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Salvoza N, Giraudi P, Gazzin S, Bonazza D, Palmisano S, de Manzini N, Zanconati F, Raseni A, Sirianni F, Tiribelli C, Rosso N. The potential role of omentin-1 in obesity-related metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: evidence from translational studies. J Transl Med 2023; 21:906. [PMID: 38082368 PMCID: PMC10714452 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04770-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity, characterized by visceral adipose tissue (VAT) expansion, is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Recent research has highlighted the crucial role of the adipose tissue-liver axis in the development of MASLD. In this study, we investigated the potential role of omentin-1, a novel adipokine expressed by VAT, in obesity-related MASLD pathogenesis. METHODS Through in silico analysis of differentially expressed genes in VAT from obese patients with and without MASH, we identified omentin-1 as a significant candidate. To validate our findings, we measured omentin-1 levels in VAT and plasma of lean controls and obese patients with biopsy-proven MASLD. Additionally, we assessed omentin-1 expression in the VAT of diet-induced mice MASLD model. In vitro and ex vivo studies were conducted to investigate the effects of omentin-1 on MASLD-related mechanisms, including steatosis, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and oxidative stress. We also analyzed the impact of D-glucose and insulin on VAT omentin-1 levels ex vivo. RESULTS Compared to the lean group, the obese groups exhibited significantly lower VAT and plasma levels of omentin-1. Interestingly, within the obese groups, omentin-1 is further decreased in MASH groups, independent of fibrosis. Likewise, VAT of mice fed with high-fat diet, showing histological signs of MASH showed decreased omentin-1 levels as compared to their control diet counterpart. In vitro experiments on fat-laden human hepatocytes revealed that omentin-1 did not affect steatosis but significantly reduced TNF-α levels, ER stress, and oxidative stress. Similar results were obtained using ex vivo VAT explants from obese patients upon omentin-1 supplementation. Furthermore, omentin-1 decreased the mRNA expression of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK and JNK). Ex vivo VAT explants showed that D-glucose and insulin significantly reduced omentin-1 mRNA expression and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our findings suggest that reduced omentin-1 levels contribute to the development of MASLD. Omentin-1 supplementation likely exerts its beneficial effects through the inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, and it may additionally play a role in the regulation of glucose and insulin metabolism. Further research is warranted to explore omentin-1 as a potential therapeutic target and/or biomarker for MASLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel Salvoza
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, ONLUS Area Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
- School of Molecular Biomedicine, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Pablo Giraudi
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, ONLUS Area Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Gazzin
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, ONLUS Area Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
| | - Deborah Bonazza
- Surgical Pathology Unit, Cattinara Hospital, ASUGI, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Palmisano
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, ONLUS Area Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Nicolò de Manzini
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Alan Raseni
- Clinical Chemistry Urgency Laboratory Spoke, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Paediatric Hospital, Trieste, Italy
| | - Francesca Sirianni
- Clinical Chemistry Urgency Laboratory Spoke, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Paediatric Hospital, Trieste, Italy
| | - Claudio Tiribelli
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, ONLUS Area Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Natalia Rosso
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, ONLUS Area Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
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Sukowati CHC, Anfuso B, Fiore E, Ie SI, Raseni A, Vascotto F, Avellini C, Mazzolini G, Tiribelli C. Hyaluronic acid inhibition by 4-methylumbelliferone reduces the expression of cancer stem cells markers during hepatocarcinogenesis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4026. [PMID: 30858465 PMCID: PMC6411988 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40436-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan of extracellular matrix related to cell surface which interacts with various cell types. To understand the role of HA during hepatocarcinogenesis, we assessed the effect of the inhibition of HA deposition and its association with heterogeneous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In this study, we used transgenic mice C57BL/6J-Tg(Alb1HBV)44Bri/J (HBV-TG) and normal C57BL/6 J (WT) for in vivo study, while HCC cells Huh7 and JHH6 as in vitro models. Both models were treated with an HA inhibitor 4-methylumbelliferone (4MU). We observed that 4MU treatments in animal model down-regulated the mRNA expressions of HA-related genes Has3 and Hyal2 only in HBV-TG but not in normal WT. As observed in vivo, in HCC cell lines, the HAS2 mRNA expression was down-regulated in Huh7 while HAS3 in JHH6, both with or without the presence of extrinsic HA. Interestingly, in both models, the expressions of various cancer stem cells (CD44, CD90, CD133, and EpCAM) were also decreased. Further, histological analysis showed that 4MU treatment with dose 25 mg/kg/day reduced fibrosis, inflammation, and steatosis in vivo, in addition to be pro-apoptotic. We concluded that the inhibition of HA reduced the expressions of HA-related genes and stem cells markers in both models, indicating a possible modulation of cells-to-cells and cells-to-matrix interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caecilia H C Sukowati
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, AREA Science Park Basovizza, SS14 km 163.5, 34149, Trieste, Italy. .,Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Piazzale M. Kolbe 1, 33100, Udine, Italy.
