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Wang W, Zhuang Z, Song Z, Zhao Y, Huang T. Sleep patterns, genetic predisposition, and risk of chronic liver disease: A prospective study of 408,560 UK Biobank participants. J Affect Disord 2024; 352:229-236. [PMID: 38199417 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.010] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the role that combined sleep behaviors play in the association with chronic liver disease (CLD) risk. METHODS We included 408,560 participants initially free of CLD from the UK Biobank. A healthy sleep pattern was defined by early chronotype, sleep duration of 7-8 h/day, no insomnia, no snoring, and no excessive daytime sleepiness. Cox regression models were used to examine the association of healthy sleep pattern with incident CLD and their interaction with PNPLA3 genetic risk. RESULTS During a median 12.5 years of follow-up, we documented 10,915 incident all-cause CLD cases, including 388 viral hepatitis, 4782 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), 1356 cirrhosis, 973 alcoholic liver disease, and 725 liver cancer cases. Compared to participants with a healthy sleep score of 0-1, the hazard ratio (HR) (95 % confidence interval [CI]) for those with a sleep score of 5 was 0.54 (0.49, 0.60) for CLD, 0.52 (0.30, 0.90) for viral hepatitis, 0.47 (0.41, 0.55) for NAFLD, 0.57 (0.43, 0.75) for cirrhosis, 0.32 (0.23, 0.44) for alcoholic liver disease, and 0.53 (0.37, 0.77) for liver cancer. Healthy sleep pattern and PNPLA3 genetic risk exerted significant additive effects on CLD risk (relative excess risk due to the interaction: 0.05; attributable proportion due to the interaction: 13 %). LIMITATIONS Measurement error was unavoidable for self-reported data on sleep behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Our analyses provide evidence that healthy sleep pattern was inversely associated with the development of CLD, and participants with higher genetic risk were more likely to develop CLD when exposed to the unhealthy sleep pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiu Wang
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenhuang Zhuang
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zimin Song
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yimin Zhao
- Institute of Sports Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China; Center for Intelligent Public Health, Academy for Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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Li S, Li S, Duan F, Lu B. Depression and NAFLD risk: A meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization study. J Affect Disord 2024; 352:379-385. [PMID: 38387674 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.02.074] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Both depression and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have a high global prevalence. Growing evidence suggests an association between depression and NAFLD, while the association remains unclear. Thus, in this study, we aimed to explore the effect of depression on the risk of developing NAFLD. METHODS The meta-analysis examined the association between depression and the risk of NAFLD by including observational studies. Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Then a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to explore causal association using genetic instruments identified from a genome-wide association study. RESULTS Six eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis, involving 289,22 depression cases among 167,554 participants. Meta-analysis showed a significant association between depression and a higher risk of developing NAFLD (OR = 1.14, 95 % CI: [1.05, 1.24], P = 0.002). However, we found no convincing evidence supporting a causal role of genetically predicted depression with NAFLD risk (OR = 0.861, 95 % CI: [0.598, 1.238], P = 0.420). LIMITATIONS The insufficient number of included studies, the use of summary-level data, and restrictions on population sources are the major limiting factors. CONCLUSIONS Meta-analysis and MR analysis demonstrated inconsistent results on the relationship between depression and a high risk of developing NAFLD. Specifically, meta-analysis confirmed that depression increases the risk of developing NAFLD, while MR analysis did not support a causal association between genetically determined depression and the risk of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shudi Li
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Suling Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of TCM, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Fei Duan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of TCM, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Baoping Lu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
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Lu N, Mei X, Li X, Tang X, Yang G, Xiang W. Preventive effects of caffeine on nicotine plus high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis and gain weight: a possible explanation for why obese smokers with high coffee consumption tend to be leaner. Br J Nutr 2024; 131:1342-1351. [PMID: 38149470 DOI: 10.1017/s0007114523002969] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent liver disorder, affecting approximately 25 % of the population. Coffee-drinking obese smokers exhibit lower body weights and decreased NAFLD rates, but the reasons behind this remain unclear. Additionally, the effect of nicotine, the main component of tobacco, on the development of NAFLD is still controversial. Our study aimed to explore the possible reasons that drinking coffee could alleviate NAFLD and gain weight and identify the real role of nicotine in NAFLD of obese smokers. A NAFLD model in mice was induced by administering nicotine and a high-fat diet (HFD). We recorded changes in body weight and daily food intake, measured the weights of the liver and visceral fat, and observed liver and adipose tissue histopathology. Lipid levels, liver function, liver malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), serum inflammatory cytokine levels and the expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid metabolism were determined. Our results demonstrated that nicotine exacerbated the development of NAFLD and caffeine had a hepatoprotective effect on NAFLD. The administration of caffeine could ameliorate nicotine-plus-HFD-induced NAFLD by reducing lipid accumulation, regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, alleviating oxidative stress, attenuating inflammatory response and restoring hepatic functions. These results might explain why obese smokers with high coffee consumption exhibit the lower incidence rate of NAFLD and tend to be leaner. It is essential to emphasise that the detrimental impact of smoking on health is multifaceted. Smoking cessation remains the sole practical and effective strategy for averting the tobacco-related complications and reducing the risk of mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiyan Lu
