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Hvid H, Hjuler ST, Bedossa P, Tiniakos DG, Kamzolas I, Harder LM, Xue Y, Perfield JW, Kirk RK, Latta M, Mikkelsen LF, Pedersen HD. Choline-deficient, high-fat diet-induced MASH in Göttingen Minipigs: characterization and effects of a chow reversal period. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2024; 327:G571-G585. [PMID: 39041677 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00120.2024] [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: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is increasing, and translational animal models are needed to develop novel treatments for this disease. The physiology and metabolism of pigs have a relatively high resemblance to humans, and the present study aimed to characterize choline-deficient and high-fat diet (CDAHFD)-fed Göttingen Minipigs as a novel animal model of MASLD/MASH. Göttingen Minipigs were fed CDAHFD for up to 5 mo, and the phenotype was investigated by the analysis of plasma parameters and repeated collection of liver biopsies. Furthermore, changes in hepatic gene expression during the experiment were explored by RNA sequencing. For a subset of the minipigs, the diet was changed from CDAHFD back to chow to investigate whether the liver pathology was reversible. Göttingen Minipigs on CDAHFD gained body weight, and plasma levels of cholesterol, AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT were increased. CDAHFD-fed minipigs developed hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, which in 5 of 16 animals progressed to cirrhosis. During an 11-wk chow reversal period, steatosis regressed, while fibrosis persisted. Regarding inflammation, the findings were less clear, depending on the type of readout. MASH Human Proximity Scoring (combined evaluation of transcriptional, phenotypic, and histopathological parameters) showed that CDAHFD-fed Göttingen Minipigs resemble human MASLD/MASH better than most rodent models. In conclusion, CDAHFD-fed minipigs develop a MASH-like phenotype, which, in several aspects, resembles the changes observed in human patients with MASLD/MASH. Furthermore, repeated collection of liver biopsies allows detailed characterization of histopathological changes over time in individual animals.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The physiology and metabolism of pigs have a relatively high resemblance to humans. This study characterizes a new animal model of MASLD/MASH using CDAHFD-fed Göttingen Minipigs. Göttingen Minipigs fed CDAHFD gained weight and developed hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. After an 11-wk chow-reversal period, hepatic steatosis and some inflammatory parameters reversed. Combined evaluation of phenotypic, transcriptional, and histological parameters revealed the minipig model showed a higher resemblance to human disease than many rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henning Hvid
- Research and Early Development, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
| | - Sara T Hjuler
- Research and Early Development, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
| | | | - Dina G Tiniakos
- Department of Pathology, Aretaieion Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Ioannis Kamzolas
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Lea M Harder
- Research and Early Development, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
| | - Yaxin Xue
- Research and Early Development, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
| | - James W Perfield
- Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
| | - Rikke K Kirk
- Research and Early Development, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
| | - Markus Latta
- Research and Early Development, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
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Crouchet E, Dachraoui M, Jühling F, Roehlen N, Oudot MA, Durand SC, Ponsolles C, Gadenne C, Meiss-Heydmann L, Moehlin J, Martin R, Brignon N, Del Zompo F, Teraoka Y, Aikata H, Abe-Chayama H, Chayama K, Saviano A, Heide D, Onea M, Geyer L, Wolf T, Felli E, Pessaux P, Heikenwälder M, Chambon P, Schuster C, Lupberger J, Mukherji A, Baumert TF. Targeting the liver clock improves fibrosis by restoring TGF-β signaling. J Hepatol 2024:S0168-8278(24)02480-2. [PMID: 39173955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.07.034] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Liver fibrosis is the major driver of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver disease-related death. Approved antifibrotic therapies are absent and compounds in development have limited efficacy. Increased TGF-β signaling drives collagen deposition by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs)/myofibroblasts. Here, we aimed to dissect the role of the circadian clock (CC) in controlling TGF-β signaling and liver fibrosis. METHODS Using CC-mutant mice, enriched HSCs and myofibroblasts obtained from healthy and fibrotic mice in different CC phases and loss-of-function studies in human hepatocytes and myofibroblasts, we investigated the relationship between CC and TGF-β signaling. We explored hepatocyte-myofibroblast communication through bioinformatic analyses of single-nuclei transcriptomes and performed validation in cell-based models. Using mouse models for MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis)-related fibrosis and spheroids from patients with liver disease, we performed proof-of-concept studies to validate pharmacological targetability and clinical translatability. RESULTS We discovered that the CC oscillator temporally gates TGF-β signaling and this regulation is broken in fibrosis. We demonstrate that HSCs and myofibroblasts contain a functional CC with rhythmic expression of numerous genes, including fibrogenic genes. Perturbation studies in hepatocytes and myofibroblasts revealed a reciprocal relationship between TGF-β activation and CC perturbation, which was confirmed in patient-derived ex vivo and in vivo models. Pharmacological modulation of CC-TGF-β signaling inhibited fibrosis in mouse models in vivo as well as in patient-derived liver spheroids. CONCLUSION The CC regulates TGF-β signaling, and the breakdown of this control is associated with liver fibrosis in patients. Pharmacological proof-of-concept studies across different models have uncovered the CC as a novel therapeutic target for liver fibrosis - a growing unmet medical need. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Liver fibrosis due to metabolic diseases is a global health challenge. Many liver functions are rhythmic throughout the day, being controlled by the circadian clock (CC). Here we demonstrate that regulation of the CC is perturbed upon chronic liver injury and this perturbation contributes to fibrotic disease. By showing that a compound targeting the CC improves liver fibrosis in patient-derived models, this study provides a novel therapeutic candidate strategy to treat fibrosis in patients. Additional studies will be needed for clinical translation. Since the findings uncover a previously undiscovered profibrotic mechanism and therapeutic target, the study is of interest for scientists investigating liver disease, clinical hepatologists and drug developers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Crouchet
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mayssa Dachraoui
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Frank Jühling
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Natascha Roehlen
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France; Department of Medicine II, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases, Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marine A Oudot
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sarah C Durand
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Clara Ponsolles
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cloé Gadenne
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laura Meiss-Heydmann
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julien Moehlin
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Romain Martin
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France; ÆPIC Animal Facility Platform, University of Strasbourg, Inserm UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nicolas Brignon
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France; ÆPIC Animal Facility Platform, University of Strasbourg, Inserm UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Fabio Del Zompo
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yuji Teraoka
- Department of Gastroenterology, NHO Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Kure, Japan
| | | | - Hiromi Abe-Chayama
- Hiroshima Institute of Life Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan; Center for Medical Specialist Graduate Education and Research, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Hiroshima Institute of Life Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan; RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Antonio Saviano
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France; Pôle des Pathologies Hépatiques et Digestives, Strasbourg University Hospitals, Strasbourg, France
| | - Danijela Heide
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mihaela Onea
- Biological Resource Center, Hautepierre, Department of Pathology, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lucas Geyer
- Biological Resource Center, Hautepierre, Department of Pathology, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibaut Wolf
- Biological Resource Center, Hautepierre, Department of Pathology, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Emanuele Felli
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France; Groupe Hospitalier Saint Vincent, Strasbourg, France
| | - Patrick Pessaux
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France; Pôle des Pathologies Hépatiques et Digestives, Strasbourg University Hospitals, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mathias Heikenwälder
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; The M3 Research Center, University Tuebingen, Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Cancer Metabolism and Chronic Inflammation, M3-Research Center for Malignome, Metabolome and Microbiome, Otfried-Müller-Straße 37, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pierre Chambon
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR7104, Inserm U964, Illkirch, France; Collège de France, Illkirch, France
| | - Catherine Schuster
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Joachim Lupberger
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Atish Mukherji
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France; Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR7104, Inserm U964, Illkirch, France
| | - Thomas F Baumert
- University of Strasbourg, Inserm, Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM), UMR_S1110, Strasbourg, France; Pôle des Pathologies Hépatiques et Digestives, Strasbourg University Hospitals, Strasbourg, France; Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Strasbourg, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France.
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3
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Sprang M, Möllmann J, Andrade-Navarro MA, Fontaine JF. Overlooked poor-quality patient samples in sequencing data impair reproducibility of published clinically relevant datasets. Genome Biol 2024; 25:222. [PMID: 39152483 PMCID: PMC11328481 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03331-6] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reproducibility is a major concern in biomedical studies, and existing publication guidelines do not solve the problem. Batch effects and quality imbalances between groups of biological samples are major factors hampering reproducibility. Yet, the latter is rarely considered in the scientific literature. RESULTS Our analysis uses 40 clinically relevant RNA-seq datasets to quantify the impact of quality imbalance between groups of samples on the reproducibility of gene expression studies. High-quality imbalance is frequent (14 datasets; 35%), and hundreds of quality markers are present in more than 50% of the datasets. Enrichment analysis suggests common stress-driven effects among the low-quality samples and highlights a complementary role of transcription factors and miRNAs to regulate stress response. Preliminary ChIP-seq results show similar trends. Quality imbalance has an impact on the number of differential genes derived by comparing control to disease samples (the higher the imbalance, the higher the number of genes), on the proportion of quality markers in top differential genes (the higher the imbalance, the higher the proportion; up to 22%) and on the proportion of known disease genes in top differential genes (the higher the imbalance, the lower the proportion). We show that removing outliers based on their quality score improves the resulting downstream analysis. CONCLUSIONS Thanks to a stringent selection of well-designed datasets, we demonstrate that quality imbalance between groups of samples can significantly reduce the relevance of differential genes, consequently reducing reproducibility between studies. Appropriate experimental design and analysis methods can substantially reduce the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Sprang
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Biozentrum I, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, Mainz, 55128, Germany
| | - Jannik Möllmann
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Biozentrum I, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, Mainz, 55128, Germany
| | - Miguel A Andrade-Navarro
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Biozentrum I, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, Mainz, 55128, Germany.