| | - Beatrice Anfuso
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, AREA Science Park Basovizza, SS14 km 163.5, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Esteban Fiore
- Gene Therapy Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Austral, Avenida Presidente Perón 1500, B1629ODT, Derqui-Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Susan I Ie
- Laboratory of Hepatitis and Emerging Diseases, Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jl. Diponegoro 69, 10430, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Alan Raseni
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - Institute for Research and Health Care Burlo Garofolo, Via dell'Istria, 65, 34137, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fulvia Vascotto
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health - Institute for Research and Health Care Burlo Garofolo, Via dell'Istria, 65, 34137, Trieste, Italy
| | - Claudio Avellini
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University Hospital Santa Maria della Misericordia, Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia 15, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Guillermo Mazzolini
- Gene Therapy Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Austral, Avenida Presidente Perón 1500, B1629ODT, Derqui-Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio Tiribelli
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, AREA Science Park Basovizza, SS14 km 163.5, 34149, Trieste, Italy
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Marin V, Gazzin S, Gambaro SE, Dal Ben M, Calligaris S, Anese M, Raseni A, Avellini C, Giraudi PJ, Tiribelli C, Rosso N. Effects of Oral Administration of Silymarin in a Juvenile Murine Model of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis. Nutrients 2017; 9:nu9091006. [PMID: 28895929 PMCID: PMC5622766 DOI: 10.3390/nu9091006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adolescents is challenging the global care system. No therapeutic strategies have been defined so far, and changes in the lifestyle remain the only alternative. In this study, we assessed the protective effects of silymarin in a juvenile non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model and the in vitro effects on fat-laden human hepatocytes. C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to HFHC diet immediately after weaning. After eight weeks, animals showed histological signs of NASH. Silymarin was added to the HFHC diet, the treatment continued for additional 12 weeks and the effects on BMI, hepatomegaly, visceral fat, lipid profile, transaminases, HOMA-IR, steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis were determined. The switch from HFHC to control diet was used to mimic life style changes. In vitro experiments were performed in parallel in human hepatocytes. HFHC diet supplemented with silymarin showed a significant improvement in glycemia, visceral fat, lipid profile, and liver fibrosis. Moreover, it reduced (both in vitro and in vivo) ALT, hepatic inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Lifestyle changes restored the control group parameters. The data presented show the beneficial effects of the oral administration of silymarin in the absence of changes in the dietary habits in a juvenile model of NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Marin
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS-Centro Studi Fegato, Area Science Park Basovizza Bldg, Q SS 14 Km 163,5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Silvia Gazzin
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS-Centro Studi Fegato, Area Science Park Basovizza Bldg, Q SS 14 Km 163,5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Sabrina E Gambaro
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS-Centro Studi Fegato, Area Science Park Basovizza Bldg, Q SS 14 Km 163,5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Matteo Dal Ben
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS-Centro Studi Fegato, Area Science Park Basovizza Bldg, Q SS 14 Km 163,5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Sonia Calligaris
- Università di Udine, Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Via Sondrio 2/A, 33100 Udine, Italy.
| | - Monica Anese
- Università di Udine, Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Via Sondrio 2/A, 33100 Udine, Italy.
| | - Alan Raseni
- IRCCS Burlo Garofolo Paediatric Hospital, Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, 34100 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Claudio Avellini
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Santa Maria della Misericordia", Dipartimento di Laboratorio, Istituto di Anatomia Patologica, 33100 Udine, Italy.