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Mei
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Li
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Tang
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Guofeng Yang
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Xiang
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
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Wu S, Ren W, Hong J, Yang Y, Lu Y. Ablation of histone methyltransferase Suv39h2 in hepatocytes attenuates NASH in mice. Life Sci 2024; 343:122524. [PMID: 38401627 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122524] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by aberrant lipid metabolism in hepatocytes. We investigated the involvement of a histone H3K9 methyltransferase Suv39h2 in the pathogenesis of NASH. METHODS AND MATERIALS NASH is induced by feeding the mice with a high-fat high-carbohydrate (HFHC) diet or a high-fat choline-deficient amino acid defined (HFD-CDAA) diet. The Suv39h2f/f mice were crossbred with the Alb-Cre mice to specifically delete Suv39h2 in hepatocytes. KEY FINDINGS Ablation of Suv39h2 in hepatocytes improved insulin sensitivity of the mice fed either the HFHC diet or the CDAA-HFD diet. Importantly, Suv39h2 deletion significantly ameliorated NAFLD as evidenced by reduced lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis in the liver. RNA-seq uncovered Vanin-1 (Vnn1) as a novel transcriptional target for Suv39h2. Mechanistically, Suv39h2 repressed Vnn1 transcription in hepatocytes exposed to free fatty acids. Consistently, Vanin-1 knockdown normalized lipid accumulation in Suv39h2-null hepatocytes. Importantly, a significant correlation between Suv39h2, Vanin-1, and hepatic triglyceride levels was identified in NASH patients. SIGNIFICANCE Our study uncovers a novel mechanism whereby Suv39h2 may contribute to NASH pathogenesis and suggests that targeting the Suv39h2-Vanin-1 axis may yield novel therapeutic solutions against NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqiang Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenjing Ren
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiameng Hong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuyu Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yunjie Lu
- Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China; Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China; Africa Hepatopancreatobiliary Cancer Consortium, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, USA.
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Wu M, Tie M, Hu L, Yang Y, Chen Y, Ferguson D, Chen Y, He A. Fatty liver disease protective MTARC1 p.A165T variant reduces the protein stability of MTARC1. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 702:149655. [PMID: 38340654 PMCID: PMC10940201 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of liver disease worldwide. MTARC1, encoded by the MTARC1 gene, is a mitochondrial outer membrane-anchored enzyme. Interestingly, the MTARC1 p.A165T (rs2642438) variant is associated with a decreased risk of NAFLD, indicating that MTARC1 might be an effective target. It has been reported that the rs2642438 variant does not have altered enzymatic activity so we reasoned that this variation may affect MTARC1 stability. In this study, MTARC1 mutants were generated and stability was assessed using a protein stability reporter system both in vitro and in vivo. We found that the MTARC1 p.A165T variant has dramatically reduced the stability of MTARC1, as assessed in several cell lines. In mice, the MTARC1 A168T mutant, the equivalent of human MTARC1 A165T, had diminished stability in mouse liver. Additionally, several MTARC1 A165 mutants, including A165S, A165 N, A165V, A165G, and A165D, had dramatically decreased stability as well, suggesting that the alanine residue of MTARC1 165 site is essential for MTARC1 protein stability. Collectively, our data indicates that the MTARC1 p.A165T variant (rs2642438) leads to reduced stability of MTARC1. Given that carriers of rs2642438 show a decreased risk of NAFLD, the findings herein support the notion that MTARC1 inhibition may be a therapeutic target to combat NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyue Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Meng Tie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Liwei Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yunzhi Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yong Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Daniel Ferguson
- Division of Nutritional Science and Obesity Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, United States
| | - Yali Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Anyuan He
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
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Huang S, Xiao X, Wu H, Zhou F, Fu C. MicroRNA-582-3p knockdown alleviates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by altering the gut microbiota composition and moderating TMBIM1. Ir J Med Sci 2024; 193:909-916. [PMID: 37823951 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-023-03529-w] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gut dysbiosis correlates with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), involving the moderation of miRNAs. AIMS This study was aimed to investigate the correlation between gut microbiota and miR-582-3p in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and to explore the possible regulation of miR-582-3p in the function of the activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). METHODS GSE69670 and GSE14435 datasets were analyzed by GEO2R. Plasma and fecal samples were obtained from the subjects, non-steatosis (n = 35), simple steatosis (n = 35), and NASH (n = 35). The variations in intestinal microbiota in the non-steatosis and NASH groups were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. The expression of miR-582-3p among the groups was detected using RT-qPCR. Correlations between top-changed intestinal microbiota and