1
|
Zhao X, He W, Jakobsen LMA, Zachariassen LF, Hansen AK, Rasmussen MK, Bertram HC. Inulin Supplementation Modulates the Hepatic Transcriptome, Metabolome, and Ferritin Content in Ovariectomized Rats. Mol Nutr Food Res 2023; 67:e2300372. [PMID: 37849247 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202300372] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
SCOPE Liver is an important metabolic organ regulating whole-body homeostasis. This study aims to investigate how prebiotic-induced changes in the metabolic activity of the gut microbiome (GM) and dietary calcium depletion modulates the hepatic metabolome and transcriptome. METHODS AND RESULTS The serum metabolome, liver metabolome, and transcriptome are determined on samples from ovariectomized (OVX) rats fed a control diet (Control, n = 7), a control diet supplemented with 5% w/w inulin (Inulin, n = 7), or a calcium-deficient diet (CaDef, n = 7). Inulin fortification is associated with higher serum concentrations of acetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, and reduced concentration of dimethyl sulfone, revealing that changes in the metabolic activity of the GM are reflected in circulating metabolites. Metabolomics also reveal that the inulin-fortified diet results in lower concentrations of hepatic glutamate, serine, and hypoxanthine while transcriptomics reveal accompanying effects on the hepatic expression of ferric iron binding-related genes. Inulin fortification also induces effects on the hepatic expression of genes involved in olfactory transduction, suggesting that prebiotics regulate liver function through yet unidentified mechanisms involving olfactory receptors. CONCLUSION Inulin ingestion impacts hepatic gene expression and is associated with an upregulation of ferritin synthesis-related genes and liver ferritin content.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Zhao
- Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Weiwei He
- Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanjing Road E. 235, Nanchang, 330047, China
| | - Louise M A Jakobsen
- Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Line F Zachariassen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ridebanevej 9, Frederiksberg C, 1870, Denmark
| | - Axel K Hansen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ridebanevej 9, Frederiksberg C, 1870, Denmark
| | - Martin Krøyer Rasmussen
- Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Hanne Christine Bertram
- Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Agro Food Park 48, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang W, Mackay CR, Gershwin ME. Immunomodulatory Effects of Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Autoimmune Liver Diseases. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:1629-1639. [PMID: 37186939 PMCID: PMC10188201 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Nonpathogenic commensal microbiota and their metabolites and components are essential to maintain a tolerogenic environment and promote beneficial health effects. The metabolic environment critically impacts the outcome of immune responses and likely impacts autoimmune and allergic responses. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the main metabolites produced by microbial fermentation in the gut. Given the high concentration of SCFAs in the gut and portal vein and their broad immune regulatory functions, SCFAs significantly influence immune tolerance and gut-liver immunity. Alterations of SCFA-producing bacteria and SCFAs have been identified in a multitude of inflammatory diseases. These data have particular significance in primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and autoimmune hepatitis because of the close proximity of the liver to the gut. In this focused review, we provide an update on the immunologic consequences of SCFA-producing microbiota and in particular on three dominant SCFAs in autoimmune liver diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weici Zhang
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | - Charles R. Mackay
- Department of Microbiology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia
| | - M. Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nicoli A, Haag F, Marcinek P, He R, Kreißl J, Stein J, Marchetto A, Dunkel A, Hofmann T, Krautwurst D, Di Pizio A. Modeling the Orthosteric Binding Site of the G Protein-Coupled Odorant Receptor OR5K1. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2014-2029. [PMID: 36696962 PMCID: PMC10091413 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
With approximately 400 encoding genes in humans, odorant receptors (ORs) are the largest subfamily of class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Despite its high relevance and representation, the odorant-GPCRome is structurally poorly characterized: no experimental structures are available, and the low sequence identity of ORs to experimentally solved GPCRs is a significant challenge for their modeling. Moreover, the receptive range of most ORs is unknown. The odorant receptor OR5K1 was recently and comprehensively characterized in terms of cognate agonists. Here, we report two additional agonists and functional data of the most potent compound on two mutants, L1043.32 and L2556.51. Experimental data was used to guide the investigation of the binding modes of OR5K1 ligands into the orthosteric binding site using structural information from AI-driven modeling, as recently released in the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database, and from homology modeling. Induced-fit docking simulations were used to sample the binding site conformational space for ensemble docking. Mutagenesis data guided side chain residue sampling and model selection. We obtained models that could better rationalize the different activity of active (agonist) versus inactive molecules with respect to starting models and also capture differences in activity related to minor structural differences. Therefore, we provide a model refinement protocol that can be applied to model the orthosteric binding site of ORs as well as that of GPCRs with low sequence identity to available templates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Nicoli
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Franziska Haag
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Patrick Marcinek
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Ruiming He
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany.,Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Johanna Kreißl
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Jörg Stein
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Alessandro Marchetto
- Computational Biomedicine, Institute for Advanced Simulations (IAS)-5/Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM)-9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Andreas Dunkel
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Thomas Hofmann
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Dietmar Krautwurst
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Pizio
- Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Varma A, Breedon SA, Storey KB. Sub-zero microRNA expression in the liver of the frozen hatchling painted turtle, Chrysemys picta marginata. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159304. [PMID: 36220468 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The Midland painted turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) are the highest known vertebrate species to experience and survive freezing and sub-zero temperatures. Painted turtles typically hatch from their eggs in the fall and remain underground in their nests until the following spring. While in these nests over the winter, hatchling turtles withstand over 50 % of their total extracellular body water freezing. Herein, the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) was investigated in response to freezing stress in the hatchling painted turtle liver. A total of 204 known miRNAs were identified to be expressed in turtles, with 17 being upregulated and 13 being downregulated during freezing. KEGG and GO analyses suggested that upregulated miRNAs inhibit genes of cell cycle and Focal adhesion and Adherens junction, suggesting their role in downregulation of central metabolic processes necessary for metabolic rate depression (MRD) and maintaining the tissue homeostasis. Only 9 of the 36 enriched KEGG pathways were less targeted by miRNAs during freezing, including linoleic acid metabolism and multiple signaling pathways. These predicted upregulated pathways likely promote homeoviscous adaptation and expression of pro-survival/protective proteins for metabolic adaptations necessary for defence of liver during MRD. Overall, miRNA-seq analysis of liver revealed a strong role of miRNA in the adaptive strategy that not only enables hatchlings to substantially suppress their nonessential energy needs but also makes them flexible enough to restore and protect their basal organ functions by activating pro-survival processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anchal Varma
- Institute of Biochemistry & Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Sarah A Breedon
- Institute of Biochemistry & Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Kenneth B Storey
- Institute of Biochemistry & Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Frentzel S, Jeron A, Pausder A, Kershaw O, Volckmar J, Schmitz I, Bruder D. IκB NS-deficiency protects mice from fatal Listeria monocytogenes infection by blunting pro-inflammatory signature in Ly6C high monocytes and preventing exaggerated innate immune responses. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1028789. [PMID: 36618344 PMCID: PMC9813228 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1028789] [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: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
IκB proteins regulate the inhibition and activation of NF-κB transcription factor complexes. While classical IκB proteins keep NF-κB complexes inactive in the cytoplasm, atypical IκB proteins act on activated NF-κB complexes located in the nucleus. Most of the knowledge regarding the function of IκB proteins has been collected in vitro, while far less is known regarding their impact on activation and regulation of immune responses during in vivo infections. Combining in vivo Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) infection with comparative ex vivo transcriptional profiling of the hepatic response to the pathogen we observed that in contrast to wild type mice that mounted a robust inflammatory response, IκBNS-deficiency was generally associated with a transcriptional repression of innate immune responses. Whole tissue transcriptomics revealed a pronounced IκBNS-dependent reduction of myeloid cell-associated transcripts in the liver together with an exceptionally high Nfkbid promoter activity uncovered in Ly6Chigh inflammatory monocytes prompted us to further characterize the specific contribution of IκBNS in the inflammatory response of monocytes to the infectious agent. Indeed, Ly6Chigh monocytes primed during Lm infection in the absence of IκBNS displayed a blunted response compared to wild type-derived Ly6Chigh monocytes as evidenced by the reduced early expression of hallmark transcripts of monocyte-driven inflammation such as Il6, Nos2 and Il1β. Strikingly, altered monocyte activation in IκBNS-deficient mice was associated with an exceptional resistance against Lm infection and protection was associated with a strong reduction in immunopathology in Lm target organs. Of note, mice lacking IκBNS exclusively in myeloid cells failed to resist Lm infection, indicating that the observed effect was not monocyte intrinsic but monocyte extrinsic. While serum cytokine-profiling did not discover obvious differences between wild type and IκBNS -/- mice for most of the analyzed mediators, IL-10 was virtually undetectable in IκBNS-deficient mice, both in the steady state and following Lm infection. Together, we show here a crucial role for IκBNS during Lm infection with IκBNS-deficient mice showing an overall blunted pro-inflammatory immune response attributed to a reduced pro-inflammatory signature in Ly6Chigh monocytes. Reduced immunopathology and complete protection of mice against an otherwise fatal Lm infection identified IκBNS as molecular driver of inflammation in listeriosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Frentzel
- Immune Regulation Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany,Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology Group, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Jeron
- Immune Regulation Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany,Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology Group, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Pausder
- Immune Regulation Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany,Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology Group, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Olivia Kershaw
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Volckmar
- Immune Regulation Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany,Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology Group, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ingo Schmitz
- Dept. of Molecular Immunology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dunja Bruder
- Immune Regulation Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany,Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology Group, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany,*Correspondence: Dunja Bruder,
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fan FS. Coffee reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma probably through inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by caffeine. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1029491. [PMID: 36330474 PMCID: PMC9623052 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1029491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
|
7
|
