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Zhang YH, Xie R, Dai CS, Gao HW, Zhou G, Qi TT, Wang WY, Wang H, Cui YM. Thyroid hormone receptor-beta agonist HSK31679 alleviates MASLD by modulating gut microbial sphingolipids. J Hepatol 2024:S0168-8278(24)02486-3. [PMID: 39181210 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS As the first approved medication for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), the thyroid hormone receptor-β (THR-β) agonist MGL-3196 (resmetirom) has garnered much attention as a liver-directed, bioactive oral drug. However, studies on MGL-3196 have also identified remarkable heterogeneity of individual clinical efficacy and its interference with gut microbiota in host hepatoenteral circulation remains to be elucidated. METHODS We compared MASH attenuation by MGL-3196 and its derivative drug HSK31679 between germ-free (GF) and specific-pathogen free (SPF) mice to evaluate the role of gut microbiota. Then cross-omics analyses of microbial metagenome, metabolome and single-cell RNA-sequencing were applied to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multiple ascending dose cohort receiving HSK31679 treatment (n = 32) or placebo (n = 8), to comprehensively investigate the altered gut microbiota metabolism and circulating immune signatures. RESULTS HSK31679 outperformed MGL-3196 in ameliorating MASH diet-induced steatohepatitis of SPF mice but not GF mice. In the multiple ascending dose cohort of HSK31679, the relative abundance of B. thetaiotaomicron was significantly enriched, impairing glucosylceramide synthase (GCS)-catalyzed monoglucosylation of microbial Cer(d18:1/16:0) and Cer(d18:1/24:1). In contrast to the non-inferior effect of MGL-3196 and HSK31679 on MASH resolution in GFBTΔGCS mice, HSK31679 led to superior benefit on steatohepatitis in GFBTWT mice, due to its steric hindrance of R123 and Y401 of gut microbial GCS. For participants with high fecal GCS activity, the administration of 160 mg HSK31679 induced a shift in peripheral compartments towards an immunosuppressive niche, characterized by decreased CD8α+ dendritic cells and MINCLE+ macrophages. CONCLUSIONS This study provided novel insights into the gut microbiota that are key to the efficacy of HSK31679 treatment, revealing microbial GCS as a potential predictive biomarker in MASH, as well as a new target for further microbiota-based treatment strategies for MASH. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Remarkable heterogeneity in individual clinical efficacy of thyroid hormone receptor-β agonists and their interferences with the microbiome in host hepatoenteral circulation are poorly understood. In our current germ-free mouse models and a randomized, double-blind, multiple-dose cohort study, we identified microbial glucosylceramide synthase as a key mechanistic node in the resolution of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Microbial glucosylceramide synthase activity could be a predictive biomarker of response to HSK31679 treatment or a new target for microbiota-based therapeutics in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hang Zhang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China
| | - Ran Xie
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China
| | - Chen-Shu Dai
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Hong-Wei Gao
- Biomarker Technologies Corporation, Beijing, 101300, China
| | - Gan Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Tian-Tian Qi
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Wen-Yu Wang
- Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Yi-Min Cui
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Department of Pharmacy, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China.