miR-582-3p expression were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Target gene identification was performed by prediction and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effect of miR-582-3p on the cell function of TGF-β1-induced HSCs was assessed in vitro. RESULTS miR-582-3p was the common differentially expressed miRNA between GSE69670 and GSE14435. miR-582-3p was upregulated in NASH patients' plasma, as well as in TGF-β1-induced LX-2 cells. The non-steatosis and NASH groups showed significantly different intestinal microbiota distribution. miR-582-3p was positively correlated with specific microbiota populations. TMBIM1 was a target gene for miR-582-3p. Knockdown of miR-582-3p suppressed HSC proliferation and myofibroblast markers' expression but induced cell apoptosis, via TMBIM1. CONCLUSIONS This present study suggests that miR-582-3p promotes the progression of NASH. Knockdown of miR-582-3p may alleviate NASH by altering the gut microbiota composition and moderating TMBIM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hunan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Xia Xiao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hunan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Hongman Wu
- Department of Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, NO.87, Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Department of Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, NO.87, Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Chenchao Fu
- Department of Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, NO.87, Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
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Lavrado NC, Salles GF, Cardoso CRL, de França PHC, Melo MFDGG, Leite NC, Villela-Nogueira CA. Impact of PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 polymorphisms on the prognosis of patients with MASLD and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Liver Int 2024; 44:1042-1050. [PMID: 38293718 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15845] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Longitudinal studies assessing the impact of genetic polymorphisms on outcomes in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 risk alleles on hepatic and extrahepatic outcomes in T2DM-MASLD individuals. METHODS Patients' polymorphisms were analysed as follows: PNPLA3 CC, CG and GG; TM6SF2 CC and CT + TT; combined comparing no mutant allele, one allele G or T or ≥2 alleles G or T. Hierarchical models were built to assess associations between polymorphisms and outcomes, independently of confounding factors. Multivariate logistic regression was used for cirrhosis and its complications and extrahepatic cancer, and Cox regression for cardiovascular events (CVEs) and all-cause mortality. RESULTS In total, 407 T2DM-MASLD patients (62.1 ± 10.5 years, 67.6% women) were followed for 11 (6-13) years. Having at least one G or T allele independently increased the risk of cirrhosis in the separate analysis of PNPLA3 and TM6SF2. Combined polymorphism analysis demonstrated an even higher risk of cirrhosis if two or more risk alleles were present (OR 18.48; 95% CI 6.15-55.58; p < .001). Regarding cirrhosis complications, the risk was higher in PNPLA3 GG and TM6SF2 CT + TT, also with an even higher risk when two or more risk alleles were present in the combined evaluation (OR 27.20; 95% CI 5.26-140.62; p < .001). There were no associations with CVEs or mortality outcomes. CONCLUSION In T2DM, PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 polymorphisms, individually and additively, impact MASLD severity, with an increased risk of cirrhosis and its complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Coelho Lavrado
- Internal Medicine Post Graduate Program, Medical School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gil Fernando Salles
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Nathalie Carvalho Leite
- Division of Hepatology, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Yan X, Huang S, Li H, Feng Z, Kong J, Liu J. The causal effect of mTORC1-dependent circulating protein levels on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A Mendelian randomization study. Dig Liver Dis 2024; 56:559-564. [PMID: 37778897 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2023.09.017] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal pathway plays a crucial role in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the causal effect of mTOR downstream proteins on NAFLD remains unknown. AIMS We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate whether the mTOR-dependent circulating proteins, including Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E Binding Proteins (eIF4EBPs), Ribosomal Protein S6K kinase 1 (RP-S6K), Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E (eIF4E), Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4A (eIF4A) and Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4 G (eIF4G), have causal effects on the risk of NAFLD. METHODS The causal estimate was evaluated with the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method in discovery stage and validation stage. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected to genetically predict exposures from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Exposures with statistically significant effects in the discovery dataset would be further validated in the validation dataset. RESULTS MR study revealed that eIF4E had a causal effect on NAFLD in both discovery stage (OR = 1.339, P = 0.037) and validation stage (OR = 1.0007, P = 0.022). Sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness of the results. CONCLUSION The genetically predicted higher level of mTOR-dependent eIF4E in plasma might have a causal effect on the occurrence of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Yan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China
| | - Songhan Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China
| | - Hongxin Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China
| | - Zichen Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China
| | - Junjie Kong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China; Department of hepatobiliary surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong first medical university, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China; Department of hepatobiliary surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong first medical university, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China.