| | - Jean-Fred Fontaine
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Biozentrum I, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, Mainz, 55128, Germany
- Central Institute for Decision Support Systems in Crop Protection (ZEPP), Rüdesheimer Str. 60-68, Bad Kreuznach, 55545, Germany
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4
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Hölscher DL, Bülow RD. Decoding pathology: the role of computational pathology in research and diagnostics. Pflugers Arch 2024:10.1007/s00424-024-03002-2. [PMID: 39095655 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-024-03002-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Traditional histopathology, characterized by manual quantifications and assessments, faces challenges such as low-throughput and inter-observer variability that hinder the introduction of precision medicine in pathology diagnostics and research. The advent of digital pathology allowed the introduction of computational pathology, a discipline that leverages computational methods, especially based on deep learning (DL) techniques, to analyze histopathology specimens. A growing body of research shows impressive performances of DL-based models in pathology for a multitude of tasks, such as mutation prediction, large-scale pathomics analyses, or prognosis prediction. New approaches integrate multimodal data sources and increasingly rely on multi-purpose foundation models. This review provides an introductory overview of advancements in computational pathology and discusses their implications for the future of histopathology in research and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Hölscher
- Department for Nephrology and Clinical Immunology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Pathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Roman D Bülow
- Institute for Pathology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
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5
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Vegda HS, Patel B, Girdhar GA, Pathan MSH, Ahmad R, Haque M, Sinha S, Kumar S. Role of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Periodontitis: A Bidirectional Relationship. Cureus 2024; 16:e63775. [PMID: 39100036 PMCID: PMC11297857 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.63775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and periodontitis share common risk factors such as obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and dyslipidemia, which contribute to systemic inflammation. It has been suggested that a bidirectional relationship exists between NAFLD and periodontitis, indicating that one condition may exacerbate the other. NAFLD is characterized by excessive fat deposition in the liver and is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. There are several risk factors for the development of NAFLD, including gender, geriatric community, race, ethnicity, poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation, physical activity, nutritional status, dysbiosis gut microbiota, increased oxidative stress, overweight, obesity, higher body mass index (BMI), IR, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome (MetS), dyslipidemia (hypercholesterolemia), and sarcopenia (decreased skeletal muscle mass). This systemic inflammation can contribute to the progression of periodontitis by impairing immune responses and exacerbating the inflammatory processes in the periodontal tissues. Furthermore, individuals with NAFLD often exhibit altered lipid metabolism, which may affect oral microbiota composition, leading to dysbiosis and increased susceptibility to periodontal disease. Conversely, periodontitis has been linked to the progression of NAFLD through mechanisms involving systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Chronic periodontal inflammation can release pro-inflammatory cytokines and bacterial toxins into the bloodstream, contributing to liver inflammation and exacerbating hepatic steatosis. Moreover, periodontitis-induced oxidative stress may promote hepatic lipid accumulation and IR, further aggravating NAFLD. The interplay between NAFLD and periodontitis underscores the importance of comprehensive management strategies targeting both conditions. Lifestyle modifications such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and proper oral hygiene practices are crucial for preventing and managing these interconnected diseases. Additionally, interdisciplinary collaboration between hepatologists and periodontists is essential for optimizing patient care and improving outcomes in individuals with NAFLD and periodontitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardika S Vegda
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND
| | - Bhavin Patel
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND
| | - Gaurav A Girdhar
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND
| | - Mohd Shabankhan H Pathan
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND
| | - Rahnuma Ahmad
- Department of Physiology, Medical College for Women and Hospital, Dhaka, BGD
| | - Mainul Haque
- Department of Research, Karnavati Scientific Research Center (KSRC) School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, MYS
| | - Susmita Sinha
- Department of Physiology, Enam Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, BGD
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND
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6
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Jaso-Vera ME, Takaoka S, Patel I, Ruan X. Integrative regulation of hLMR1 by dietary and genetic factors in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hyperlipidemia. Hum Genet 2024; 143:897-906. [PMID: 38493444 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-024-02654-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes represent a large class of transcripts that are widely expressed across species. As most human lncRNAs are non-conserved, we recently employed a unique humanized liver mouse model to study lncRNAs expressed in human livers. We identified a human hepatocyte-specific lncRNA, hLMR1 (human lncRNA metabolic regulator 1), which is induced by feeding and promotes hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) found that several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the hLMR1 gene locus are associated with blood lipids and markers of liver damage. These results suggest that dietary and genetic factors may regulate hLMR1 to affect disease progression. In this study, we first screened for nutritional/hormonal factors and found that hLMR1 was robustly induced by insulin/glucose in cultured human hepatocytes, and this induction is dependent on the transcription factor SREBP1. We then tested if GWAS SNPs genetically linked to hLMR1 could regulate hLMR1 expression. We found that DNA sequences flanking rs9653945, a SNP from the last exon of the hLMR1 gene, functions as an enhancer that can be robustly activated by SREBP1c depending on the presence of rs9653945 major allele (G). We further performed CRISPR base editing in human HepG2 cells and found that rs9653945 major (G) to minor (A) allele modification resulted in blunted insulin/glucose-induced expression of hLMR1. Finally, we performed genotyping and gene expression analyses using a published human NAFLD RNA-seq dataset and found that individuals homozygous for rs9653945-G have a higher expression of hLMR1 and risk of NAFLD. Taken together, our data support a model that rs9653945-G predisposes individuals to insulin/glucose-induced hLMR1, contributing to the development of hyperlipidemia and NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos E Jaso-Vera
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital, 600 Fifth Street S., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Shohei Takaoka
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital, 600 Fifth Street S., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Ishika Patel
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital, 600 Fifth Street S., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Xiangbo Ruan
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital, 600 Fifth Street S., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA.
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7
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Homan EA, Gilani A, Rubio-Navarro A, Johnson M, Cortada E, Pereira de Lima R, Stoll L, Lo JC. Complement 3a Receptor 1 on Macrophages and Kupffer cells is not required for the Pathogenesis of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.06.26.24309550. [PMID: 38978661 PMCID: PMC11230319 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.26.24309550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Together with obesity and type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing global epidemic. Activation of the complement system and infiltration of macrophages has been linked to progression of metabolic liver disease. The role of complement receptors in macrophage activation and recruitment in MASLD remains poorly understood. In human and mouse, C3AR1 in the iver is expressed primarily in Kupffer cells, but is downregulated in humans with MASLD compared to obese controls. To test the role of complement 3a receptor (C3aR1) on macrophages and liver resident macrophages in MASLD, we generated mice deficient in C3aR1 on all macrophages (C3aR1-MφKO) or specifically in liver Kupffer cells (C3aR1-KpKO) and subjected them to a model of metabolic steatotic liver disease. We show that macrophages account for the vast majority of C3ar1 expression in the liver. Overall, C3aR1-MφKO and C3aR1-KpKO mice have similar body weight gain without significant alterations in glucose homeostasis, hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, compared to controls on a MASLD-inducing diet. This study demonstrates that C3aR1 deletion in macrophages or Kupffer cells, the predominant liver cell type expressing C3aR1, has no significant effect on liver steatosis, inflammation or fibrosis in a dietary MASLD model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin A. Homan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Ankit Gilani
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Alfonso Rubio-Navarro
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Maya Johnson
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Eric Cortada
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Renan Pereira de Lima
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Lisa Stoll
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10021
| | - James C. Lo
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Weill Center for Metabolic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, 10021
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8
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Piras IS, DiStefano JK. Comprehensive meta-analysis reveals distinct gene expression signatures of MASLD progression. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302517. [PMID: 38565287 PMCID: PMC10987979 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progressive form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), pose significant risks of severe fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite their widespread prevalence, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of these common chronic hepatic conditions are not fully understood. Here, we conducted the most extensive meta-analysis of hepatic gene expression datasets from liver biopsy samples to date, integrating 10 RNA-sequencing and microarray datasets (1,058 samples). Using a random-effects meta-analysis model, we compared over 12,000 shared genes across datasets. We identified 685 genes differentially expressed in MASLD versus normal liver, 1,870 in MASH versus normal liver, and 3,284 in MASLD versus MASH. Integrating these results with genome-wide association studies and coexpression networks, we identified two functionally relevant, validated coexpression modules mainly driven by SMOC2, ITGBL1, LOXL1, MGP, SOD3, and TAT, HGD, SLC25A15, respectively, the latter not previously associated with MASLD and MASH. Our findings provide a comprehensive and robust analysis of hepatic gene expression alterations associated with MASLD and MASH and identify novel key drivers of MASLD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignazio S Piras
- https://ror.org/02hfpnk21 Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Johanna K DiStefano
- https://ror.org/02hfpnk21 Diabetes and Metabolic Disease Research Unit, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Newberry EP, Molitor EA, Liu A, Chong K, Liu X, Alonso C, Mato JM, Davidson NO. Impaired Hepatic Very Low-Density Lipoprotein Secretion Promotes Tumorigenesis and Is Accelerated with Fabp1 Deletion. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:958-974. [PMID: 38417694 PMCID: PMC11156158 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Genetic polymorphisms that impair very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion are linked to hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular cancer. Liver-specific deletion of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (Mttp-LKO) impairs VLDL assembly, promoting hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, which are attenuated in Mttp-LKO X Fabp1-null [Fabp1/Mttp double knockout (DKO)] mice. The current study examined the impact of impaired VLDL secretion in Mttp-LKO mice on hepatocellular cancer incidence and progression in comparison to Fabp1/Mttp DKO mice. Diethylnitrosamine-treated Mttp-LKO mice exhibited steatosis with increased tumor burden compared with flox controls, whereas diethylnitrosamine-treated Fabp1/Mttp DKO mice exhibited a paradoxical increase in tumor burden and >50% mortality by 50 weeks. Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was elevated in both Mttp-LKO and Fabp1/Mttp DKO mice, with increased intratumoral expression of apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein E. Lipidomic surveys revealed progressive enrichment in distinct triglyceride species in livers from Mttp-LKO mice with further enrichment in Fabp1/Mttp DKO mice. RNA sequencing revealed mRNA changes suggesting altered monocarboxylic acid use and increased aerobic glycolysis, whereas hepatocytes from Fabp1/Mttp DKO mice exhibited increased capacity to use glucose and glutamine. These metabolic shifts were accompanied by reduced expression of HNF1 homeobox A (HNF1a), which correlated with tumor burden. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that hepatic tumorigenesis is increased in mice with impaired VLDL secretion and further accelerated via pathways including altered fatty acid compartmentalization and shifts in hepatic energy use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Newberry
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Elizabeth A Molitor
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Allen Liu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Kamyar Chong
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Xiuli Liu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Cristina Alonso
- OWL Metabolomics, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - Jose M Mato
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - Nicholas O Davidson
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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10
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Luo X, Guo J, Deng H, He Z, Wen Y, Si Z, Li J. Unveiling the role of disulfidptosis-related genes in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1386905. [PMID: 38812509 PMCID: PMC11133613 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1386905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Backgrounds Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) presents as a common liver disease characterized by an indistinct pathogenesis. Disulfidptosis is a recently identified mode of cell death. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Methods Gene expression profiles were obtained from the bulk RNA dataset GSE126848 and the single-cell RNA dataset GSE136103, both associated with NAFLD. Our study assessed the expression of DRGs in NAFLD and normal tissues. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential expression analysis were employed to identify the key NAFLD-specific differentially expressed DRGs (DE-DRGs). To explore the biological functions and immune regulatory roles of these key DE-DRGs, we conducted immune infiltration analysis, functional enrichment analysis, consensus clustering analysis, and single-cell differential state analysis. Finally, we validated the expression and biological functions of DRGs in NAFLD patients using histology and RNA-sequencing transcriptomic assays with human liver tissue samples. Results Through the intersection of WGCNA, differentially expressed genes, and DRGs, two key DE-DRGs (DSTN and MYL6) were identified. Immune infiltration analysis indicated a higher proportion of macrophages, T cells, and resting dendritic cells in NAFLD compared to control liver samples. Based on the key DE-DRGs, Two disulfidptosis clusters were defined in GSE126848. Cluster 1, with higher expression of the key DE-DRGs, exhibited increased immune infiltration abundance and was closely associated with oxidative stress and immune regulation compared to cluster 2. High-resolution analysis of mononuclear phagocytes highlighted the potential role of MYL6 in intrahepatic M1 phenotype Kupffer cells in NAFLD patients. Our transcriptome data revealed that the expression levels of the majority of DRGs were significantly increased in NAFLD patients. NAFLD patients exhibit elevated MYL6 correlating with inflammation, oxidative stress, and disease severity, offering promising diagnostic specificity. Conclusion This comprehensive study provides evidence for the association between NAFLD and disulfidptosis, identifying potential target genes and pathways in NAFLD. The identification of MYL6 as a possible treatment target for NAFLD provided a novel understanding of the disease's development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhongzhou Si
- Department of Liver Transplant, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiequn Li
- Department of Liver Transplant, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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11
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Castellano-Castillo D, Ramos-Molina B, Frutos MD, Arranz-Salas I, Reyes-Engel A, Queipo-Ortuño MI, Cardona F. RNA expression changes driven by altered epigenetics status related to NASH etiology. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 174:116508. [PMID: 38579398 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing health problem due to the increased obesity rates, among other factors. In its more severe stage (NASH), inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning and fibrosis are present in the liver, which can further evolve to total liver dysfunction or even hepatocarcinoma. As a metabolic disease, is associated to environmental factors such as diet and lifestyle conditions, which in turn can influence the epigenetic landscape of the cells, affecting to the gene expression profile and chromatin organization. In this study we performed ATAC-sequencing and RNA-sequencing to interrogate the chromatin status of liver biopsies in subjects with and without NASH and its effects on RNA transcription and NASH etiology. NASH subjects showed transcriptional downregulation for lipid and glucose metabolic pathways (e.g., ABC transporters, AMPK, FoxO or insulin pathways). A total of 229 genes were differentially enriched (ATAC and mRNA) in NASH, which were mainly related to lipid transport activity, nuclear receptor-binding, dicarboxylic acid transporter, and PPARA lipid regulation. Interpolation of ATAC data with known liver enhancer regions showed differential openness at 8 enhancers, some linked to genes involved in lipid metabolism, (i.e., FASN) and glucose homeostasis (i.e., GCGR). In conclusion, the chromatin landscape is altered in NASH patients compared to patients without this liver condition. This alteration might cause mRNA changes explaining, at least partially, the etiology and pathophysiology of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Castellano-Castillo
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Médica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA)-CIMES-UMA, Málaga 29010, Spain
| | - Bruno Ramos-Molina
- Obesity, Diabetes and Metabolism Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain.
| | - María Dolores Frutos
- General and Digestive System Surgery Department, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia 31020, Spain
| | - Isabel Arranz-Salas
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-Plataforma BIONAND (IBIMA), Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital, Malaga University, 2ª Planta, Campus Teatinos S/N, Málaga 29010, Spain; Department of Human Physiology, Human Histology, Anatomical Pathology and Physical Education, Malaga University, Málaga 29010, Spain; 11 Department of Anatomical Pathology, Virgen de la Victoria Hospital, Málaga, Spain
| | - Armando Reyes-Engel
- Departamento de especialidades Quirúrgicas, Bioquímica e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, 29010, Spain
| | - María Isabel Queipo-Ortuño
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica Intercentros de Oncología Médica, Hospitales Universitarios Regional y Virgen de la Victoria, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA)-CIMES-UMA, Málaga 29010, Spain; Departamento de especialidades Quirúrgicas, Bioquímica e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, 29010, Spain.