| | - Pablo J Giraudi
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS-Centro Studi Fegato, Area Science Park Basovizza Bldg, Q SS 14 Km 163,5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Claudio Tiribelli
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS-Centro Studi Fegato, Area Science Park Basovizza Bldg, Q SS 14 Km 163,5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Natalia Rosso
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS-Centro Studi Fegato, Area Science Park Basovizza Bldg, Q SS 14 Km 163,5, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
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Marin V, Rosso N, Dal Ben M, Raseni A, Boschelle M, Degrassi C, Nemeckova I, Nachtigal P, Avellini C, Tiribelli C, Gazzin S. An Animal Model for the Juvenile Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158817. [PMID: 27391242 PMCID: PMC4938400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) are the hepatic manifestations of the metabolic syndrome; worrisome is the booming increase in pediatric age. To recreate the full spectrum of juvenile liver pathology and investigate the gender impact, male and female C57Bl/6 mice were fed with high fat diet plus fructose in the drinking water (HFHC) immediately after weaning (equal to 3-years old human), and disease progression followed for 16 weeks, until adults (equal to 30-years old human). 100% of subjects of both genders on HFHC diet developed steatosis in 4weeks, and some degree of fibrosis in 8weeks, with the 86% of males and 15% of females presenting a stage 2 fibrosis at 16weeks. Despite a similar final liver damage both groups, a sex difference in the pathology progression was observed. Alterations in glucose homeostasis, dyslipidemia, hepatomegaly and obese phenotype were evident from the very beginning in males with an increased hepatic inflammatory activity. Conversely, such alterations were present in females only at the end of the HFHC diet (with the exception of insulin resistance and the hepatic inflammatory state). Interestingly, only females showed an altered hepatic redox state. This juvenile model appears a good platform to unravel the underlying gender dependent mechanisms in the progression from NAFLD to NASH, and to characterize novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Marin
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, AREA science Park, Trieste, Italy
| | - Natalia Rosso
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, AREA science Park, Trieste, Italy
| | - Matteo Dal Ben
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, AREA science Park, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alan Raseni
- IRCCS Ospedale Burlo Garofolo Pediatric Hospital, Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, Trieste, Italy
| | - Manuela Boschelle
- IRCCS Ospedale Burlo Garofolo Pediatric Hospital, Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Ivana Nemeckova
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Heyrovskeho 1203, Hradec Kralove, 500 05, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Nachtigal
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Heyrovskeho 1203, Hradec Kralove, 500 05, Czech Republic
| | - Claudio Avellini
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria “Santa Maria della Misericordia”, Dip. Anatomia e Patologia, Udine, Italy
| | - Claudio Tiribelli
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, AREA science Park, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Gazzin
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato, AREA science Park, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Gazzin S, Zelenka J, Zdrahalova L, Konickova R, Zabetta CC, Giraudi PJ, Berengeno AL, Raseni A, Robert MC, Vitek L, Tiribelli C. Bilirubin accumulation and Cyp mRNA expression in selected brain regions of jaundiced Gunn rat pups. Pediatr Res 2012; 71:653-60. [PMID: 22337225 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2012.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Few data exist on regional brain bilirubin content in the neonatal period when acute bilirubin-induced neurologic damage (BIND) may occur, and no information is available on regional brain expression of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (Cyps) that oxidize bilirubin. METHODS Bilirubin content was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and Cyp1a1, 1a2, and 2a3 mRNA expression was analyzed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) in cortex (Cx), cerebellum (Cll), superior colliculi (SC), and inferior colliculi (IC) of 17-d-old hyperbilirubinemic (jj) Gunn rat pups before and after administration of sulphadimethoxine to acutely displace bilirubin from plasma albumin. RESULTS There was no difference in bilirubin content among brain regions in untreated rats. After intraperitoneal sulphadimethoxine, bilirubin content peaked at fourfold in Cx and SC at 1 h; but at 11- to 13-fold in Cll and IC at 24 h; returning to control levels at 72 h. The Cyp mRNA peaked at 30-70 times control at 1 h in Cx and SC, but at 3-9 times control at 24 h in Cll and IC. DISCUSSION The close relationship in distinct brain regions between the extent of bilirubin accumulation and induction of mRNA of Cyps suggests Cyps may have a role in protecting selected brain areas from bilirubin neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gazzin
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato (Italian Liver Foundation), Trieste, Italy.
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Gazzin S, Berengeno AL, Strazielle N, Fazzari F, Raseni A, Ostrow JD, Wennberg R, Ghersi-Egea JF, Tiribelli C. Modulation of Mrp1 (ABCc1) and Pgp (ABCb1) by bilirubin at the blood-CSF and blood-brain barriers in the Gunn rat. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16165. [PMID: 21297965 PMCID: PMC3031532 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2010] [Accepted: 12/07/2010] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) in the brain causes bilirubin encephalopathy. Pgp (ABCb1) and Mrp1 (ABCc1), highly expressed in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) respectively, may modulate the accumulation of UCB in brain. We examined the effect of prolonged exposure to elevated concentrations of UCB on expression of the two transporters in homozygous, jaundiced (jj) Gunn rats compared to heterozygous, not jaundiced (Jj) littermates at different developmental stages (2, 9, 17 and 60 days after birth). BBB Pgp protein expression was low in both jj and Jj pups at 9 days (about 16-27% of adult values), despite the up-regulation in jj animals (2 and 1.3 fold higher than age matched Jj animals at P9 and P17-P60, respectively); Mrp1 protein expression was barely detectable. Conversely, at the BCSFB Mrp1 protein expression was rather high (60-70% of the adult values) in both jj and Jj at P2, but was markedly (50%) down-regulated in jj pups starting at P9, particularly in the 4(th) ventricle choroid plexuses: Pgp was almost undetectable. The Mrp1 protein down regulation was accompanied by a modest up-regulation of mRNA, suggesting a translational rather than a transcriptional inhibition. In vitro exposure of choroid plexus epithelial cells obtained from normal rats to UCB, also resulted in a down-regulation of Mrp1 protein. These data suggest that down-regulation of Mrp1 protein at the BSCFB, resulting from a direct effect of UCB on epithelial cells, may impact the Mrp1-mediated neuroprotective functions of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier and actually potentiate UCB neurotoxicity.
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