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Habibi P, Falamarzi K, Ebrahimi ND, Zarei M, Malekpour M, Azarpira N. GDF11: An emerging therapeutic target for liver diseases and fibrosis. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18140. [PMID: 38494851 PMCID: PMC10945076 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18140] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), also known as bone morphogenetic protein 11 (BMP11), has been identified as a key player in various biological processes, including embryonic development, aging, metabolic disorders and cancers. GDF11 has also emerged as a critical component in liver development, injury and fibrosis. However, the effects of GDF11 on liver physiology and pathology have been a subject of debate among researchers due to conflicting reported outcomes. While some studies suggest that GDF11 has anti-aging properties, others have documented its senescence-inducing effects. Similarly, while GDF11 has been implicated in exacerbating liver injury, it has also been shown to have the potential to reduce liver fibrosis. In this narrative review, we present a comprehensive report of recent evidence elucidating the diverse roles of GDF11 in liver development, hepatic injury, regeneration and associated diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We also explore the therapeutic potential of GDF11 in managing various liver pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pardis Habibi
- Student Research CommitteeShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
- Transplant Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| | - Kimia Falamarzi
- Student Research CommitteeShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
- Transplant Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| | | | - Mohammad Zarei
- Renal Division, Brigham & Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- John B. Little Center for Radiation SciencesHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Mahdi Malekpour
- Student Research CommitteeShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
- Transplant Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| | - Negar Azarpira
- Transplant Research CenterShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
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Zhu Y, Tang H, Zhao H, Lu J, Lin K, Ni J, Zhao B, Wu G, Tan C. Vinpocetine represses the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice by mediating inflammasome components via NF-κB signaling. Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 47:366-376. [PMID: 37562770 DOI: 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2023.07.006] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inflammasome activation is known to be involved in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Vinpocetine is a derivative of vincamine and is reported to suppress the activation of inflammasome. METHODS This study explored the therapeutical potential of Vinpocetine on NASH. Mice were fed with a choline-deficient (MCD) or chow diet in the presence or absence of Vinpocetine for 8 weeks. H&E staining and biochemical assays were determined to evaluate the hepatic steatosis and fibrosis symptoms. In addition, primary hepatocytes and Kupffer cells were isolated and induced by MCD or lipopolysaccharides/cholesterol crystals with or without Vinpocetine. ELISAs, qPCR, and Western blotting were applied to determine the levels of NASH-related biomarkers in both in vivo mouse model and in vitro cell models. RESULTS Treatment of Vinpocetine did not cause observable side effects against and MCD-induced cells and mouse NASH model. However, treatment of Vinpocetine ameliorated hepatic steatosis and fibrosis and suppressed the levels of alanine transaminase and aspartate transferase in the mouse NASH model. In addition, treatment of Vinpocetine suppressed the mRNA and protein levels of inflammasome components both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION Vinpocetine suppressed NASH in mice by mediating inflammasome components via nuclear factor κB signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingwei Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Affiliated Wuxi Clinical College of Nantong University, No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hong Tang
- Department of Pathology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Han Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jian Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kai Lin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingbin Ni
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bo Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Gaojue Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Affiliated Wuxi Clinical College of Nantong University, No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chunxiao Tan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangnan University Medical Center (JUMC), No. 68 Zhongshan Road, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu, China.
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11
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Ren Z, Wesselius A, Stehouwer CDA, Brouwers MCGJ. Relationship between educational attainment and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study. Dig Liver Dis 2024; 56:565-570. [PMID: 38104027 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2023.11.040] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational studies have identified an inverse association between education and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, it is not possible to establish causality for this relationship. AIMS To gain more insight into the causal nature of the relationship between education and NAFLD. METHODS We performed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using summary-level, large-scale datasets to study the association of genetically predicted educational attainment (n = 1271 genetic instruments, obtained from 1,131,881 participants) with risk of NAFLD (i.e., liver fat [n = 32,858 participants] and electronic health record (EHR)-based NAFLD [n = 778,614 participants]). In sensitivity analyses, educational attainment was replaced by three education-related traits (i.e., genetically predicted cognition, math ability and highest math). RESULTS Inverse-variance weighted method showed a statistically significant association between genetically predicted educational attainment and liver fat (beta: -0.251, 95%CI: -0.305; -0.198) and EHR-based NAFLD (OR: 0.609, 95%CI: 0.547; 0.677). MR-Egger regression did not show statistically significant intercepts. Similar findings were obtained when other MR tests were used or when educational attainment was replaced by education-related traits. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests a causal, protective effect of higher education on NAFLD risk. Societal interventions targeted at people with low education are needed to alleviate the burden of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhewen Ren
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Laboratory for Metabolism and Vascular Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Anke Wesselius
- NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Coen D A Stehouwer
- Laboratory for Metabolism and Vascular Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Martijn C G J Brouwers
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
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12
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Tan L, He Y, Wang T, Gao X, Fan W, Fan B. A Mendelian randomization study between chronic periodontitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. J Periodontal Res 2024; 59:346-354. [PMID: 38102730 DOI: 10.1111/jre.13218] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Observational studies have suggested a potential association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic periodontitis (CP). However, these studies are prone to confounding factors. The aim of this study was to assess the causal relationship between NAFLD and CP using a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis method. METHODS Datasets of CP and NAFLD were retrieved from the European database, and instrumental variables (IVs) related to exposure were selected for the MR analysis. Sensitivity tests, including heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy tests, were conducted to ensure the consistency of the selected IVs, following which the analysis results were visualized. RESULTS Genetic variants associated with CP and NAFLD were identified as IVs, and the MR assessment was performed using the summary data (CP: 3046 cases and 195 395 controls; NAFLD: 894 cases and 217 898 controls). CP increased the risk of NAFLD (inverse variance weighted [IVW], b = 0.132 > 0, p = .006 < .05), whereas the reverse was not observed (IVW, b = -0.024 < 0, p = .081 > .05). The sensitivity analysis indicated no heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy. CONCLUSION The MR analysis suggested that CP could increase the risk of NAFLD among European populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunbo He