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Heo YJ, Park J, Lee N, Choi SE, Jeon JY, Han SJ, Kim DJ, Lee KW, Kim HJ. Cysteine-rich 61 inhibition attenuates hepatic insulin resistance and improves lipid metabolism in high-fat diet fed mice and HepG2 cells. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23859. [PMID: 39082187 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400860r] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is strongly associated with insulin resistance development. Hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation are considered the main drivers of hepatic insulin resistance in MASLD. Cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61 also called CCN1), a novel secretory matricellular protein, is implicated in liver inflammation, and its role in MASLD is not clearly understood. Therefore, we investigated the role of Cyr61 in hepatic insulin resistance and lipid metabolism as major factors in MASLD pathogenesis. In high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6J mice, Cyr61 was downregulated or upregulated via viral transduction. Measurements of glucose homeostasis, histological assessment of liver tissues, and gene expression and signaling pathways of lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and inflammation were performed using liver samples from these mice. Cyr61 levels in HepG2 cells were reduced using RNAi-mediated gene knockdown. Inflammation and insulin resistance were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. HFD/AAV-shCyr61 mice exhibited enhanced glucose tolerance via the protein kinase B pathway, reduced hepatic inflammation, decreased lipogenesis, and increased fatty acid oxidation. Notably, HFD/AAV-shCyr61 mice showed elevated protein expression of sirtuin 6 and phosphorylated-AMP-activated protein kinase. In vitro experiments demonstrated that inhibition of Cyr61 downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha via the nuclear factor kappa B/c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway, and alleviated insulin resistance. Cyr61 affected hepatic inflammation, lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance. Inhibition of Cyr61 reduced inflammation, recovered insulin resistance, and altered lipid metabolism in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, Cyr61 is a potential therapeutic target in MASLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Jung Heo
- Institute of Medical Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jieun Park
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Nami Lee
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-E Choi
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja Young Jeon
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Jin Han
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Jung Kim
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwan Woo Lee
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Jin Kim
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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Tanida R, Goto H, Takayama H, Nakano Y, Oo HK, Galicia-Medina CM, Takahashi K, Ishii KA, Goli AS, Matsuzaka T, Harada K, Takamura T. LECT2 Deletion Exacerbates Liver Steatosis and Macrophage Infiltration in a Male Mouse Model of LPS-mediated NASH. Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqae059. [PMID: 38781447 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqae059] [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: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is a protein initially isolated as a neutrophil chemotactic factor. We previously found that LECT2 is an obesity-associated hepatokine that senses liver fat and induces skeletal muscle insulin resistance. In addition, hepatocyte-derived LECT2 activates macrophage proinflammatory activity by reinforcing the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling. Based on these findings, we examined the effect of LECT2 deletion on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH) caused by bacterial translocation. We created the bacterial translocation-mediated NAFLD/NASH model using LECT2 knockout mice (LECT2 KO) with 28 times a low-dose LPS injection under high-fat diet feeding conditions. LECT2 deletion exacerbated steatosis and significantly reduced p38 phosphorylation in the liver. In addition, LECT2 deletion increased macrophage infiltration with decreased M1/M2 ratios. LECT2 might contribute to protecting against lipid accumulation and macrophage activation in the liver under pathological conditions, which might be accomplished via p38 phosphorylation. This study provides novel aspects of LECT2 in the bacterial translocation-mediated NAFLD/NASH model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Tanida
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Wellness, Shigakkan University, Obu 474-8651, Japan
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Hisanori Goto
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Takayama
- Life Sciences Division, Engineering and Technology Department, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yujiro Nakano
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Hein Ko Oo
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Cynthia Monserrat Galicia-Medina
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Kenta Takahashi
- Department of Human Pathology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Kiyo-Aki Ishii
- Department of Bone and Joint Disease, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Aichi 474-8511, Japan
| | - Arman Syah Goli
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuzaka
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
- Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Kenichi Harada
- Department of Human Pathology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Toshinari Takamura
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
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Zhang LF, Deng WQ, Huang QW, Zhang JJ, Wang Y, Zhou TJ, Xing L, Jiang HL. Vicious Cycle-Breaking Lipid Nanoparticles Remodeling Multicellular Crosstalk to Reverse Liver Fibrosis. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2311474. [PMID: 38194906 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202311474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
During liver fibrogenesis, the reciprocal crosstalk among capillarized liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and dysfunctional hepatocytes constructs a self-amplifying vicious cycle, greatly exacerbating the disease condition and weakening therapeutic effect. Limited by the malignant cellular interactions, the previous single-cell centric treatment approaches show unsatisfactory efficacy and fail to meet clinical demand. Herein, a vicious cycle-breaking strategy is proposed to target and repair pathological cells separately to terminate the malignant progression of liver fibrosis. Chondroitin sulfate-modified and vismodegib-loaded nanoparticles (CS-NPs/VDG) are designed to efficiently normalize the fenestrae phenotype of LSECs and restore HSCs to quiescent state by inhibiting Hedgehog signaling pathway. In addition, glycyrrhetinic acid-modified and silybin-loaded nanoparticles (GA-NPs/SIB) are prepared to restore hepatocytes function by relieving oxidative stress. The results show successful interruption of vicious cycle as well as distinct fibrosis resolution in two animal models through multiregulation of the pathological cells. This work not only highlights the significance of modulating cellular crosstalk but also provides a promising avenue for developing antifibrotic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Wen-Qi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Qing-Wen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Jiao-Jiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Tian-Jiao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Lei Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Hu-Lin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
- College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, 133002, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
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