| | - Fernando Cardona
- Departamento de especialidades Quirúrgicas, Bioquímica e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, 29010, Spain
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12
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Meroni M, De Caro E, Chiappori F, Longo M, Paolini E, Mosca E, Merelli I, Lombardi R, Badiali S, Maggioni M, Orro A, Mezzelani A, Valenti L, Fracanzani AL, Dongiovanni P. Hepatic and adipose tissue transcriptome analysis highlights a commonly deregulated autophagic pathway in severe MASLD. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2024; 32:923-937. [PMID: 38439203 DOI: 10.1002/oby.23996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is rapidly ramping up due to the spread of obesity, which is characterized by expanded and dysfunctional visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Previous studies have investigated the hepatic transcriptome across MASLD, whereas few studies have focused on VAT. METHODS We performed RNA sequencing in 167 hepatic samples from patients with obesity and in a subset of 79 matched VAT samples. Circulating cathepsin D (CTSD), a lysosomal protease, was measured by ELISA, whereas the autophagy-lysosomal pathway was assessed by Western blot in hepatic and VAT samples (n = 20). RESULTS Inflammation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and mitochondrial dysfunction were upregulated in severe MASLD in both tissues, whereas autophagy and oxidative phosphorylation were reduced. Tissue comparative analysis revealed 13 deregulated genes, including CTSD, which showed the most robust diagnostic accuracy in discriminating mild and severe MASLD. CTSD expression correlated with circulating protein, whose increase was further validated in 432 histologically characterized MASLD patients, showing a high accuracy in foreseeing severe liver injury. In addition, the assessment of serum CTSD increased the performance of fibrosis 4 in diagnosing advanced disease. CONCLUSIONS By comparing the hepatic and VAT transcriptome during MASLD, we refined the concept by which CTSD may represent a potential biomarker of severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marica Meroni
- Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Emilia De Caro
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Germany/System Medicine, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Federica Chiappori
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council (ITB-CNR), Segrate, Italy
| | - Miriam Longo
- Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Erika Paolini
- Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Ettore Mosca
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council (ITB-CNR), Segrate, Italy
| | - Ivan Merelli
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council (ITB-CNR), Segrate, Italy
| | - Rosa Lombardi
- Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Badiali
- Department of Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Maggioni
- Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Orro
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council (ITB-CNR), Segrate, Italy
| | - Alessandra Mezzelani
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council (ITB-CNR), Segrate, Italy
| | - Luca Valenti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Precision Medicine Lab, Biological Resource Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Ludovica Fracanzani
- Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Dongiovanni
- Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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13
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Xu T, Gao W, Zhu L, Chen W, Niu C, Yin W, Ma L, Zhu X, Ling Y, Gao S, Liu L, Jiao N, Chen W, Zhang G, Zhu R, Wu D. NAFLDkb: A Knowledge Base and Platform for Drug Development against Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:2817-2828. [PMID: 37167092 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease with a broad spectrum of histologic manifestations. The rapidly growing prevalence and the complex pathologic mechanisms of NAFLD pose great challenges for treatment development. Despite tremendous efforts devoted to drug development, there are no FDA-approved medicines yet. Here, we present NAFLDkb, a specialized knowledge base and platform for computer-aided drug design against NAFLD. With multiperspective information curated from diverse source materials and public databases, NAFLDkb presents the associations of drug-related entities as individual knowledge graphs. Practical drug discovery tools that facilitate the utilization and expansion of NAFLDkb have also been implemented in the web interface, including chemical structure search, drug-likeness screening, knowledge-based repositioning, and research article annotation. Moreover, case studies of a knowledge graph repositioning model and a generative neural network model are presented herein, where three repositioning drug candidates and 137 novel lead-like compounds were newly established as NAFLD pharmacotherapy options reusing data records and machine learning tools in NAFLDkb, suggesting its clinical reliability and great potential in identifying novel drug-disease associations of NAFLD and generating new insights to accelerate NAFLD drug development. NAFLDkb is freely accessible at https://www.biosino.org/nafldkb and will be updated periodically with the latest findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingjun Xu
- Putuo People's Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200060, P. R. China
- Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 LingLing Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Wenxing Gao
- Putuo People's Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200060, P. R. China
| | - Lixin Zhu
- Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases; Biomedical Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
- Department of General Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Wanning Chen
- Putuo People's Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200060, P. R. China
| | - Chaoqun Niu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Bio-Med Big Data Center, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Yin
- Putuo People's Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200060, P. R. China
| | - Liangxiao Ma
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Bio-Med Big Data Center, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, P. R. China
| | - Xinyue Zhu
- Putuo People's Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200060, P. R. China
| | - Yunchao Ling
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Bio-Med Big Data Center, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, P. R. China
| | - Sheng Gao
- Putuo People's Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200060, P. R. China
| | - Lei Liu
- Putuo People's Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200060, P. R. China
| | - Na Jiao
- National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Weiming Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 LingLing Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Guoqing Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Bio-Med Big Data Center, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, P. R. China
| | - Ruixin Zhu
- Putuo People's Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200060, P. R. China
| | - Dingfeng Wu
- National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
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14
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Jiang C, Li P, Ma Y, Yoneda N, Kawai K, Uehara S, Ohnishi Y, Suemizu H, Cao H. Comprehensive gene profiling of the metabolic landscape of humanized livers in mice. J Hepatol 2024; 80:622-633. [PMID: 38049085 PMCID: PMC10947884 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The human liver transcriptome is complex and highly dynamic, e.g. one gene may produce multiple distinct transcripts, each with distinct posttranscriptional modifications. Direct knowledge of transcriptome dynamics, however, is largely obscured by the inaccessibility of the human liver to treatments and the insufficient annotation of the human liver transcriptome at transcript and RNA modification levels. METHODS We generated mice that carry humanized livers of identical genetic background and subjected them to representative metabolic treatments. We then analyzed the humanized livers with nanopore single-molecule direct RNA sequencing to determine the expression level, m6A modification and poly(A) tail length of all RNA transcript isoforms. Our system allows for the de novo annotation of human liver transcriptomes to reflect metabolic responses and for the study of transcriptome dynamics in parallel. RESULTS Our analysis uncovered a vast number of novel genes and transcripts. Our transcript-level analysis of human liver transcriptomes also identified a multitude of regulated metabolic pathways that were otherwise invisible using conventional short-read RNA sequencing. We revealed for the first time the dynamic changes in m6A and poly(A) tail length of human liver transcripts, many of which are transcribed from key metabolic genes. Furthermore, we performed comparative analyses of gene regulation between humans and mice, and between two individuals using the liver-specific humanized mice, revealing that transcriptome dynamics are highly species- and genetic background-dependent. CONCLUSION Our work revealed a complex metabolic response landscape of the human liver transcriptome and provides a novel resource to understand transcriptome dynamics of the human liver in response to physiologically relevant metabolic stimuli (https://caolab.shinyapps.io/human_hepatocyte_landscape/). IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Direct knowledge of the human liver transcriptome is currently very limited, hindering the overall understanding of human liver pathophysiology. We combined a liver-specific humanized mouse model and long-read direct RNA sequencing technology to establish a de novo annotation of the human liver transcriptome and identified a multitude of regulated metabolic pathways that were otherwise invisible using conventional technologies. The extensive regulatory information on human genes we provided could enable basic scientists to infer the pathological relevance of their genes of interest and physician scientists to better pinpoint the changes in metabolic networks underlying a specific pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengfei Jiang
- Cardiovascular Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ping Li
- Cardiovascular Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yonghe Ma
- Cardiovascular Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nao Yoneda
- Liver Engineering Laboratory, Department of Applied Research for Laboratory Animals, Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), 3-25-12 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-0821, Japan
| | - Kenji Kawai
- Pathology Center, Translational Research and Contract Research Service Division, Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), 3-25-12 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-0821, Japan
| | - Shotaro Uehara
- Liver Engineering Laboratory, Department of Applied Research for Laboratory Animals, Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), 3-25-12 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-0821, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Ohnishi
- Liver Engineering Laboratory, Department of Applied Research for Laboratory Animals, Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), 3-25-12 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-0821, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Suemizu
- Liver Engineering Laboratory, Department of Applied Research for Laboratory Animals, Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), 3-25-12 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki 210-0821, Japan
| | - Haiming Cao
- Cardiovascular Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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15
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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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16
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Mak JHC, Lui DTW, Fong CHY, Cheung CYY, Wong Y, Lee ACH, Hoo RLC, Xu A, Tan KCB, Lam KSL, Lee CH. Serum thrombospondin-2 level changes with liver stiffness improvement in patients with type 2 diabetes. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2024; 100:230-237. [PMID: 38127469 DOI: 10.1111/cen.15010] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Baseline circulating thrombospondin-2 (TSP2) level was identified as a potential novel hepatic fibrosis biomarker that associates with development and progression of hepatic fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Here, we investigated whether circulating TSP2 levels changed with improvement in liver stiffness (LS), which reflects liver fibrosis on transient elastography. DESIGN Serum TSP2 levels were measured in participants from a randomized, open-label intervention study, at baseline and after 24-weeks treatment of either dapagliflozin 10 mg (N = 30) or sitagliptin 100 mg daily (N = 30). Vibration-controlled transient elastography was performed to evaluate the severity of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis using LS and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), respectively. PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS Among all 60 participants with similar clinical characteristics at baseline (mean HbA1c 8.9%, CAP 289 dB/m and LS 5.8 kPa), despite similar HbA1c lowering, treatment with dapagliflozin, but not sitagliptin, led to significant improvements in body weight (BW) (p = .012), CAP (p = .015) and LS (p = .011) after 24 weeks. RESULTS Serum TSP2 level decreased significantly from baseline in dapagliflozin-treated participants (p = .035), whereas no significant change was observed with sitagliptin. In correlation analysis, change in serum TSP2 levels only positively correlated with change in LS (r = .487, p = .006), but not with changes in BW, CAP or HbA1c after dapagliflozin treatment. CONCLUSIONS Serum TSP2 level decreased with LS after dapagliflozin treatment, and was independent of improvements in BW, glycemic control and hepatic steatosis, further supporting the potential of serum TSP2 level as a novel hepatic fibrosis biomarker in type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Ho Cheung Mak
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - David Tak-Wai Lui
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Carol Ho-Yi Fong
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chloe Yu-Yan Cheung
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ying Wong
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alan Chun-Hong Lee
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ruby Lai-Chong Hoo
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Aimin Xu
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kathryn Choon-Beng Tan
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Karen Siu-Ling Lam
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chi-Ho Lee
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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17
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Zhang J, Wang L, Jiang M. Diagnostic value of sphingolipid metabolism-related genes CD37 and CXCL9 in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37185. [PMID: 38394483 PMCID: PMC11309649 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been reported to be caused by sphingolipid family inducing insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation, which can be regulated by multiple sphingolipid metabolic pathways. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of crucial sphingolipid metabolism related genes (SMRGs) in NAFLD. Firstly, the datasets (GSE48452, GSE126848, and GSE63067) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and sphingolipid metabolism genes (SMGs) from previous research were collected for this study. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between different NAFLD and controls were acquired through "limma," and the SMRGs were authenticated via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). After overlapping the DEGs and SMRGs, the causality between the intersection genes (DE-SMRGs) and NAFLD was explored to sort out the candidate biomarkers by Mendelian randomization (MR) study. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of candidate biomarkers in GSE48452 and GSE126848 were yielded to determine the biomarkers, followed by the nomogram construction and enrichment analysis. Finally, the immune infiltration analysis, the prediction of transcription factors (TFs) and drugs targeting biomarkers were put into effect. A total of 23 DE-SMRGs were acquired based on the differential analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), of which 3 DE-SMRGs (CD37, CXCL9 and IL7R) were picked out for follow-up analysis through univariate and multivariate MR analysis. The values of area under ROC curve of CD37 and CXCL9 were >0.7 in GSE48452 and GSE126848, thereby being regarded as biomarkers, which were mainly enriched in amino acid metabolism. With respect to the Spearman analysis between immune cells and biomarkers, CD37 and CXCL9 were significantly positively associated with M1 macrophages (P < .001), whose proportion was observably higher in NAFLD patients compared with controls. At last, TFs (ZNF460 and ZNF384) of CD37 and CXCL9 and a total of 79 chemical drugs targeting CD37 and CXCL9 were predicted. This study mined the pivotal SMRGs, CD37 and CXCL9, and systematically explored the mechanism of action of both biomarkers based on the public databases, which could tender a fresh reference for the clinical diagnosis and therapy of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Zhang
- Queen Mary School, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lingfang Wang
- The National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and the Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Meixiu Jiang
- The National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and the Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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18
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Chen G, Zhou G, Zhai L, Bao X, Tiwari N, Li J, Mottillo E, Wang J. SHMT2 reduces fatty liver but is necessary for liver inflammation and fibrosis in mice. Commun Biol 2024; 7:173. [PMID: 38347107 PMCID: PMC10861579 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05861-y] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with an irregular serine metabolism. Serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) is a liver enzyme that breaks down serine into glycine and one-carbon (1C) units critical for liver methylation reactions and overall health. However, the contribution of SHMT2 to hepatic 1C homeostasis and biological functions has yet to be defined in genetically modified animal models. We created a mouse strain with targeted SHMT2 knockout in hepatocytes to investigate this. The absence of SHMT2 increased serine and glycine levels in circulation, decreased liver methylation potential, and increased susceptibility to fatty liver disease. Interestingly, SHMT2-deficient mice developed simultaneous fatty liver, but when fed a diet high in fat, fructose, and cholesterol, they had significantly less inflammation and fibrosis. This study highlights the critical role of SHMT2 in maintaining hepatic 1C homeostasis and its stage-specific functions in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohua Chen
- Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Guoli Zhou
- Biomedical Research Informatics Core, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Lidong Zhai
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Xun Bao
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Nivedita Tiwari
- Hypertension and Vascular Research Division, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Emilio Mottillo
- Hypertension and Vascular Research Division, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
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19
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Wang J, Guo Y, He Y, Qin Y, Li X, Yang L, Liu K, Xiao L. Hepatic regulator of G protein signaling 14 ameliorates NAFLD through activating cAMP-AMPK signaling by targeting Giα1/3. Mol Metab 2024; 80:101882. [PMID: 38237897 PMCID: PMC10844864 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging public health threat as the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. However, there remains no effective medication to improve NAFLD. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most frequently investigated drug targets family. The Regulator of G protein signaling 14 (RGS14), as an essential negative modulator of GPCR signaling, plays important regulatory roles in liver damage and inflammatory responses. However, the role of RGS14 in NAFLD remains largely unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we found that RGS14 was decreased in hepatocytes in NAFLD individuals in a public database. We employed genetic engineering technique to explore the function of RGS14 in NAFLD. We demonstrated that RGS14 overexpression ameliorated lipid accumulation, inflammatory response and liver fibrosis in hepatocytes in vivo and in vitro. Whereas, hepatocyte specific Rgs14-knockout (Rgs14-HKO) exacerbated high fat high cholesterol diet (HFHC) induced NASH. Further molecular experiments demonstrated that RGS14 depended on GDI activity to attenuate HFHC-feeding NASH. More importantly, RGS14 interacted with Guanine nucleotide-binding protein (Gi) alpha 1 and 3 (Giα1/3, gene named GNAI1/3), promoting the generation of cAMP and then activating the subsequent AMPK pathways. GNAI1/3 knockdown abolished the protective role of RGS14, indicating that RGS14 binding to Giα1/3 was required for prevention against hepatic steatosis. CONCLUSIONS RGS14 plays a protective role in the progression of NAFLD. RGS14-Giα1/3 interaction accelerated the production of cAMP and then activated cAMP-AMPK signaling. Targeting RGS14 or modulating the RGS14-Giα1/3 interaction may be a potential strategy for the treatment of NAFLD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyong Wang
- Center for Basic Medical Research, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Yaping Guo
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Yunduan He
- The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450008, China
| | - Yifan Qin
- Center for Basic Medical Research, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Xiuling Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450004, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Kangdong Liu
- Center for Basic Medical Research, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
| | - Li Xiao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450004, China.