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Tianyi Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xianhua Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bing Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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13
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Burelle C, Clapatiuc V, Deschênes S, Cuillerier A, De Loof M, Higgins MÈ, Boël H, Daneault C, Chouinard B, Clavet MÉ, Tessier N, Croteau I, Chabot G, Martel C, Sirois MG, Lesage S, Burelle Y, Ruiz M. A genetic mouse model of lean-NAFLD unveils sexual dimorphism in the liver-heart axis. Commun Biol 2024; 7:356. [PMID: 38519536 PMCID: PMC10959946 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06035-6] [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: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Lean patients with NAFLD may develop cardiac complications independently of pre-existent metabolic disruptions and comorbidities. To address the underlying mechanisms independent of the development of obesity, we used a murine model of hepatic mitochondrial deficiency. The liver-heart axis was studied as these mice develop microvesicular steatosis without obesity. Our results unveil a sex-dependent phenotypic remodeling beyond liver damage. Males, more than females, show fasting hypoglycemia and increased insulin sensitivity. They exhibit diastolic dysfunction, remodeling of the circulating lipoproteins and cardiac lipidome. Conversely, females do not manifest cardiac dysfunction but exhibit cardiometabolic impairments supported by impaired mitochondrial integrity and β-oxidation, remodeling of circulating lipoproteins and intracardiac accumulation of deleterious triglycerides. This study underscores metabolic defects in the liver resulting in significant sex-dependent cardiac abnormalities independent of obesity. This experimental model may prove useful to better understand the sex-related variability, notably in the heart, involved in the progression of lean-NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Burelle
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Valentin Clapatiuc
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sonia Deschênes
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexanne Cuillerier
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, OC, Canada
| | - Marine De Loof
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Hugues Boël
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Nolwenn Tessier
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Geneviève Chabot
- Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Catherine Martel
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin G Sirois
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvie Lesage
- Research Center, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yan Burelle
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, OC, Canada
| | - Matthieu Ruiz
- Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Dai X, Jiang K, Ma X, Hu H, Mo X, Huang K, Jiang Q, Chen Y, Liu C. Mendelian randomization suggests a causal relationship between gut microbiota and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in humans. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37478. [PMID: 38518048 PMCID: PMC10957007 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeting the gut microbiota is an emerging strategy to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Nonetheless, the causal relationship between specific gut microbiota and NAFLD remains unclear. We first obtained genome-wide association study statistics on gut microbiota and NAFLD from publicly available databases. We then performed the Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to determine the potential causal relationship between the gut microbiota and NAFLD by 5 different methods, and conducted a series of sensitivity analyses to validate the robustness of the MR analysis results. Furthermore, we investigated the direction of causality by bidirectional MR analysis. For 211 gut microbiota, 2 MR methods confirmed that phylum Tenericutes, class Deltaproteobacteria and class Mollicutes were significantly associated with the risk of NAFLD. Heterogeneity (P > .05) and pleiotropy (P > .05) analyses validated the robustness of the MR results. There was no causal effect of NAFLD on these bacterial taxa in the reverse MR analysis. We identified specific gut microbiota with causal effects on NAFLD through gene prediction, which may provide useful guidance for targeting the gut microbiota to intervene and treat NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Dai
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Kaiping Jiang
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Xiaojun Ma
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Hongtao Hu
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Xiaoai Mo
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Kaizhou Huang
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Qunfang Jiang
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Chonglin Liu
- Eighth Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
- Department of Hepatology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
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15
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Zhou BG, Xia JL, Jiang X, Ding YB, She Q. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and gestational diabetes mellitus: a bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization study. BMC Endocr Disord 2024; 24:40. [PMID: 38504196 PMCID: PMC10953072 DOI: 10.1186/s12902-024-01569-6] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Previous observational studies have revealed a potential link between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but their causal relationship remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether a causal link exists between genetically determined NAFLD and GDM. METHODS Utilizing publicly accessible genome-wide association studies (GWAS), a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted. The GWASs data pertaining to NAFLD and GDM were obtained from the UK Biobank Consortium and FinnGen database in primary analysis, respectively. The random-effects inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was utilized as primary analysis method. Several sensitivity analyses were utilized to verify the robustness of the results. Additionally, we also analyzed the causal effect of potential shared influencing factors on these two conditions. RESULTS The result of the IVW method showed that there was no significant causal relationship between genetically determined NAFLD and GDM (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.90-1.07, P = 0.691). Similarly, our reverse MR analysis failed to detect a significant causal effect of GDM on NAFLD (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.97-1.36, P = 0.118). Sensitivity analyses further confirmed the robustness of the results. Moreover, we found that genetically determined body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, triglycerides, and television viewing time may be positively correlated with NAFLD and GDM, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I may both be negatively correlated with NAFLD and GDM. CONCLUSIONS The current bidirectional MR study failed to provide sufficient genetic evidence for the causal relationship between NAFLD and GDM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben-Gang Zhou
- Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jian-Lei Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yan-Bing Ding
- Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China.