Liu Y, Al‐Adra DP, Lan R, Jung G, Li H, Yeh MM, Liu Y. RNA sequencing analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma identified oxidative phosphorylation as a major pathologic feature. Hepatol Commun 2022; 6:2170-2181. [PMID: 35344307 PMCID: PMC9315135 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of expression of functional genes and pathways plays critical roles in the etiology and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Next generation-based RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) offers unparalleled power to comprehensively characterize HCC at the whole transcriptome level. In this study, 17 fresh-frozen HCC samples with paired non-neoplastic liver tissue from Caucasian patients undergoing liver resection or transplantation were used for RNA-seq analysis. Pairwise differential expression analysis of the RNA-seq data was performed to identify genes, pathways, and functional terms differentially regulated in HCC versus normal tissues. At a false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.10, 13% (n = 4335) of transcripts were up-regulated and 19% (n = 6454) of transcripts were down-regulated in HCC versus non-neoplastic tissue. Eighty-five Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were differentially regulated (FDR, <0.10), with almost all pathways (n = 83) being up-regulated in HCC versus non-neoplastic tissue. Among the top up-regulated pathways was oxidative phosphorylation (hsa00190; FDR, 1.12E-15), which was confirmed by Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) gene set enrichment analysis. Consistent with potential oxidative stress due to activated oxidative phosphorylation, DNA damage-related signals (e.g., the up-regulated hsa03420 nucleotide excision repair [FDR, 1.14E-04] and hsa03410 base excision repair [FDR, 2.71E-04] pathways) were observed. Among down-regulated genes (FDR, <0.10), functional terms related to cellular structures (e.g., cell membrane [FDR, 3.05E-21] and cell junction [FDR, 2.41E-07], were highly enriched, suggesting compromised formation of cellular structure in HCC at the transcriptome level. Interestingly, the olfactory transduction (hsa04740; FDR, 1.53E-07) pathway was observed to be down-regulated in HCC versus non-neoplastic tissue, suggesting impaired liver chemosensory functions in HCC. Our findings suggest oxidative phosphorylation and the associated DNA damage may be the major driving pathologic feature in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongjun Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - David P. Al‐Adra
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Ruoxin Lan
- Department of Biostatistics and Data ScienceTulane University School of Public Health and Tropical MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Geunyoung Jung
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Huihua Li
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Matthew M. Yeh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyUniversity of Washington School of MedicineSeattleWisconsinUSA
| | - Yao‐Zhong Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Data ScienceTulane University School of Public Health and Tropical MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kok DE, Richmond RC, Adriaens M, Evelo CT, Ford D, Mathers JC, Robinson N, McKay JA. Impact of In Utero Folate Exposure on DNA Methylation and Its Potential Relevance for Later-Life Health-Evidence from Mouse Models Translated to Human Cohorts. Mol Nutr Food Res 2022; 66:e2100789. [PMID: 34850562 PMCID: PMC7614326 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202100789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
SCOPE Persistent DNA methylation changes may mediate effects of early-life exposures on later-life health. Human lifespan is challenging for prospective studies, therefore data from longitudinal studies are limited. Projecting data from mouse models of early-life exposure to human studies offers a tool to address this challenge. METHODS AND RESULTS C57BL/6J mice were fed low/normal folate diets before and during pregnancy and lactation. Genome-wide promoter methylation was measured in male offspring livers at 17.5 days gestation and 28 weeks. Eight promoters were concurrently hypermethylated by folate depletion in fetuses and adults (>1.10 fold-change; p < 0.05). Processes/pathways potentially influenced by global changes, and function of these eight genes, suggest neurocognitive effects. Human observational and randomized controlled trial data were interrogated for translation. Methylation at birth was inversely associated with maternal plasma folate in six genes (-1.15% to -0.16% per nmol L-1 ; p < 0.05), while maternal folic acid supplementation was associated with differential methylation of four genes in adulthood. Three CpGs were persistently hypermethylated with lower maternal folate (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION Some persistent folate-induced methylation changes in mice are mirrored in humans. This demonstrates utility of mouse data in identifying human loci for interrogation as biomarkers of later-life health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dieuwertje E Kok
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca C Richmond
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michiel Adriaens
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Chris T Evelo
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Bioinformatics - BiGCaT, NUTRIM Research School, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Dianne Ford
- Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John C Mathers
- Centre for Healthier Lives, Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Human Nutrition Research Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Natassia Robinson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jill A McKay
- Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kurtz R, Anderman MF, Shepard BD. GPCRs get fatty: the role of G protein-coupled receptor signaling in the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2021; 320:G304-G318. [PMID: 33205999 PMCID: PMC8202238 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00275.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by the abnormal deposition of lipids within the liver not due to alcohol consumption, is a growing epidemic affecting over 30% of the United States population. Both simple fatty liver and its more severe counterpart, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, represent one of the most common forms of liver disease. Recently, several G protein-coupled receptors have emerged as targets for therapeutic intervention for these disorders. These include those with known hepatic function as well as those involved in global metabolic regulation. In this review, we highlight these emerging therapeutic targets, focusing on several common themes including their activation by microbial metabolites, stimulatory effect on insulin and incretin secretion, and contribution to glucose tolerance. The overlap in ligands, localization, and downstream effects of activation indicate the interdependent nature of these receptors and highlight the importance of this signaling family in the development and prevention of NAFLD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Kurtz
- Department of Human Science, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Meghan F. Anderman
- Department of Human Science, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Blythe D. Shepard
- Department of Human Science, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| |
Collapse
|