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20
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Webster NJG, Kumar D, Wu P. Dysregulation of RNA splicing in early non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2500. [PMID: 38291075 PMCID: PMC10828381 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52237-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
While changes in RNA splicing have been extensively studied in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), no studies have systematically investigated changes in RNA splicing during earlier liver disease. Mouse studies have shown that disruption of RNA splicing can trigger liver disease and we have shown that the splicing factor SRSF3 is decreased in the diseased human liver, so we profiled RNA splicing in liver samples from twenty-nine individuals with no-history of liver disease or varying degrees of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We compared our results with three publicly available transcriptome datasets that we re-analyzed for splicing events (SEs). We found many changes in SEs occurred during early liver disease, with fewer events occurring with the onset of inflammation and fibrosis. Many of these early SEs were enriched for SRSF3-dependent events and were associated with SRSF3 binding sites. Mapping the early and late changes to gene ontologies and pathways showed that the genes harboring these early SEs were involved in normal liver metabolism, whereas those harboring late SEs were involved in inflammation, fibrosis and proliferation. We compared the SEs with HCC data from the TCGA and observed that many of these early disease SEs are found in HCC samples and, furthermore, are correlated with disease survival. Changes in splicing factor expression are also observed, which may be associated with distinct subsets of the SEs. The maintenance of these SEs through the multi-year oncogenic process suggests that they may be causative. Understanding the role of these splice variants in metabolic liver disease progression may shed light on the triggers of liver disease progression and the pathogenesis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J G Webster
- Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA.
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Panyisha Wu
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
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21
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Svecla M, Da Dalt L, Moregola A, Nour J, Baragetti A, Uboldi P, Donetti E, Arnaboldi L, Beretta G, Bonacina F, Norata GD. ASGR1 deficiency diverts lipids toward adipose tissue but results in liver damage during obesity. Cardiovasc Diabetol 2024; 23:42. [PMID: 38281933 PMCID: PMC10823681 DOI: 10.1186/s12933-023-02099-6] [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: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1), primarily expressed on hepatocytes, promotes the clearance and the degradation of glycoproteins, including lipoproteins, from the circulation. In humans, loss-of-function variants of ASGR1 are associated with a favorable metabolic profile and reduced incidence of cardiovascular diseases. The molecular mechanisms by which ASGR1 could affect the onset of metabolic syndrome and obesity are unclear. Therefore, here we investigated the contribution of ASGR1 in the development of metabolic syndrome and obesity. METHODS ASGR1 deficient mice (ASGR1-/-) were subjected to a high-fat diet (45% Kcal from fat) for 20 weeks. The systemic metabolic profile, hepatic and visceral adipose tissue were characterized for metabolic and structural alterations, as well as for immune cells infiltration. RESULTS ASGR1-/- mice present a hypertrophic adipose tissue with 41% increase in fat accumulation in visceral adipose tissue (VAT), alongside with alteration in lipid metabolic pathways. Intriguingly, ASGR1-/- mice exhibit a comparable response to an acute glucose and insulin challenge in circulation, coupled with notably decreased in circulating cholesterol levels. Although the liver of ASGR1-/- have similar lipid accumulation to the WT mice, they present elevated levels of liver inflammation and a decrease in mitochondrial function. CONCLUSION ASGR1 deficiency impacts energetic homeostasis during obesity leading to improved plasma lipid levels but increased VAT lipid accumulation and liver damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Svecla
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Da Dalt
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Moregola
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Jasmine Nour
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Baragetti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Uboldi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Donetti
- Department of Biomedical Science for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Arnaboldi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giangiacomo Beretta
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizia Bonacina
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Danilo Norata
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Science "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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22
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Sun Q, Xing X, Wang H, Wan K, Fan R, Liu C, Wang Y, Wu W, Wang Y, Wang R. SCD1 is the critical signaling hub to mediate metabolic diseases: Mechanism and the development of its inhibitors. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:115586. [PMID: 38042113 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic diseases, featured with dysregulated energy homeostasis, have become major global health challenges. Patients with metabolic diseases have high probability to manifest multiple complications in lipid metabolism, e.g. obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver. Therefore, targeting the hub genes in lipid metabolism may systemically ameliorate the metabolic diseases, along with the complications. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1(SCD1) is a key enzyme that desaturates the saturated fatty acids (SFAs) derived from de novo lipogenesis or diet to generate monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). SCD1 maintains the metabolic and tissue homeostasis by responding to, and integrating the multiple layers of endogenous stimuli, which is mediated by the synthesized MUFAs. It critically regulates a myriad of physiological processes, including energy homeostasis, development, autophagy, tumorigenesis and inflammation. Aberrant transcriptional and epigenetic activation of SCD1 regulates AMPK/ACC, SIRT1/PGC1α, NcDase/Wnt, etc, and causes aberrant lipid accumulation, thereby promoting the progression of obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver, diabetes and cancer. This review critically assesses the integrative mechanisms of the (patho)physiological functions of SCD1 in metabolic homeostasis, inflammation and autophagy. For translational perspective, potent SCD1 inhibitors have been developed to treat various types of cancer. We thus discuss the multidisciplinary advances that greatly accelerate the development of SCD1 new inhibitors. In conclusion, besides cancer treatment, SCD1 may serve as the promising target to combat multiple metabolic complications simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Sun
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaorui Xing
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Huanyu Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Kang Wan
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Ruobing Fan
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Cheng Liu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yongjian Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Wenyi Wu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yibing Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Ru Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China.
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23
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Iwabuchi S, Takahashi K, Kawaguchi K, Nagatsu A, Imafuku T, Shichino S, Matsushima K, Taketomi A, Honda M, Hashimoto S. Phospholipase A2 Group IIA Is Associated with Inflammatory Hepatocellular Adenoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:159. [PMID: 38201587 PMCID: PMC10778238 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Although benign hepatocellular adenomas (HCA) are very rare, recent observations have shown their occurrence in patients with diabetes mellitus. Consequently, most of these cases are treated by resection due to concerns regarding their potential progression to hepatocarcinoma (HCC). This decision is largely driven by the limited number of studies on HCC subtyping and the lack of molecular and biological insights into the carcinogenic potential of benign tumors. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the subtype classification of HCA and to compare and analyze gene expression profiling between HCA and HCC tissues. One fresh inflammatory HCA (I-HCA), three non-B non-C HCCs, two hepatitis B virus-HCCs, and one normal liver tissue sample were subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Comparative analysis of scRNA-seq among different tissues showed that phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2G2A) mRNA was specifically expressed in I-HCA, following RNA-seq analysis in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from other HCAs. Immunohistochemistry using the PLA2G2A antibody in these tissues indicated that the positive reaction was mainly observed in hepatocytes of I-HCAs and stromal cells surrounding the tumor tissue in HCC were also stained. According to a clinical database, PLA2G2A expression in HCC does not correlate with poor prognosis. This finding may potentially help develop a new definition for I-HCA, resulting in a significant clinical contribution, but it requires validation with other fresh HCA samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadahiro Iwabuchi
- Department of Molecular Pathophysiology, Institute of Advanced Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Wakayama 641-0011, Japan; (S.I.)
| | - Kenta Takahashi
- Department of Human Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
| | - Kazunori Kawaguchi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Ishikawa, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
| | - Akihisa Nagatsu
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Tadashi Imafuku
- Department of Molecular Pathophysiology, Institute of Advanced Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Wakayama 641-0011, Japan; (S.I.)
| | - Shigeyuki Shichino
- Division of Molecular Regulation of Inflammatory and Immune Disease, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Noda 278-8510, Japan
| | - Kouji Matsushima
- Division of Molecular Regulation of Inflammatory and Immune Disease, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Noda 278-8510, Japan
| | - Akinobu Taketomi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Masao Honda
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Ishikawa, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
| | - Shinichi Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular Pathophysiology, Institute of Advanced Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Wakayama 641-0011, Japan; (S.I.)