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Qiang She
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, No. 368, Hanjiang Middle Road, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
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Mahmoudi SK, Tarzemani S, Aghajanzadeh T, Kasravi M, Hatami B, Zali MR, Baghaei K. Exploring the role of genetic variations in NAFLD: implications for disease pathogenesis and precision medicine approaches. Eur J Med Res 2024; 29:190. [PMID: 38504356 PMCID: PMC10953212 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-024-01708-8] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of chronic liver diseases, affecting more than one-quarter of people worldwide. Hepatic steatosis can progress to more severe forms of NAFLD, including NASH and cirrhosis. It also may develop secondary diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Genetic and environmental factors regulate NAFLD incidence and progression, making it a complex disease. The contribution of various environmental risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, diet, and sedentary lifestyle, to the exacerbation of liver injury is highly understood. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of genetic variations in the NAFLD occurrence or its deterioration still need to be clarified. Hence, understanding the genetic susceptibility to NAFLD is essential for controlling the course of the disease. The current review discusses genetics' role in the pathological pathways of NAFLD, including lipid and glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, cellular stresses, and immune responses. Additionally, it explains the role of the genetic components in the induction and progression of NAFLD in lean individuals. Finally, it highlights the utility of genetic knowledge in precision medicine for the early diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyedeh Kosar Mahmoudi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1985714711, Iran
| | - Shadi Tarzemani
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1985714711, Iran
| | - Taha Aghajanzadeh
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1985714711, Iran.
| | - Mohammadreza Kasravi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1985714711, Iran
| | - Behzad Hatami
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1985714711, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1985714711, Iran
| | - Kaveh Baghaei
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1985714711, Iran.
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1985714711, Iran.
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Zhou Z, Gao Y, Deng L, Lu X, Lai Y, Wu J, Chen S, Li C, Liang H. Integrating single-cell and bulk sequencing data to identify glycosylation-based genes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17002. [PMID: 38515461 PMCID: PMC10956522 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17002] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing. However, the role of glycosylation, an important modification that alters cellular differentiation and immune regulation, in the progression of NAFLD to HCC is rare. Methods We used the NAFLD-HCC single-cell dataset to identify variation in the expression of glycosylation patterns between different cells and used the HCC bulk dataset to establish a link between these variations and the prognosis of HCC patients. Then, machine learning algorithms were used to identify those glycosylation-related signatures with prognostic significance and to construct a model for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients. Moreover, it was validated in high-fat diet-induced mice and clinical cohorts. Results The NAFLD-HCC Glycogene Risk Model (NHGRM) signature included the following genes: SPP1, SOCS2, SAPCD2, S100A9, RAMP3, and CSAD. The higher NHGRM scores were associated with a poorer prognosis, stronger immune-related features, immune cell infiltration and immunity scores. Animal experiments, external and clinical cohorts confirmed the expression of these genes. Conclusion The genetic signature we identified may serve as a potential indicator of survival in patients with NAFLD-HCC and provide new perspectives for elucidating the role of glycosylation-related signatures in this pathologic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijia Zhou
- Department of Hepatology, ShuGuang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Gao
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Longxin Deng
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiaole Lu
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yancheng Lai
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jieke Wu
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | | | - Chengzhong Li
- Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiqing Liang
- Hepatology Unit, Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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Zhang M, Shi X, Tang M, Yin W, Luo C, Xie X. PRDX2 deficiency increases MCD-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in female mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 701:149589. [PMID: 38309152 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149589] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of PRDX2 in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). METHODS NASH was induced in wild-type (WT) mice and liver-specific PRDX2 knockout (PRDX2 LKO) mice that were fed a methionine-choline deficient diet (MCD) for 5 weeks. Assessments of PRDX2 LKO's impact on the pathogenesis of NASH include histological analyses, quantitative PCR (q-PCR), western blotting (WB), and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). RESULTS PRDX2 LKO mice exhibited a significant increase in hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation compared to WT mice after MCD feeding. PRDX2 KO markedly elevated circulating levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and the pro-inflammatory signaling pathways within the liver. There was a notable increase in the activities of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-кB). We also found that PRDX2 KO significantly increased the extent of lipid peroxidation in the liver, most likely owing to the impaired peroxidase activity of PRDX2. Of interest, these findings were observed only in MCD-fed female mice, suggesting the sexual dimorphism of PRDX2 KO in MCD-induced NASH. CONCLUSION PRDX2 deficiency increases MCD-induced NASH in female mice, suggesting a protective role for PRDX2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital & Tianjin Institute of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300134, China
| | - Xiaofeng Shi
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital & Tianjin Institute of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300134, China
| | - Minglei Tang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital & Tianjin Institute of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300134, China
| | - Wen Yin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital & Tianjin Institute of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300134, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, 528437, China
| | - Xiangyang Xie
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital & Tianjin Institute of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300134, China.
