compared to other causes of HCC and affects both men and women equally. The management of early to intermediate-stage MASH-HCC typically involves surgery and locoregional therapies, while advanced HCC is treated with systemic therapies, including anti-angiogenic therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this comprehensive review, we consolidate previous research findings while also providing the most current insights into the intricate molecular processes underlying MASH-HCC development. We delve into MASH-HCC-associated genetic variations and somatic mutations, disease progression and research models, multiomics analysis, immunological and microenvironmental impacts, and discuss targeted/combined therapies to overcome immune evasion and the biomarkers to recognize treatment responders. By furthering our comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying MASH-HCC, our goal is to catalyze the advancement of more potent treatment strategies, ultimately leading to enhanced patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Wang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Bingning Dong
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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Wang X, Moore MP, Shi H, Miyata Y, Donnelly SK, Radiloff DR, Tabas I. Hepatocyte-targeted siTAZ therapy lowers liver fibrosis in NASH diet-fed chimeric mice with hepatocyte-humanized livers. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 31:101165. [PMID: 38144682 PMCID: PMC10746533 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.101165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is emerging as the most common cause of liver disease. Although many studies in mouse NASH models have suggested therapies, translation to humans is poor, with no approved drugs for NASH. One explanation may lie in differences between mouse and human hepatocytes. We used NASH diet-fed chimeric mice reconstituted with human hepatocytes (hu-liver mice) to test a mechanism-based hepatocyte-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA), GalNAc-siTaz, shown previously to block the progression to fibrotic NASH in mice. Following ablation of endogenous hepatocytes, male mice were reconstituted with human hepatocytes from a single donor with the rs738409-C/G PNPLA3 risk variant, resulting in ∼95% human hepatocyte reconstitution. The mice were then fed a high-fat choline-deficient l-amino acid-defined diet for 6 weeks to induce NASH, followed by six weekly injections of GalNAc-siTAZ to silence hepatocyte-TAZ or control GalNAc-siRNA (GalNAc-control) while still on the NASH diet. GalNAc-siTAZ lowered human hepatic TAZ and IHH, a TAZ target that promotes NASH fibrosis. Most important, GalNAc-siTAZ decreased liver inflammation, hepatocellular injury, hepatic fibrosis, and profibrogenic mediator expression versus GalNAc-control, indicating that GalNAc-siTAZ decreased the progression of NASH in mice reconstituted with human hepatocytes. In conclusion, silencing TAZ in human hepatocytes suppresses liver fibrosis in a hu-liver model of NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Wang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mary P. Moore
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Hongxue Shi
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ira Tabas
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Röth D, Molina-Franky J, Williams JC, Kalkum M. Mass Spectrometric Detection of Formaldehyde-Crosslinked PBMC Proteins in Cell-Free DNA Blood Collection Tubes. Molecules 2023; 28:7880. [PMID: 38067609 PMCID: PMC10708122 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Streck tubes are commonly used to collect blood samples to preserve cell-free circulating DNA. They contain imidazolidinyl urea as a formaldehyde-releasing agent to stabilize cells. We investigated whether the released formaldehyde leads to crosslinking of intracellular proteins. Therefore, we employed a shotgun proteomics experiment on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that were isolated from blood collected in Streck tubes, EDTA tubes, EDTA tubes containing formaldehyde, or EDTA tubes containing allantoin. The identified crosslinks were validated in parallel reaction monitoring LC/MS experiments. In total, we identified and validated 45 formaldehyde crosslinks in PBMCs from Streck tubes, which were also found in PBMCs from formaldehyde-treated blood, but not in EDTA- or allantoin-treated samples. Most were derived from cytoskeletal proteins and histones, indicating the ability of Streck tubes to fix cells. In addition, we confirm a previous observation that formaldehyde crosslinking of proteins induces a +24 Da mass shift more frequently than a +12 Da shift. The crosslinking capacity of Streck tubes needs to be considered when selecting blood-collection tubes for mass-spectrometry-based proteomics or metabolomic experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Röth
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA (J.M.-F.)
| | - Jessica Molina-Franky
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA (J.M.-F.)
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá 112111, Colombia
- Biotechnology Institute Department, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
| | - John C. Williams
- Department of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Markus Kalkum
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA (J.M.-F.)
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Dutta RK, Jun J, Du K, Diehl AM. Hedgehog Signaling: Implications in Liver Pathophysiology. Semin Liver Dis 2023; 43:418-428. [PMID: 37802119 DOI: 10.1055/a-2187-3382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge about the role of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in liver homeostasis and disease. Hedgehog is a morphogenic signaling pathway that is active in development. In most healthy tissues, pathway activity is restricted to stem and/or stromal cell compartments, where it enables stem cell self-renewal and tissue homeostasis. Aberrant over-activation of Hedgehog signaling occurs in many cancers, including hepatocellular and cholangio-carcinoma. The pathway is also activated transiently in stromal cells of injured tissues and orchestrates normal wound healing responses, including inflammation, vascular remodeling, and fibrogenesis. In liver, sustained Hedgehog signaling in stromal cells plays a major role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis. Hedgehog signaling was thought to be silenced in healthy hepatocytes. However, recent studies show that targeted disruption of the pathway in hepatocytes dysregulates lipid, cholesterol, and bile acid metabolism, and promotes hepatic lipotoxicity, insulin resistance, and senescence. Hepatocytes that lack Hedgehog activity also produce a secretome that activates Hedgehog signaling in cholangiocytes and neighboring stromal cells to induce inflammatory and fibrogenic wound healing responses that drive progressive fibrosis. In conclusion, Hedgehog signaling must be precisely controlled in adult liver cells to maintain liver health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - JiHye Jun
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kuo Du
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Anna Mae Diehl
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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