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Wang Y, Ren J, Ren S. Larsucosterol: endogenous epigenetic regulator for treating chronic and acute liver diseases. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2024; 326:E577-E587. [PMID: 38381400 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00406.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Larsucosterol, a potent endogenous epigenetic regulator, has been reported to play a significant role in lipid metabolism, inflammatory responses, and cell survival. The administration of larsucosterol has demonstrated a reduction in lipid accumulation within hepatocytes and the attenuation of inflammatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and TNFα in macrophages, alleviating LPS- and acetaminophen (ATMP)-induced multiple organ injury, and decreasing mortalities in animal models. Results from phase 1 and 2 clinical trials have shown that larsucosterol has potential as a biomedicine for the treatment of acute and chronic liver diseases. Recent evidence suggests that larsucosterol is a promising candidate for treating alcohol-associated hepatitis with positive results from a phase 2a clinical trial, and for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) from a phase 1b clinical trial. In this review, we present a culmination of our recent research efforts spanning two decades. We summarize the discovery, physiological and pharmacological mechanisms, and clinical applications of larsucosterol. Furthermore, we elucidate the pathophysiological pathways of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseases (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and acute liver injuries. A central focus of the review is the exploration of the therapeutic potential of larsucosterol in treating life-threatening conditions, including acetaminophen overdose, endotoxin shock, MASLD, MASH, hepatectomy, and alcoholic hepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States
- McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia, United States
| | - Jenna Ren
- Department of Pharmacology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States
| | - Shunlin Ren
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States
- McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia, United States
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Ning Y, Kim JK, Min HK, Ren S. Cholesterol metabolites alleviate injured liver function and decrease mortality in an LPS-induced mouse model. Metabolism 2017; 71:83-93. [PMID: 28521882 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxysterol sulfation plays a fundamental role in the regulation of many biological events. Its products, 25-hydroxycholesterol 3-sulfate (25HC3S) and 25-hydroxycholesterol 3, 25-disulfate (25HCDS), have been demonstrated to be potent regulators of lipid metabolism, inflammatory response, cell apoptosis, and cell survival. In the present study, we tested these products' potential to treat LPS-induced acute liver failure in a mouse model. METHODS Acute liver failure mouse model was established by intravenous injection with LPS. The injured liver function was treated with intraperitoneal administration of 25HC, 25HC3S or 25HCDS. Serum enzymatic activities were determined in our clinic laboratory. ELISA assays were used to detect pro-inflammatory factor levels in sera. Western blot, Real-time Quantitative PCR and RT2 Profiler PCR Array analysis were used to determine levels of gene expression. RESULTS Administration of 25HC3S/25HCDS decreased serum liver-impaired markers; suppressed secretion of pro-inflammatory factors; alleviated liver, lung, and kidney injury; and subsequently increased the survival rate in the LPS-induced mouse model. These effects resulted from the inhibition of the expression of genes involved in the pro-inflammatory response and apoptosis and the simultaneous induction of the expression of genes involved in cell survival. Compared to 25HC, 25HC3S and 25HCDS exhibited significantly stronger effects in these activities, indicating that the cholesterol metabolites play an important role in the inflammatory response, cell apoptosis, and cell survival in vivo. CONCLUSIONS 25HC3S/25HCDS has potential to serve as novel biomedicines in the therapy of acute liver failure and acute multiple organ failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxia Ning
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University/McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, United States
| | - Jin Kyung Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University/McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, United States
| | - Hae-Ki Min
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University/McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, United States
| | - Shunlin Ren
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University/McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, United States.
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Bae JS, Park JM, Lee J, Oh BC, Jang SH, Lee YB, Han YM, Ock CY, Cha JY, Hahm KB. Amelioration of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with NPC1L1-targeted IgY or n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in mice. Metabolism 2017; 66:32-44. [PMID: 27923447 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have an increased risk for progression to hepatocellular carcinoma in addition to comorbidities such as cardiovascular and serious metabolic diseases; however, the current therapeutic options are limited. Based on our previous report that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) can significantly ameliorate high fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD, we explored the therapeutic efficacy of n-3 PUFAs and N-IgY, which is a chicken egg yolk-derived IgY specific for the Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1) cholesterol transporter, on NAFLD in mice. We generated N-IgY and confirmed its efficient cholesterol transport-blocking activity in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells, which was comparable to the effect of ezetimibe (EZM). C57BL/6 wild type and fat-1 transgenic mice, capable of producing n-3 PUFAs, were fed a high fat diet (HFD) alone or supplemented with N-IgY. Endogenously synthesized n-3 PUFAs combined with N-IgY led to significant decreases in hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and inflammation (p<0.01). The combination of N-IgY and n-3 PUFAs resulted in significant upregulation of genes involved in cholesterol uptake (LDLR), reverse cholesterol transport (ABCG5/ABCG8), and bile acid metabolism (CYP7A1). Moreover, fat-1 transgenic mice treated with N-IgY showed significant downregulation of genes involved in cholesterol-induced hepatic stellate cell activation (Tgfb1, Tlr4, Col1a1, Col1a2, and Timp2). Collectively, these data suggest that n-3 PUFAs and N-IgY, alone or in combination, represent a promising treatment strategy to prevent HFD-induced fatty liver through the activation cholesterol catabolism to bile acids and by decreasing cholesterol-induced fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Sik Bae
- Department of Biochemistry, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Min Park
- CHA Cancer Prevention Research Center, CHA Bio Complex, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyunggi-do, 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghoon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Chul Oh
- Department of Biochemistry, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Ho Jang
- Bioceltrand Co., Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, 200161, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Bin Lee
- CHA Cancer Prevention Research Center, CHA Bio Complex, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyunggi-do, 13488, Republic of Korea; Digestive Disease Center, CHA University Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam, Gyunggi-do, 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Min Han
- CHA Cancer Prevention Research Center, CHA Bio Complex, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyunggi-do, 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan-Young Ock
- CHA Cancer Prevention Research Center, CHA Bio Complex, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyunggi-do, 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Young Cha
- Department of Biochemistry, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Republic of Korea; Gachon Medical Research Institute, Gil Hospital, Incheon 21565, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ki-Baik Hahm
- CHA Cancer Prevention Research Center, CHA Bio Complex, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyunggi-do, 13488, Republic of Korea; Digestive Disease Center, CHA University Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam, Gyunggi-do, 13496, Republic of Korea.