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24
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Hansen HH, Pors S, Andersen MW, Vyberg M, Nøhr-Meldgaard J, Nielsen MH, Oró D, Madsen MR, Lewinska M, Møllerhøj MB, Madsen AN, Feigh M. Semaglutide reduces tumor burden in the GAN diet-induced obese and biopsy-confirmed mouse model of NASH-HCC with advanced fibrosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:23056. [PMID: 38155202 PMCID: PMC10754821 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50328-5] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is emerging as a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, it is not resolved if compounds in late-stage clinical development for NASH may have additional therapeutic benefits in NASH-driven HCC (NASH-HCC). Here, we profiled monotherapy with semaglutide (glucagon-like-receptor-1 receptor agonist) and lanifibranor (pan-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist) in a diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse model of NASH-HCC. Disease progression was characterized in male C57BL/6 J mice fed the GAN (Gubra Amylin NASH) diet high in fat, fructose and cholesterol for 12-72 weeks (n = 15 per group). Other GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice fed the GAN diet for 54 weeks and with biopsy-confirmed NASH (NAFLD Activity Score ≥ 5) and advanced fibrosis (stage F3) received vehicle (n = 16), semaglutide (30 nmol/kg, s.c., n = 15), or lanifibranor (30 mg/kg, p.o., n = 15) once daily for 14 weeks. GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice demonstrated progressive NASH, fibrosis and HCC burden. Tumors presented with histological and molecular signatures of poor prognostic HCC. Consistent with clinical trial outcomes in NASH patients, both lanifibranor and semaglutide improved NASH while only lanifibranor reduced fibrosis in GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice. Notably, only semaglutide reduced tumor burden in GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice. In conclusion, the GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mouse is a clinical translational model of NASH-HCC. Semaglutide improves both NASH and tumor burden in GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice, highlighting the suitability of this preclinical model for profiling novel drug therapies targeting NASH-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susanne Pors
- Gubra, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, DK-2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | | | - Mogens Vyberg
- Center for RNA Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Denise Oró
- Gubra, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, DK-2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Michael Feigh
- Gubra, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, DK-2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
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25
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Guo X, Liang K, Xia L, Zhang X, Liu J, Wang C, Li J, Li X, Hou X, Chen L. Mof plays distinct roles in hepatic lipid metabolism under healthy or non-alcoholic fatty liver conditions. iScience 2023; 26:108446. [PMID: 38034359 PMCID: PMC10687339 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The disturbance of hepatic lipid metabolism has a strong association with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and diabetes. Mof, an acetyltransferase involved in obesity and carbon metabolism, has not been thoroughly examined in its connection to hepatic metabolism. We aimed to explore the impact of Mof on hepatic lipid metabolism. The alteration of Mof expression was found in both obese mice and NAFLD human liver. The genes regulated by Mof were closely associated with lipid metabolism. In normal mice or hepatic cells, the down-regulation or inhibition of Mof resulted in increased lipid accumulation due to decreased PPARα expression. Conversely, in diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice or hepatic cells treated with palmitic acid, the inhibition of Mof led to improved lipid metabolism, attributed to the reduction in p-mTOR/mTOR levels. In summary, Mof exhibited distinct roles in lipid metabolism under different conditions. The inhibition of Mof may hold potential as a therapeutic target for hepatic lipid metabolism disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinghong Guo
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Kai Liang
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Longqing Xia
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, Life Science School of Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Jinbo Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Chuan Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Jinquan Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Xiangzhi Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, Life Science School of Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Xinguo Hou
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
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26
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Mondal T, Smith CI, Loffredo CA, Quartey R, Moses G, Howell CD, Korba B, Kwabi-Addo B, Nunlee-Bland G, R. Rucker L, Johnson J, Ghosh S. Transcriptomics of MASLD Pathobiology in African American Patients in the Washington DC Area †. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16654. [PMID: 38068980 PMCID: PMC10706626 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is becoming the most common chronic liver disease worldwide and is of concern among African Americans (AA) in the United States. This pilot study evaluated the differential gene expressions and identified the signature genes in the disease pathways of AA individuals with MASLD. Blood samples were obtained from MASLD patients (n = 23) and non-MASLD controls (n = 24) along with their sociodemographic and medical details. Whole-blood transcriptomic analysis was carried out using Affymetrix Clarion-S Assay. A validation study was performed utilizing TaqMan Arrays coupled with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to identify the major disease pathways. Out of 21,448 genes in total, 535 genes (2.5%) were significantly (p < 0.05) and differentially expressed when we compared the cases and controls. A significant overlap in the predominant differentially expressed genes and pathways identified in previous studies using hepatic tissue was observed. Of note, TGFB1 and E2F1 genes were upregulated, and HMBS was downregulated significantly. Hepatic fibrosis signaling is the top canonical pathway, and its corresponding biofunction contributes to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The findings address the knowledge gaps regarding how signature genes and functional pathways can be detected in blood samples ('liquid biopsy') in AA MASLD patients, demonstrating the potential of the blood samples as an alternative non-invasive source of material for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmoy Mondal
- Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA; (T.M.); (G.M.); (J.J.)
| | - Coleman I. Smith
- MedStar-Georgetown Transplantation Institute, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20007, USA;
| | | | - Ruth Quartey
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC 20007, USA; (R.Q.); (C.D.H.)
| | - Gemeyel Moses
- Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA; (T.M.); (G.M.); (J.J.)
| | - Charles D. Howell
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC 20007, USA; (R.Q.); (C.D.H.)
| | - Brent Korba
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA;
| | - Bernard Kwabi-Addo
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
| | - Gail Nunlee-Bland
- Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
| | - Leanna R. Rucker
- Department of Internal Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC 20007, USA;
| | - Jheannelle Johnson
- Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA; (T.M.); (G.M.); (J.J.)
| | - Somiranjan Ghosh
- Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA; (T.M.); (G.M.); (J.J.)
- Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA;
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27
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Singh S, Sarma DK, Verma V, Nagpal R, Kumar M. Unveiling the future of metabolic medicine: omics technologies driving personalized solutions for precision treatment of metabolic disorders. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 682:1-20. [PMID: 37788525 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.09.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic disorders are increasingly prevalent worldwide, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality. The variety of metabolic illnesses can be addressed through personalized medicine. The goal of personalized medicine is to give doctors the ability to anticipate the best course of treatment for patients with metabolic problems. By analyzing a patient's metabolomic, proteomic, genetic profile, and clinical data, physicians can identify relevant diagnostic, and predictive biomarkers and develop treatment plans and therapy for acute and chronic metabolic diseases. To achieve this goal, real-time modeling of clinical data and multiple omics is essential to pinpoint underlying biological mechanisms, risk factors, and possibly useful data to promote early diagnosis and prevention of complex diseases. Incorporating cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning is crucial for consolidating diverse forms of data, examining multiple variables, establishing databases of clinical indicators to aid decision-making, and formulating ethical protocols to address concerns. This review article aims to explore the potential of personalized medicine utilizing omics approaches for the treatment of metabolic disorders. It focuses on the recent advancements in genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and nutrigenomics, emphasizing their role in revolutionizing personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samradhi Singh
- ICMR- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal, 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Devojit Kumar Sarma
- ICMR- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal, 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Vinod Verma
- Stem Cell Research Centre, Department of Hematology, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ravinder Nagpal
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Manoj Kumar
- ICMR- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal, 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India.
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28
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Liu T, Wang Q, Zhou L, Zhang P, Mi L, Qiu X, Chen Z, Kuang H, Li S, Lin JD. Intrahepatic paracrine signaling by cardiotrophin-like cytokine factor 1 ameliorates diet-induced NASH in mice. Hepatology 2023; 78:1478-1491. [PMID: 35950514 PMCID: PMC9918604 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The mammalian liver harbors heterogeneous cell types that communicate via local paracrine signaling. Recent studies have delineated the transcriptomic landscape of the liver in NASH that provides insights into liver cell heterogeneity, intercellular crosstalk, and disease-associated reprogramming. However, the nature of intrahepatic signaling and its role in NASH progression remain obscure. APPROACH AND RESULTS Here, we performed transcriptomic analyses and identified cardiotrophin-like cytokine factor 1 (CLCF1), a member of the IL-6 family cytokines, as a cholangiocyte-derived paracrine factor that was elevated in the liver from diet-induced NASH mice and patients with NASH. Adenovirus-associated virus-mediated overexpression of CLCF1 in the liver ameliorated NASH pathologies in two diet-induced NASH models in mice, illustrating that CLCF1 induction may serve an adaptive and protective role during NASH pathogenesis. Unexpectedly, messenger RNA and protein levels of leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR), a subunit of the receptor complex for CLCF1, were markedly downregulated in NASH liver. Hepatocyte-specific inactivation of LIFR accelerated NASH progression in mice, supporting an important role of intrahepatic cytokine signaling in maintaining tissue homeostasis under metabolic stress conditions. CONCLUSIONS Together, this study sheds light on the molecular nature of intrahepatic paracrine signaling during NASH pathogenesis and uncovers potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongyu Liu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Qiuyu Wang
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Linkang Zhou
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Peng Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Lin Mi
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Xiaoxue Qiu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Zhimin Chen
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Henry Kuang
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Siming Li
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Jiandie D. Lin
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Bai J, Zhu L, Mi W, Gao Z, Ouyang M, Sheng W, Song L, Bao L, Ma Y, Xu Y. Multiscale integrative analyses unveil immune-related diagnostic signature for the progression of MASLD. Hepatol Commun 2023; 7:e0298. [PMID: 37851406 PMCID: PMC10586828 DOI: 10.1097/hc9.0000000000000298] [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] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease prevalent worldwide, with an increasing incidence associated with obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The progression of MASLD to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) poses a pressing health concern, highlighting the significance of accurately identifying MASLD and its progression to MASH as a primary challenge in the field. In this study, a systematic integration of 66 immune cell types was conducted. Comprehensive analyses were performed on bulk, single-cell RNA-Seq, and clinical data to investigate the immune cell types implicated in MASLD progression thoroughly. Multiple approaches, including immune infiltration, gene expression trend analysis, weighted gene coexpression network analysis, and 4 machine learning algorithms, were used to examine the dynamic changes in genes and immune cells during MASLD progression. C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 and dedicator of cytokinesis 8 have been identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers for MASLD progression. Furthermore, cell communication analysis at the single-cell level revealed that the involvement of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 and dedicator of cytokinesis 8 in MASLD progression is mediated through their influence on T cells. Overall, our study identified vital immune cells and a 2-gene diagnostic signature for the progression of MASLD, providing a new perspective on the diagnosis and immune-related molecular mechanisms of MASLD. These findings have important implications for developing innovative diagnostic tools and therapies for MASLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Bai
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Lun Zhu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wanqi Mi
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhengzheng Gao
- College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Minyue Ouyang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wanlu Sheng
- College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Lin Song
- College of Mongolian Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Lidao Bao
- Hohhot Mongolian Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Hohhot, China
| | - Yuheng Ma
- College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yingqi Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- College of Mongolian Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
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30
