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Lee WH, Najjar SM, Kahn CR, Hinds TD. Hepatic insulin receptor: new views on the mechanisms of liver disease. Metabolism 2023; 145:155607. [PMID: 37271372 PMCID: PMC10330768 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2023.155607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Over 65 % of people with obesity display the metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), which can manifest as steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer. The development and progression of MAFLD involve hepatic insulin resistance and reduced insulin clearance. This review discusses the relationships between altered insulin signaling, hepatic insulin resistance, and reduced insulin clearance in the development of MAFLD and how this provides the impetus for exploring the use of insulin sensitizers to curb this disease. The review also explores the role of the insulin receptor in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells and how it signals in metabolic and end-stage liver diseases. Finally, we discuss new research findings that indicate that advanced hepatic diseases may be an insulin-sensitive state in the liver and deliberate whether insulin sensitizers should be used to manage late-stage liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang-Hsin Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Sonia M Najjar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Diabetes Institute, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - C Ronald Kahn
- Section of Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Terry D Hinds
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA; Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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Bates EA, Kipp ZA, Martinez GJ, Badmus OO, Soundarapandian MM, Foster D, Xu M, Creeden JF, Greer JR, Morris AJ, Stec DE, Hinds TD. Suppressing Hepatic UGT1A1 Increases Plasma Bilirubin, Lowers Plasma Urobilin, Reorganizes Kinase Signaling Pathways and Lipid Species and Improves Fatty Liver Disease. Biomolecules 2023; 13:252. [PMID: 36830621 PMCID: PMC9953728 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Several population studies have observed lower serum bilirubin levels in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Yet, treatments to target this metabolic phenotype have not been explored. Therefore, we designed an N-Acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) labeled RNAi to target the enzyme that clears bilirubin from the blood, the UGT1A1 glucuronyl enzyme (GNUR). In this study, male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD, 60%) for 30 weeks to induce NAFLD and were treated subcutaneously with GNUR or sham (CTRL) once weekly for six weeks while continuing the HFD. The results show that GNUR treatments significantly raised plasma bilirubin levels and reduced plasma levels of the bilirubin catabolized product, urobilin. We show that GNUR decreased liver fat content and ceramide production via lipidomics and lowered fasting blood glucose and insulin levels. We performed extensive kinase activity analyses using our PamGene PamStation kinome technology and found a reorganization of the kinase pathways and a significant decrease in inflammatory mediators with GNUR versus CTRL treatments. These results demonstrate that GNUR increases plasma bilirubin and reduces plasma urobilin, reducing NAFLD and inflammation and improving overall liver health. These data indicate that UGT1A1 antagonism might serve as a treatment for NAFLD and may improve obesity-associated comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn A. Bates
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Zachary A. Kipp
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Genesee J. Martinez
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Olufunto O. Badmus
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Cardiorenal and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | | | | | - Mei Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Justin F. Creeden
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Greer
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Cardiorenal and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Andrew J. Morris
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - David E. Stec
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Cardiorenal and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Terry D. Hinds
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
- Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
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