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Park H, Yoon EL, Chung GE, Choe EK, Bae JH, Choi SH, Kim M, Hwang W, Kim HL, Yang SY, Jun DW. Genetic and Metabolic Characteristics of Lean Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Korean Health Examinee Cohort. Gut Liver 2024; 18:316-327. [PMID: 37560798 PMCID: PMC10938142 DOI: 10.5009/gnl230044] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background/Aims The pathophysiology of lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is unclear but has been shown to be associated with more diverse pathogenic mechanisms than that of obese NAFLD. We investigated the characteristics of genetic or metabolic lean NAFLD in a health checkup cohort. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed single nucleotide polymorphism data for 6,939 health examinees. Lean individuals were categorized according to a body mass index cutoff of 23 kg/m2. Single nucleotide polymorphisms were analyzed using genotyping arrays. Results The prevalence of lean NAFLD was 21.6% among all participants with NAFLD, and the proportion of lean NAFLD was 18.5% among lean participants. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and diabetes among lean patients with NAFLD was 12.4% and 10.4%, respectively. Lean NAFLD appeared to be metabolic-associated in approximately 20.1% of patients. The homozygous minor allele (GG) of PNPLA3 (rs738409) and heterozygous minor alleles (CT, TT) of TM6SF2 (rs58542926) were associated with lean NAFLD. However, the prevalence of fatty liver was not associated with the genetic variants MBOAT7 (rs641738), HSD17B13 (rs72613567), MARC1 (rs2642438), or AGXT2 (rs2291702) in lean individuals. Lean NAFLD appeared to be associated with PNPLA3 or TM6SF2 genetic variation in approximately 32.1% of cases. Multivariate risk factor analysis showed that metabolic risk factors, genetic risk variants, and waist circumference were independent risk factors for lean NAFLD. Conclusions In a considerable number of patients, lean NAFLD did not appear to be associated with known genetic or metabolic risk factors. Further studies are required to investigate additional risk factors and gain a more comprehensive understanding of lean NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyul Park
- Department of Family Medicine, Myoungji Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea
| | - Eileen L. Yoon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Goh Eun Chung
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eun Kyung Choe
- Departments of Surgery, Healthcare Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Ho Bae
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Ho Choi
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Mimi Kim
- Department of Radiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Woochang Hwang
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Department of Pre-Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hye-Lin Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Sahmyook University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sun Young Yang
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dae Won Jun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Department of Pre-Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
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20
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Fang Z, Shen G, Wang Y, Hong F, Tang X, Zeng Y, Zhang T, Liu H, Li Y, Wang J, Zhang J, Gao A, Qi W, Yang X, Zhou T, Gao G. Elevated Kallistatin promotes the occurrence and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:66. [PMID: 38472195 PMCID: PMC10933339 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01781-9] [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: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, and the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) might cause irreversible hepatic damage. Hyperlipidemia (HLP) is the leading risk factor for NAFLD. This study aims to illuminate the causative contributor and potential mechanism of Kallistatin (KAL) mediating HLP to NAFLD. 221 healthy control and 253 HLP subjects, 62 healthy control and 44 NAFLD subjects were enrolled. The plasma KAL was significantly elevated in HLP subjects, especially in hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) subjects, and positively correlated with liver injury. Further, KAL levels of NAFLD patients were significantly up-regulated. KAL transgenic mice induced hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis with time and accelerated inflammation development in high-fat diet (HFD) mice. In contrast, KAL knockout ameliorated steatosis and inflammation in high-fructose diet (HFruD) and methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NAFLD rats. Mechanistically, KAL induced hepatic steatosis and NASH by down-regulating adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and comparative gene identification 58 (CGI-58) by LRP6/Gɑs/PKA/GSK3β pathway through down-regulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and up-regulating kruppel-like factor four (KLF4), respectively. CGI-58 is bound to NF-κB p65 in the cytoplasm, and diminishing CGI-58 facilitated p65 nuclear translocation and TNFα induction. Meanwhile, hepatic CGI-58-overexpress reverses NASH in KAL transgenic mice. Further, free fatty acids up-regulated KAL against thyroid hormone in hepatocytes. Moreover, Fenofibrate, one triglyceride-lowering drug, could reverse hepatic steatosis by down-regulating KAL. These results demonstrate that elevated KAL plays a crucial role in the development of HLP to NAFLD and may be served as a potential preventive and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Fang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Gang Shen
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yina Wang
- Department of VIP Medical Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Fuyan Hong
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xiumei Tang