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Robles-Matos N, Radaelli E, Simmons RA, Bartolomei MS. Preconception and developmental DEHP exposure alter liver metabolism in a sex-dependent manner in adult mouse offspring. Toxicology 2023; 499:153640. [PMID: 37806616 PMCID: PMC10842112 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during critical periods of development is associated with an increased risk of metabolic diseases, including hepatic steatosis and obesity. Di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP) is an EDC strongly associated with these metabolic abnormalities. DEHP developmental windows of susceptibility are unknown yet have important public health implications. The purpose of this study was to identify these windows of susceptibility and determine whether developmental DEHP exposure alters hepatic metabolism later in life. Dams were exposed to control or feed containing human exposure relevant doses of DEHP (50 μg/kg BW/d) and high dose DEHP (10 mg/kg BW/d) from preconception until weaning or only exposed to DEHP during preconception. Post-weaning, all offspring were fed a control diet throughout adulthood. Using the Metabolon Untargeted Metabolomics platform, we identified 148 significant metabolites in female adult livers that were altered by preconception-gestation-lactation DEHP exposure. We found a significant increase in the levels of acylcarnitines, diacylglycerols, sphingolipids, glutathione, purines, and pyrimidines in DEHP-exposed female livers compared to controls. These changes in fatty acid oxidation and oxidative stress-related metabolites were correlated with hepatic changes including microvesicular steatosis, hepatocyte swelling, inflammation. In contrast to females, we observed fewer metabolic alterations in male offspring, which were uniquely found in preconception-only low dose DEHP exposure group. Although we found that preconception-gestational-lactation exposure causes the most liver pathology, we surprisingly found preconception exposure linked to an abnormal liver metabolome. We also found that two doses exhibited non-monotonic DEHP-induced changes in the liver. Collectively, these findings suggest that metabolic changes in the adult liver of offspring exposed periconceptionally to DHEP depends on the timing of exposure, dose, and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Robles-Matos
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Enrico Radaelli
- Comparative Pathology Core, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rebecca A Simmons
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Marisa S Bartolomei
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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31
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Gao J, Bao M, Xing Y, Ding Y, Han T, Wen E, Liu J, Yue S, Wang R, Wang L, Liu J, Zhao S, Huang J, Liu E, Bai L. Mediator subunit MED1 deficiency prevents carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2023; 325:G418-G428. [PMID: 37668531 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00076.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Mediator subunit mediator 1 (MED1) mediates ligand-dependent binding of the mediator coactivator complex to various nuclear receptors and plays a critical role in embryonic development, lipid and glucose metabolism, liver regeneration, and tumorigenesis. However, the precise role of MED1 in the development of liver fibrosis has been unclear. Here, we showed that MED1 expression was increased in livers from nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients and mice and positively correlated with transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling and profibrotic factors. Upon treatment with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), hepatic fibrosis was much less in liver-specific MED1 deletion (MED1ΔLiv) mice than in MED1fl/fl littermates. TGF-β/Smad2/3 signaling pathway was inhibited, and gene expression of fibrotic markers, including α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen type 1 α 1 (Col1a1), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (Mmp2), and metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (Timp1) were decreased in livers of MED1ΔLiv mice with CCl4 injection. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes in livers of CCl4-administered MED1ΔLiv mice were enriched in the pathway of oxidoreductase activity, followed by robustly reduced oxidoreductase activity-related genes, such as Gm4756, Txnrd3, and Etfbkmt. More importantly, we found that the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MED1 knockdown hepatocytes blocked the activation of TGF-β/Smad2/3 pathway and the expression of fibrotic genes in LX2 cells. These results indicate that MED1 is a positive regulator for hepatic fibrogenesis, and MED1 may be considered as a potential therapeutic target for the regression of liver fibrosis.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we present the first evidence that liver mediator 1 (MED1) deficiency attenuated carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis in mouse. The underlying mechanism is that MED1 deficiency reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in hepatocytes, thus restricts the activation of TGF-β/Smad2/3 signaling pathway and fibrogenic genes expression in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). These data suggest that MED1 is an essential regulator for hepatic fibrogenesis, and MED1 may be considered as a potential therapeutic target for liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Gao
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- School of Biological Science Technology and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, People's Republic of China
| | - Miaoye Bao
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanming Xing
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiming Ding
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Tuo Han
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Ergang Wen
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaoyun Yue
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Wang
- School of Biological Science Technology and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, People's Republic of China
| | - Junhui Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Sihai Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiansheng Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Enqi Liu
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Bai
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
- Cardiometabolic Innovation Center, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
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32
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Kendall TJ, Jimenez-Ramos M, Turner F, Ramachandran P, Minnier J, McColgan MD, Alam M, Ellis H, Dunbar DR, Kohnen G, Konanahalli P, Oien KA, Bandiera L, Menolascina F, Juncker-Jensen A, Alexander D, Mayor C, Guha IN, Fallowfield JA. An integrated gene-to-outcome multimodal database for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Nat Med 2023; 29:2939-2953. [PMID: 37903863 PMCID: PMC10667096 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02602-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the commonest cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and represents an unmet precision medicine challenge. We established a retrospective national cohort of 940 histologically defined patients (55.4% men, 44.6% women; median body mass index 31.3; 32% with type 2 diabetes) covering the complete MASLD severity spectrum, and created a secure, searchable, open resource (SteatoSITE). In 668 cases and 39 controls, we generated hepatic bulk RNA sequencing data and performed differential gene expression and pathway analysis, including exploration of gender-specific differences. A web-based gene browser was also developed. We integrated histopathological assessments, transcriptomic data and 5.67 million days of time-stamped longitudinal electronic health record data to define disease-stage-specific gene expression signatures, pathogenic hepatic cell subpopulations and master regulator networks associated with adverse outcomes in MASLD. We constructed a 15-gene transcriptional risk score to predict future hepatic decompensation events (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.86, 0.81 and 0.83 for 1-, 3- and 5-year risk, respectively). Additionally, thyroid hormone receptor beta regulon activity was identified as a critical suppressor of disease progression. SteatoSITE supports rational biomarker and drug development and facilitates precision medicine approaches for patients with MASLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Kendall
- Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maria Jimenez-Ramos
- Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Frances Turner
- Edinburgh Genomics (Bioinformatics), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Jessica Minnier
- OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
- Knight Cancer Institute Biostatistics Shared Resource, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Michael D McColgan
- Precision Medicine Scotland-Innovation Centre (PMS-IC), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Masood Alam
- Precision Medicine Scotland-Innovation Centre (PMS-IC), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Harriet Ellis
- Precision Medicine Scotland-Innovation Centre (PMS-IC), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Donald R Dunbar
- Edinburgh Genomics (Bioinformatics), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gabriele Kohnen
- Pathology Department, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Karin A Oien
- Pathology Department, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK
| | - Lucia Bandiera
- School of Engineering, Institute of Bioengineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Engineering Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Filippo Menolascina
- School of Engineering, Institute of Bioengineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Engineering Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Charlie Mayor
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Safe Haven, Glasgow, UK
| | - Indra Neil Guha
- National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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33
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Daniels LJ, Kay D, Marjot T, Hodson L, Ray DW. Circadian regulation of liver metabolism: experimental approaches in human, rodent, and cellular models. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 325:C1158-C1177. [PMID: 37642240 PMCID: PMC10861179 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00551.2022] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are endogenous oscillations with approximately a 24-h period that allow organisms to anticipate the change between day and night. Disruptions that desynchronize or misalign circadian rhythms are associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. This review focuses on the liver circadian clock as relevant to the risk of developing metabolic diseases including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Many liver functions exhibit rhythmicity. Approximately 40% of the hepatic transcriptome exhibits 24-h rhythms, along with rhythms in protein levels, posttranslational modification, and various metabolites. The liver circadian clock is critical for maintaining glucose and lipid homeostasis. Most of the attention in the metabolic field has been directed toward diet, exercise, and rather little to modifiable risks due to circadian misalignment or disruption. Therefore, the aim of this review is to systematically analyze the various approaches that study liver circadian pathways, targeting metabolic liver diseases, such as diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, using human, rodent, and cell biology models.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Over the past decade, there has been an increased interest in understanding the intricate relationship between circadian rhythm and liver metabolism. In this review, we have systematically searched the literature to analyze the various experimental approaches utilizing human, rodent, and in vitro cellular approaches to dissect the link between liver circadian rhythms and metabolic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna J Daniels
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Danielle Kay
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Marjot
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Leanne Hodson
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David W Ray
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Kavli Centre for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Guo S, Feng Y, Zhu X, Zhang X, Wang H, Wang R, Zhang Q, Li Y, Ren Y, Gao X, Bian H, Liu T, Gao H, Kong X. Metabolic crosstalk between skeletal muscle cells and liver through IRF4-FSTL1 in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6047. [PMID: 37770480 PMCID: PMC10539336 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41832-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Inter-organ crosstalk has gained increasing attention in recent times; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we elucidate an endocrine pathway that is regulated by skeletal muscle interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 4, which manipulates liver pathology. Skeletal muscle specific IRF4 knockout (F4MKO) mice exhibited ameliorated hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, without changes in body weight, when put on a nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) diet. Proteomics analysis results suggested that follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) may constitute a link between muscles and the liver. Dual luciferase assays showed that IRF4 can transcriptionally regulate FSTL1. Further, inducing FSTL1 expression in the muscles of F4MKO mice is sufficient to restore liver pathology. In addition, co-culture experiments confirmed that FSTL1 plays a distinct role in various liver cell types via different receptors. Finally, we observed that the serum FSTL1 level is positively correlated with NASH progression in humans. These data indicate a signaling pathway involving IRF4-FSTL1-DIP2A/CD14, that links skeletal muscle cells to the liver in the pathogenesis of NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Guo
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yonghao Feng
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Xiaopeng Zhu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism & Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Ruwen Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Qiongyue Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yiming Li
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yan Ren
- Experiment Center for Science and Technology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xin Gao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hua Bian
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Tiemin Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism & Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Huanqing Gao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
| | - Xingxing Kong
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism & Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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Cottier KE, Bhalerao D, Lewis C, Gaffney J, Heyward SA. Micropatterned primary hepatocyte co-culture (HEPATOPAC) for fatty liver disease modeling and drug screening. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15837. [PMID: 37739978 PMCID: PMC10517001 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42785-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent, progressive disorder and growing public health concern. To address this issue considerable research has been undertaken in pursuit of new NAFLD therapeutics. Development of effective, high-throughput in vitro models is an important aspect of drug discovery. Here, a micropatterned hepatocyte co-culture (MPCC) was used to model liver steatosis. The MPCC model (HEPATOPACTM) is comprised of hepatocytes and 3T3-J2 mouse stromal cells plated onto a patterned standard 96-well or 24-well plate, allowing the cultures to be handled and imaged in a standardized multi-well format. These studies employed high content imaging (HCI) analysis to assess lipid content in cultures. HCI analysis of lipid accumulation allows large numbers of samples to be imaged and analyzed in a relatively short period of time compared to manual acquisition and analysis methods. Treatment of MPCC with free fatty acids (FFA), high glucose and fructose (HGF), or a combination of both induces hepatic steatosis. MPCC treatment with ACC1/ACC2 inhibitors, as either a preventative or reversal agent, showed efficacy against FFA induced hepatic steatosis. Drug induced steatosis was also evaluated. Treatment with valproic acid showed steatosis induction in a lean background, which was significantly potentiated in a fatty liver background. Additionally, these media treatments changed expression of fatty liver related genes. Treatment of MPCC with FFA, HGF, or a combination reversibly altered expression of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism, insulin signaling, and lipid transport. Together, these data demonstrate that MPCC is an easy to use, long-term functional in vitro model of NAFLD having utility for compound screening, drug toxicity evaluation, and assessment of gene regulation.
