1
|
Alcober-Boquet L, Kraus N, Huber LS, Vutukuri R, Fuhrmann DC, Stross C, Schaefer L, Scholich K, Zeuzem S, Piiper A, Schulz MH, Trebicka J, Welsch C, Ortiz C. BI-3231, an enzymatic inhibitor of HSD17B13, reduces lipotoxic effects induced by palmitic acid in murine and human hepatocytes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024; 326:C880-C892. [PMID: 38223924 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00413.2023] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13), a lipid droplet-associated enzyme, is primarily expressed in the liver and plays an important role in lipid metabolism. Targeted inhibition of enzymatic function is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating steatotic liver disease (SLD). The present study is aimed at investigating the effects of the first selective HSD17B13 inhibitor, BI-3231, in a model of hepatocellular lipotoxicity using human cell lines and primary mouse hepatocytes in vitro. Lipotoxicity was induced with palmitic acid in HepG2 cells and freshly isolated mouse hepatocytes and the cells were coincubated with BI-3231 to assess the protective effects. Under lipotoxic stress, triglyceride (TG) accumulation was significantly decreased in the BI-3231-treated cells compared with that of the control untreated human and mouse hepatocytes. In addition, treatment with BI-3231 led to considerable improvement in hepatocyte proliferation, cell differentiation, and lipid homeostasis. Mechanistically, BI-3231 increased the mitochondrial respiratory function without affecting β-oxidation. BI-3231 inhibited the lipotoxic effects of palmitic acid in hepatocytes, highlighting the potential of targeting HSD17B13 as a specific therapeutic approach in steatotic liver disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY 17-β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) is a lipid droplet protein primarily expressed in the liver hepatocytes. HSD17B13 is associated with the clinical outcome of chronic liver diseases and is therefore a target for the development of drugs. Here, we demonstrate the promising therapeutic effect of BI-3231 as a potent inhibitor of HSD17B13 based on its ability to inhibit triglyceride accumulation in lipid droplets (LDs), restore lipid metabolism and homeostasis, and increase mitochondrial activity in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Alcober-Boquet
- Medical Clinic 1, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nico Kraus
- Medical Clinic 1, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lisa Sophie Huber
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rajkumar Vutukuri
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Dominik C Fuhrmann
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry I, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Claudia Stross
- Medical Clinic 1, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Liliana Schaefer
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Klaus Scholich
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Zeuzem
- Medical Clinic 1, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Albrecht Piiper
- Medical Clinic 1, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marcel H Schulz
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jonel Trebicka
- Department of Internal Medicine B, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christoph Welsch
- Medical Clinic 1, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Cristina Ortiz
- Medical Clinic 1, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|