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Ren S, Ning Y. Sulfation of 25-hydroxycholesterol regulates lipid metabolism, inflammatory responses, and cell proliferation. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2014; 306:E123-30. [PMID: 24302009 PMCID: PMC3920008 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00552.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular lipid accumulation, inflammatory responses, and subsequent apoptosis are the major pathogenic events of metabolic disorders, including atherosclerosis and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases. Recently, a novel regulatory oxysterol, 5-cholesten-3b, 25-diol 3-sulfate (25HC3S), has been identified, and hydroxysterol sulfotransferase 2B1b (SULT2B1b) has been elucidated as the key enzyme for its biosynthesis from 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC) via oxysterol sulfation. The product 25HC3S and the substrate 25HC have been shown to coordinately regulate lipid metabolism, inflammatory responses, and cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. 25HC3S decreases levels of the nuclear liver oxysterol receptor (LXR) and sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), inhibits SREBP processing, subsequently downregulates key enzymes in lipid biosynthesis, decreases intracellular lipid levels in hepatocytes and THP-1-derived macrophages, prevents apoptosis, and promotes cell proliferation in liver tissues. Furthermore, 25HC3S increases nuclear PPARγ and cytosolic IκBα and decreases nuclear NF-κB levels and proinflammatory cytokine expression and secretion when cells are challenged with LPS and TNFα. In contrast to 25HC3S, 25HC, a known LXR ligand, increases nuclear LXR and decreases nuclear PPARs and cytosol IκBα levels. In this review, we summarize our recent findings, including the discovery of the regulatory oxysterol sulfate, its biosynthetic pathway, and its functional mechanism. We also propose that oxysterol sulfation functions as a regulatory signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunlin Ren
- Departments of Medicine, McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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Xu L, Kim JK, Bai Q, Zhang X, Kakiyama G, Min HK, Sanyal AJ, Pandak WM, Ren S. 5-cholesten-3β,25-diol 3-sulfate decreases lipid accumulation in diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease mouse model. Mol Pharmacol 2013; 83:648-58. [PMID: 23258548 PMCID: PMC3583496 DOI: 10.1124/mol.112.081505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) increases lipogenesis at the transcriptional level, and its expression is upregulated by liver X receptor α (LXRα). The LXRα/SREBP-1c signaling may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We previously reported that a cholesterol metabolite, 5-cholesten-3β,25-diol 3-sulfate (25HC3S), inhibits the LXRα signaling and reduces lipogenesis by decreasing SREBP-1c expression in primary hepatocytes. The present study aims to investigate the effects of 25HC3S on lipid homeostasis in diet-induced NAFLD mouse models. NAFLD was induced by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) in C57BL/6J mice. The effects of 25HC3S on lipid homeostasis, inflammatory responses, and insulin sensitivity were evaluated after acute treatments or long-term treatments. Acute treatments with 25HC3S decreased serum lipid levels, and long-term treatments decreased hepatic lipid accumulation in the NAFLD mice. Gene expression analysis showed that 25HC3S significantly suppressed the SREBP-1c signaling pathway that was associated with the suppression of the key enzymes involved in lipogenesis: fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase. In addition, 25HC3S significantly reduced HFD-induced hepatic inflammation as evidenced by decreasing tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 1 α/β mRNA levels. A glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test showed that 25HC3S administration improved HFD-induced insulin resistance. The present results indicate that 25HC3S as a potent endogenous regulator decreases lipogenesis, and oxysterol sulfation can be a key protective regulatory pathway against lipid accumulation and lipid-induced inflammation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyuan Xu
- McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center/Virginia Commonwealth University, Research 151, Richmond, VA 23249, USA
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