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Boslem E, Reibe S, Carlessi R, Smeuninx B, Tegegne S, Egan CL, McLennan E, Terry LV, Nobis M, Mu A, Nowell C, Horadagoda N, Mellett NA, Timpson P, Jones M, Denisenko E, Forrest AR, Tirnitz-Parker JE, Meikle PJ, Rose-John S, Karin M, Febbraio MA. Therapeutic blockade of ER stress and inflammation prevents NASH and progression to HCC. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh0831. [PMID: 37703359 PMCID: PMC10499313 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh0831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rapidly rising largely because of increased obesity leading to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a known HCC risk factor. There are no approved treatments to treat NASH. Here, we first used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to characterize a mouse model that mimics human NASH-driven HCC, the MUP-uPA mouse fed a high-fat diet. Activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inflammation was observed in a subset of hepatocytes that was enriched in mice that progress to HCC. We next treated MUP-uPA mice with the ER stress inhibitor BGP-15 and soluble gp130Fc, a drug that blocks inflammation by preventing interleukin-6 trans-signaling. Both drugs have progressed to phase 2/3 human clinical trials for other indications. We show that this combined therapy reversed NASH and reduced NASH-driven HCC. Our data suggest that these drugs could provide a potential therapy for NASH progression to HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebru Boslem
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Saskia Reibe
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Carlessi
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Benoit Smeuninx
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Surafel Tegegne
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Casey L. Egan
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emma McLennan
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lauren V. Terry
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Max Nobis
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andre Mu
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
- EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge UK
| | - Cameron Nowell
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Neil Horadagoda
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camden, Australia
| | | | - Paul Timpson
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
| | - Matthew Jones
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Elena Denisenko
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Alistair R. R. Forrest
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Janina E. E. Tirnitz-Parker
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Peter J. Meikle
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stefan Rose-John
- Department of Biochemistry, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael Karin
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mark A. Febbraio
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Chin CF, Galam DL, Gao L, Tan BC, Wong BH, Chua GL, Loke RY, Lim YC, Wenk MR, Lim MS, Leow WQ, Goh GB, Torta F, Silver DL. Blood-derived lysophospholipid sustains hepatic phospholipids and fat storage necessary for hepatoprotection in overnutrition. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e171267. [PMID: 37463052 PMCID: PMC10471173 DOI: 10.1172/jci171267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The liver has a high demand for phosphatidylcholine (PC), particularly in overnutrition, where reduced phospholipid levels have been implicated in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Whether other pathways exist in addition to de novo PC synthesis that contribute to hepatic PC pools remains unknown. Here, we identified the lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) transporter major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2A (Mfsd2a) as critical for maintaining hepatic phospholipid pools. Hepatic Mfsd2a expression was induced in patients having NAFLD and in mice in response to dietary fat via glucocorticoid receptor action. Mfsd2a liver-specific deficiency in mice (L2aKO) led to a robust nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-like (NASH-like) phenotype within just 2 weeks of dietary fat challenge associated with reduced hepatic phospholipids containing linoleic acid. Reducing dietary choline intake in L2aKO mice exacerbated liver pathology and deficiency of liver phospholipids containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Treating hepatocytes with LPCs containing oleate and linoleate, two abundant blood-derived LPCs, specifically induced lipid droplet biogenesis and contributed to phospholipid pools, while LPC containing the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) promoted lipid droplet formation and suppressed lipogenesis. This study revealed that PUFA-containing LPCs drive hepatic lipid droplet formation, suppress lipogenesis, and sustain hepatic phospholipid pools - processes that are critical for protecting the liver from excess dietary fat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheen Fei Chin
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Dwight L.A. Galam
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Liang Gao
- Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute and
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme and Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bryan C. Tan
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Bernice H. Wong
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Geok-Lin Chua
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Randy Y.J. Loke
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Yen Ching Lim
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Markus R. Wenk
- Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute and
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme and Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Miao-Shan Lim
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Wei-Qiang Leow
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, and
| | - George B.B. Goh
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
- Medicine Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Federico Torta
- Singapore Lipidomics Incubator, Life Sciences Institute and
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme and Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - David L. Silver
- Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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Luo K, Chen Y, Fang S, Wang S, Wu Z, Li H. Study on inflammation and fibrogenesis in MAFLD from 2000 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1231520. [PMID: 37720529 PMCID: PMC10500306 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1231520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic inflammation and fibrosis are significant factors in the pathogenesis of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). In this study, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of publications on inflammation and fibrogenesis in MAFLD, with a focus on reporting publication trends. Our findings indicate that the USA and China are the most productive countries in the field, with the University of California San Diego being the most productive institution. Over the past 23 years, Prof. Diehl AM has published 25 articles that significantly contributed to the research community. Notably, the research focus of the field has shifted from morbid obesity and adiponectin to metabolic syndrome, genetics, and microbiome. Our study provides a comprehensive and objective summary of the historical characteristics of research on inflammation and fibrogenesis in MAFLD, which will be of interest to scientific researchers in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuanhong Luo
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuzheng Fang
- College of Art and Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Siqi Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhixin Wu
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huiqing Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Park JB, Ko K, Baek YH, Kwon WY, Suh S, Han SH, Kim YH, Kim HY, Yoo YH. Pharmacological Prevention of Ectopic Erythrophagocytosis by Cilostazol Mitigates Ferroptosis in NASH. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12862. [PMID: 37629045 PMCID: PMC10454295 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612862] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic iron overload (HIO) is a hallmark of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with a poor prognosis. Recently, the role of hepatic erythrophagocytosis in NAFLD is emerging as a cause of HIO. We undertook various assays using human NAFLD patient pathology samples and an in vivo nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse model named STAMTM. To make the in vitro conditions comparable to those of the in vivo NASH model, red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets were suspended and subjected to metabolic and inflammatory stresses. An insert-coculture system, in which activated THP-1 cells and RBCs are separated from HepG2 cells by a porous membrane, was also employed. Through various analyses in this study, the effect of cilostazol was examined. The NAFLD activity score, including steatosis, ballooning degeneration, inflammation, and fibrosis, was increased in STAMTM mice. Importantly, hemolysis occurred in the serum of STAMTM mice. Although cilostazol did not improve lipid or glucose profiles, it ameliorated hepatic steatosis and inflammation in STAMTM mice. Platelets (PLTs) played an important role in increasing erythrophagocytosis in the NASH liver. Upregulated erythrophagocytosis drives cells into ferroptosis, resulting in liver cell death. Cilostazol inhibited the augmentation of PLT and RBC accumulation. Cilostazol prevented the PLT-induced increase in ectopic erythrophagocytosis in in vivo and in vitro NASH models. Cilostazol attenuated ferroptosis of hepatocytes and phagocytosis of RBCs by THP-1 cells. Augmentation of hepatic erythrophagocytosis by activated platelets in NASH exacerbates HIO. Cilostazol prevents ectopic erythrophagocytosis, mitigating HIO-mediated ferroptosis in NASH models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joon Beom Park
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea; (J.B.P.); (K.K.); (W.Y.K.)
| | - Kangeun Ko
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea; (J.B.P.); (K.K.); (W.Y.K.)
| | - Yang Hyun Baek
- Department of Gastroenterology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea;
| | - Woo Young Kwon
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea; (J.B.P.); (K.K.); (W.Y.K.)
| | - Sunghwan Suh
- Department of Endocrinology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea;
| | - Song-Hee Han
- Department of Pathology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yun Hak Kim
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea;
| | - Hye Young Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan 47392, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Hyun Yoo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Republic of Korea; (J.B.P.); (K.K.); (W.Y.K.)
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40
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Liu J, Li Y, Ma J, Wan X, Zhao M, Zhang Y, Shang D. Identification and immunological characterization of lipid metabolism-related molecular clusters in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Lipids Health Dis 2023; 22:124. [PMID: 37559129 PMCID: PMC10410946 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-023-01878-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the major contributor to chronic liver disease. Disorders of lipid metabolism are a major element in the emergence of NAFLD. This research intended to explore lipid metabolism-related clusters in NAFLD and establish a prediction biomarker. METHODS The expression mode of lipid metabolism-related genes (LMRGs) and immune characteristics in NAFLD were examined. The "ConsensusClusterPlus" package was utilized to investigate the lipid metabolism-related subgroup. The WGCNA was utilized to determine hub genes and perform functional enrichment analysis. After that, a model was constructed by machine learning techniques. To validate the predictive effectiveness, receiver operating characteristic curves, nomograms, decision curve analysis (DCA), and test sets were used. Lastly, gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was utilized to investigate the biological role of biomarkers in NAFLD. RESULTS Dysregulated LMRGs and immunological responses were identified between NAFLD and normal samples. Two LMRG-related clusters were identified in NAFLD. Immune infiltration analysis revealed that C2 had much more immune infiltration. GSVA also showed that these two subtypes have distinctly different biological features. Thirty cluster-specific genes were identified by two WGCNAs. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that cluster-specific genes are primarily engaged in adipogenesis, signalling by interleukins, and the JAK-STAT signalling pathway. Comparing several models, the random forest model exhibited good discrimination performance. Importantly, the final five-gene random forest model showed excellent predictive power in two test sets. In addition, the nomogram and DCA confirmed the precision of the model for NAFLD prediction. GSVA revealed that model genes were down-regulated in several immune and inflammatory-related routes. This suggests that these genes may inhibit the progression of NAFLD by inhibiting these pathways. CONCLUSIONS This research thoroughly emphasized the complex relationship between LMRGs and NAFLD and established a five-gene biomarker to evaluate the risk of the lipid metabolism phenotype and the pathologic results of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jifeng Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Yiming Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering, Laboratory of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyuan Ma
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Xing Wan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Mingjian Zhao
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
| | - Yunshu Zhang
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
| | - Dong Shang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
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Ding Y, Dai X, Bao M, Xing Y, Liu J, Zhao S, Liu E, Yuan Z, Bai L. Hepatic transcriptome signatures in mice and humans with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Animal Model Exp Med 2023; 6:317-328. [PMID: 37565549 PMCID: PMC10486336 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12338] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the main reason for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. As a starting point for NAFLD, the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) is receiving increasing attention. Mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and hereditary leptin deficiency (ob/ob) mice are important NAFL animal models. However, the comparison of these mouse models with human NAFL is still unclear. METHODS In this study, HFD-fed mice and ob/ob mice were used as NAFL animal models. Liver histopathological characteristics were compared, and liver transcriptome from both mouse models was performed using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). RNA-seq data obtained from the livers of NAFL patients was downloaded from the GEO database. Global gene expression profiles in the livers were further analyzed using functional enrichment analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. RESULTS Our results showed that the biochemical parameters of both mouse models and human NAFL were similar. Compared with HFD-fed mice, ob/ob mice were more similar in histologic appearance to NAFL patients. The liver transcriptome characteristics partly overlapped in mice and humans. Furthermore, in the NAFL pathway, most genes showed similar trends in mice and humans, thus demonstrating that both types of mice can be used as models for basic research on NAFL, considering the differences. CONCLUSION Our findings show that HFD-fed mice and ob/ob mice can mimic human NAFL partly in pathophysiological process. The comparative analysis of liver transcriptome profile in mouse models and human NAFL presented here provides insights into the molecular characteristics across these NAFL models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Ding
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical SciencesXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
- Department of CardiologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Translational Medicine InstituteXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Xulei Dai
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical SciencesXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Translational Medicine InstituteXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Miaoye Bao
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical SciencesXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Translational Medicine InstituteXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Yuanming Xing
- Department of CardiologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Translational Medicine InstituteXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Junhui Liu
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryFirst Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Sihai Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical SciencesXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Translational Medicine InstituteXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Enqi Liu
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical SciencesXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Translational Medicine InstituteXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
| | - Zuyi Yuan
- Department of CardiologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Liang Bai
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, School of Basic Medical SciencesXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Translational Medicine InstituteXi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'anChina
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42
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Groeger M, Matsuo K, Heidary Arash E, Pereira A, Le Guillou D, Pino C, Telles-Silva KA, Maher JJ, Hsiao EC, Willenbring H. Modeling and therapeutic targeting of inflammation-induced hepatic insulin resistance using human iPSC-derived hepatocytes and macrophages. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3902. [PMID: 37400454 PMCID: PMC10318012 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39311-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic insulin resistance is recognized as a driver of type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease but specific therapies are lacking. Here we explore the potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for modeling hepatic insulin resistance in vitro, with a focus on resolving the controversy about the impact of inflammation in the absence of steatosis. For this, we establish the complex insulin signaling cascade and the multiple inter-dependent functions constituting hepatic glucose metabolism in iPSC-derived hepatocytes (iPSC-Heps). Co-culture of these insulin-sensitive iPSC-Heps with isogenic iPSC-derived pro-inflammatory macrophages induces glucose output by preventing insulin from inhibiting gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis and activating glycolysis. Screening identifies TNFα and IL1β as the mediators of insulin resistance in iPSC-Heps. Neutralizing these cytokines together restores insulin sensitivity in iPSC-Heps more effectively than individual inhibition, reflecting specific effects on insulin signaling and glucose metabolism mediated by NF-κB or JNK. These results show that inflammation is sufficient to induce hepatic insulin resistance and establish a human iPSC-based in vitro model to mechanistically dissect and therapeutically target this metabolic disease driver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Groeger
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Koji Matsuo
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Emad Heidary Arash
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Ashley Pereira
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Dounia Le Guillou
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Liver Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Cindy Pino
- Liver Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Genomics CoLab, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Kayque A Telles-Silva
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, University of Sao Paulo, 05508-090, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jacquelyn J Maher
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Liver Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Edward C Hsiao
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Holger Willenbring
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Liver Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
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Li Z, Zhang H, Li Q, Feng W, Jia X, Zhou R, Huang Y, Li Y, Hu Z, Hu X, Zhu X, Huang S. GepLiver: an integrative liver expression atlas spanning developmental stages and liver disease phases. Sci Data 2023; 10:376. [PMID: 37301898 PMCID: PMC10257690 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02257-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic liver diseases usually developed through stepwise pathological transitions under the persistent risk factors. The molecular changes during liver transitions are pivotal to improve liver diagnostics and therapeutics yet still remain elusive. Cumulative large-scale liver transcriptomic studies have been revealing molecular landscape of various liver conditions at bulk and single-cell resolution, however, neither single experiment nor databases enabled thorough investigations of transcriptomic dynamics along the progression of liver diseases. Here we establish GepLiver, a longitudinal and multidimensional liver expression atlas integrating expression profiles of 2469 human bulk tissues, 492 mouse samples, 409,775 single cells from 347 human samples and 27 liver cell lines spanning 16 liver phenotypes with uniformed processing and annotating methods. Using GepLiver, we have demonstrated dynamic changes of gene expression, cell abundance and crosstalk harboring meaningful biological associations. GepLiver can be applied to explore the evolving expression patterns and transcriptomic features for genes and cell types respectively among liver phenotypes, assisting the investigation of liver transcriptomic dynamics and informing biomarkers and targets for liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziteng Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hena Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qin Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wanjing Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiya Jia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Runye Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhixiang Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xichun Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaodong Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shenglin Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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de Assis LVM, Demir M, Oster H. Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Disrupts Diurnal Liver Transcriptome Rhythms in Mice. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 16:341-354. [PMID: 37270062 PMCID: PMC10444956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The liver ensures organismal homeostasis through modulation of physiological functions over the course of the day. How liver diseases such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) affect daily transcriptome rhythms in the liver remains elusive. METHODS To start closing this gap, we evaluated the impact of NASH on the diurnal regulation of the liver transcriptome in mice. In addition, we investigated how stringent consideration of circadian rhythmicity affects the outcomes of NASH transcriptome analyses. RESULTS Comparative rhythm analysis of the liver transcriptome from diet-induced NASH and control mice showed an almost 3-hour phase advance in global gene expression rhythms. Rhythmically expressed genes associated with DNA repair and cell-cycle regulation showed increased overall expression and circadian amplitude. In contrast, lipid and glucose metabolism-associated genes showed loss of circadian amplitude, reduced overall expression, and phase advances in NASH livers. Comparison of NASH-induced liver transcriptome responses between published studies showed little overlap (12%) in differentially expressed genes (DEGs). However, by controlling for sampling time and using circadian analytical tools, a 7-fold increase in DEG detection was achieved compared with methods without time control. CONCLUSIONS NASH had a strong effect on circadian liver transcriptome rhythms with phase- and amplitude-specific effects for key metabolic and cell repair pathways, respectively. Accounting for circadian rhythms in NASH transcriptome studies markedly improves DEG detection and enhances reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Münevver Demir
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany; Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Oster
- Institute of Neurobiology, Center of Brain Behavior and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
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He L, Wang J, Tao B, Zhu R, Li C, Ning B. Identification of ferroptosis-related genes in the progress of NASH. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1184280. [PMID: 37305039 PMCID: PMC10247994 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1184280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is becoming more widespread, and some similarities exist between its etiology and ferroptosis. However, there are limited investigations on which ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) are regulated in NASH and how to regulate them. We screened and validated the pivotal genes linked to ferroptosis in NASH to comprehend the function of ferroptosis in the development of NASH. Methods Two mRNA expression data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) as the training set and validation set respectively. FRGs were downloaded from FerrDb. The candidate genes were obtained from the intersection between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and FRGs, and further analyzed using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The hub genes were identified by the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Cytoscape. Then, FRGs closely related to the severity of NASH were identified and further confirmed using the validation set and mouse models. Ultimately, based on these genes, a diagnostic model was established to differentiate NASH from normal tissues using another data set from GEO. Results A total of 327 FRGs in NASH were acquired and subjected to GSEA. And 42 candidate genes were attained by overlapping the 585 FRGs with 2823 DEGs, and enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were primarily engaged in the fatty acid metabolic, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress. A total of 10 hub genes (PTGS2、IL1B、IL6、NQO1、ZFP36、SIRT1、ATF3、CDKN1A、EGR1、NOX4) were then screened by PPI network. The association between the expression of 10 hub genes and the progress of NASH was subsequently evaluated by a training set and verified by a validation set and mouse models. CDKN1A was up-regulated along with the development of NASH while SIRT1 was negatively correlated with the course of the disease. And the diagnostic model based on CDKN1A and SIRT1 successfully distinguished NASH from normal samples. Conclusion In summary, our findings provide a new approach for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of NASH based on FRGs, while advancing our understanding of ferroptosis in NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linwei He
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianming Wang
- Biology Science Institutes, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Baihua Tao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The People’s Hospital of Fengjie County, Chongqing, China
| | - Ruolan Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Changbing Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The People’s Hospital of Fengjie County, Chongqing, China
| | - Bo Ning
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Carlessi R, Denisenko E, Boslem E, Köhn-Gaone J, Main N, Abu Bakar NDB, Shirolkar GD, Jones M, Beasley AB, Poppe D, Dwyer BJ, Jackaman C, Tjiam MC, Lister R, Karin M, Fallowfield JA, Kendall TJ, Forbes SJ, Gray ES, Olynyk JK, Yeoh G, Forrest AR, Ramm GA, Febbraio MA, Tirnitz-Parker JE. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing of pre-malignant liver reveals disease-associated hepatocyte state with HCC prognostic potential. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100301. [PMID: 37228755 PMCID: PMC10203275 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Current approaches to staging chronic liver diseases have limited utility for predicting liver cancer risk. Here, we employed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to characterize the cellular microenvironment of healthy and pre-malignant livers using two distinct mouse models. Downstream analyses unraveled a previously uncharacterized disease-associated hepatocyte (daHep) transcriptional state. These cells were absent in healthy livers but increasingly prevalent as chronic liver disease progressed. Copy number variation (CNV) analysis of microdissected tissue demonstrated that daHep-enriched regions are riddled with structural variants, suggesting these cells represent a pre-malignant intermediary. Integrated analysis of three recent human snRNA-seq datasets confirmed the presence of a similar phenotype in human chronic liver disease and further supported its enhanced mutational burden. Importantly, we show that high daHep levels precede carcinogenesis and predict a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development. These findings may change the way chronic liver disease patients are staged, surveilled, and risk stratified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Carlessi
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Elena Denisenko
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Ebru Boslem
- Cellular & Molecular Metabolism Laboratory, Monash Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Julia Köhn-Gaone
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Nathan Main
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - N. Dianah B. Abu Bakar
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Gayatri D. Shirolkar
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Matthew Jones
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Aaron B. Beasley
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - Daniel Poppe
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Benjamin J. Dwyer
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Connie Jackaman
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - M. Christian Tjiam
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Ryan Lister
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Michael Karin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan A. Fallowfield
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Timothy J. Kendall
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stuart J. Forbes
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elin S. Gray
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - John K. Olynyk
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
| | - George Yeoh
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Alistair R.R. Forrest
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Grant A. Ramm
- Hepatic Fibrosis Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Mark A. Febbraio
- Cellular & Molecular Metabolism Laboratory, Monash Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Janina E.E. Tirnitz-Parker
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
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Pellegrina D, Prayitno K, Azhie A, Pasini E, Baciu C, Fischer S, Reimand J, Bhat M. Transcriptomic changes in liver transplant recipients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis indicate dysregulation of wound healing. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1111614. [PMID: 37223041 PMCID: PMC10200958 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1111614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become a leading indication for liver transplantation. However, it often recurs in the graft and can also arise de novo in individuals transplanted for other indications. Post-transplant NASH (PT-NASH) is more aggressive and leads to accelerated fibrosis. The mechanistic basis of PT-NASH has not yet been defined and no specific therapeutic strategies are currently available. Methods Here, we profiled the transcriptomes of livers with PT-NASH from liver transplant recipients to identify dysregulated genes, pathways, and molecular interaction networks. Results Transcriptomic changes in the PI3K-Akt pathway were observed in association with metabolic alterations in PT-NASH. Other significant changes in gene expression were associated with DNA replication, cell cycle, extracellular matrix organization, and wound healing. A systematic comparison with non-transplant NASH (NT-NASH) liver transcriptomes indicated an increased activation of wound healing and angiogenesis pathways in the post-transplant condition. Conclusion Beyond altered lipid metabolism, dysregulation of wound healing and tissue repair mechanisms may contribute to the accelerated development of fibrosis associated with PT-NASH. This presents an attractive therapeutic avenue to explore for PT-NASH to optimize the benefit and survival of the graft.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Pellegrina
- Computational Biology Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Khairunnadiya Prayitno
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amirhossein Azhie
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elisa Pasini
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cristina Baciu
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sandra Fischer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jüri Reimand
- Computational Biology Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mamatha Bhat
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Ajmera Transplant Center, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Qu P, Rom O, Li K, Jia L, Gao X, Liu Z, Ding S, Zhao M, Wang H, Chen S, Xiong X, Zhao Y, Xue C, Zhao Y, Chu C, Wen B, Finney AC, Zheng Z, Cao W, Zhao J, Bai L, Zhao S, Sun D, Zeng R, Lin J, Liu W, Zheng L, Zhang J, Liu E, Chen YE. DT-109 ameliorates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in nonhuman primates. Cell Metab 2023; 35:742-757.e10. [PMID: 37040763 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) prevalence is rising with no pharmacotherapy approved. A major hurdle in NASH drug development is the poor translatability of preclinical studies to safe/effective clinical outcomes, and recent failures highlight a need to identify new targetable pathways. Dysregulated glycine metabolism has emerged as a causative factor and therapeutic target in NASH. Here, we report that the tripeptide DT-109 (Gly-Gly-Leu) dose-dependently attenuates steatohepatitis and fibrosis in mice. To enhance the probability of successful translation, we developed a nonhuman primate model that histologically and transcriptionally mimics human NASH. Applying a multiomics approach combining transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and metagenomics, we found that DT-109 reverses hepatic steatosis and prevents fibrosis progression in nonhuman primates, not only by stimulating fatty acid degradation and glutathione formation, as found in mice, but also by modulating microbial bile acid metabolism. Our studies describe a highly translatable NASH model and highlight the need for clinical evaluation of DT-109.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxiang Qu
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Oren Rom
- Department of Internal Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA; Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA
| | - Ke Li
- Beijing Tiantan Hospital, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 6 Tiantan Xili, Chongwen District, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Linying Jia
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Xiaojing Gao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhipeng Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Shusi Ding
- Beijing Tiantan Hospital, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 6 Tiantan Xili, Chongwen District, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Mingming Zhao
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Health Science Center, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Huiqing Wang
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Health Science Center, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Shuangshuang Chen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fudan Institute of Metabolic Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xuelian Xiong
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fudan Institute of Metabolic Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Chao Xue
- Department of Internal Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Chengshuang Chu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Bo Wen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alexandra C Finney
- Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA
| | - Zuowen Zheng
- Spring Biological Technology Development Co., Ltd, Fangchenggang, Guangxi 538000, China
| | - Wenbin Cao
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Jinpeng Zhao
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Liang Bai
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Sihai Zhao
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Duxin Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Rong Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jiandie Lin
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Wanqing Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Lemin Zheng
- Beijing Tiantan Hospital, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 6 Tiantan Xili, Chongwen District, Beijing 100050, China; The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science of Ministry of Education, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Health Science Center, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Jifeng Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Enqi Liu
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China.
| | - Y Eugene Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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49
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Powell NR, Liang T, Ipe J, Cao S, Skaar TC, Desta Z, Qian HR, Ebert PJ, Chen Y, Thomas MK, Chalasani N. Clinically important alterations in pharmacogene expression in histologically severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1474. [PMID: 36927865 PMCID: PMC10020163 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37209-1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Polypharmacy is common in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and previous reports suggest that NAFLD is associated with altered drug disposition. This study aims to determine if patients with NAFLD are at risk for altered drug response by characterizing changes in hepatic mRNA expression of genes mediating drug disposition (pharmacogenes) across the histological NAFLD severity spectrum. We utilize RNA-seq for 93 liver biopsies with histologically staged NAFLD Activity Score (NAS), fibrosis stage, and steatohepatitis (NASH). We identify 37 significant pharmacogene-NAFLD severity associations including CYP2C19 downregulation. We chose to validate CYP2C19 due to its actionability in drug prescribing. Meta-analysis of 16 independent studies demonstrate that CYP2C19 is significantly downregulated to 46% in NASH, to 58% in high NAS, and to 43% in severe fibrosis. Our data demonstrate the downregulation of CYP2C19 in NAFLD which supports developing personalized medicine approaches for drugs sensitive to metabolism by the CYP2C19 enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Powell
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Tiebing Liang
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology Hepatology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Joseph Ipe
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sha Cao
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology Hepatology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Todd C Skaar
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Zeruesenay Desta
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | | | | | - Yu Chen
- Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | | | - Naga Chalasani
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology Hepatology, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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50
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Ye Q, Liu Y, Zhang G, Deng H, Wang X, Tuo L, Chen C, Pan X, Wu K, Fan J, Pan Q, Wang K, Huang A, Tang N. Deficiency of gluconeogenic enzyme PCK1 promotes metabolic-associated fatty liver disease through PI3K/AKT/PDGF axis activation in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1402. [PMID: 36918564 PMCID: PMC10015095 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37142-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) encompasses a broad spectrum of hepatic disorders, including steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. We demonstrated that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) plays a central role in MAFLD progression. Male mice with liver Pck1 deficiency fed a normal diet displayed hepatic lipid disorder and liver injury, whereas fibrosis and inflammation were aggravated in mice fed a high-fat diet with drinking water containing fructose and glucose (HFCD-HF/G). Forced expression of hepatic PCK1 by adeno-associated virus ameliorated MAFLD in male mice. PCK1 deficiency stimulated lipogenic gene expression and lipid synthesis. Moreover, loss of hepatic PCK1 activated the RhoA/PI3K/AKT pathway by increasing intracellular GTP levels, increasing secretion of platelet-derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA), and promoting hepatic stellate cell activation. Treatment with RhoA and AKT inhibitors or gene silencing of RhoA or AKT1 alleviated MAFLD progression in vivo. Hepatic PCK1 deficiency may be important in hepatic steatosis and fibrosis development through paracrine secretion of PDGF-AA in male mice, highlighting a potential therapeutic strategy for MAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Ye
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guiji Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Haijun Deng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Lin Tuo
- Department of Infectious Disease, Hospital of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Chang Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuanming Pan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Kang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiangao Fan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xin Hua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xin Hua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Ailong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Ni Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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