- Physical Examination Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yongcheng Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Huanyi Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yanmei Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jinhong Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Anton Gao
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
| | - Weiwei Qi
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xia Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Guangdong Engineering & Technology Research Center for Gene Manipulation and Biomacromolecular Products, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Ti Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Diabetology, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Guoquan Gao
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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21
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Nouri S, Mahmoudi T, Hojjati F, Najafabadi ZN, Shafiee R, Sayedsalehi S, Dehghanitafti A, Ardalani A, Kohansal K, Rezamand G, Asadi A, Nobakht H, Dabiri R, Farahani H, Tabaeian SP, Zali MR. Insulin receptor substrate 2 gene Gly1057Asp polymorphism is a risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Lab Med 2024; 55:215-219. [PMID: 37481466 DOI: 10.1093/labmed/lmad066] [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] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is an emerging global chronic liver disease, has a close association with insulin resistance. We aimed to determine whether the Gly1057Asp (rs1805097) polymorphism of the insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) gene is associated with NAFLD. METHODS Using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method, 135 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 135 controls underwent IRS2 genotype analysis. RESULTS Genotype and allele distributions of the IRS2 gene Gly1057Asp variant conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both the case and control groups (P > .05). The Asp/Asp genotype of IRS2 gene Gly1057Asp polymorphism compared with Gly/Gly genotype was associated with a 2.1-fold increased risk for NAFLD after adjustment for confounding factors (P = .029; odds ratio = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.23-3.97). CONCLUSION Our findings revealed for the first time that the Gly1057Asp Asp/Asp genotype of the IRS2 gene is a marker of increased NAFLD susceptibility; however, studies in other populations are required to confirm the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shadi Nouri
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Touraj Mahmoudi
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Hojjati
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Radmehr Shafiee
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shiva Sayedsalehi
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atefeh Dehghanitafti
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Ardalani
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiarash Kohansal
- Physiology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Rezamand
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Colorectal Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Asadollah Asadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Hossein Nobakht
- Internal Medicine Department, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Reza Dabiri
- Internal Medicine Department, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Hamid Farahani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
| | - Seidamir Pasha Tabaeian
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Colorectal Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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22
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La Sala L, Carlini V, Conte C, Macas-Granizo MB, Afzalpour E, Martin-Delgado J, D'Anzeo M, Pedretti RFE, Naselli A, Pontiroli AE, Cappato R. Metabolic disorders affecting the liver and heart: Therapeutic efficacy of miRNA-based therapies? Pharmacol Res 2024; 201:107083. [PMID: 38309383 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107083] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Liver and heart disease are major causes of death worldwide. It is known that metabolic alteration causing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) coupled with a derangement in lipid homeostasis, may exacerbate hepatic and cardiovascular diseases. Some pharmacological treatments can mitigate organ dysfunctions but the important side effects limit their efficacy leading often to deterioration of the tissues. It needs to develop new personalized treatment approaches and recent progresses of engineered RNA molecules are becoming increasingly viable as alternative treatments. This review outlines the current use of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), RNA interference (RNAi) and RNA genome editing as treatment for rare metabolic disorders. However, the potential for small non-coding RNAs to serve as therapeutic agents for liver and heart diseases is yet to be fully explored. Although miRNAs are recognized as biomarkers for many diseases, they are also capable of serving as drugs for medical intervention; several clinical trials are testing miRNAs as therapeutics for type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver as well as cardiac diseases. Recent advances in RNA-based therapeutics may potentially facilitate a novel application of miRNAs as agents and as druggable targets. In this work, we sought to summarize the advancement and advantages of miRNA selective therapy when compared to conventional drugs. In particular, we sought to emphasise druggable miRNAs, over ASOs or other RNA therapeutics or conventional drugs. Finally, we sought to address research questions related to efficacy, side-effects, and range of use of RNA therapeutics. Additionally, we covered hurdles and examined recent advances in the use of miRNA-based RNA therapy in metabolic disorders such as diabetes, liver, and heart diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia La Sala
- IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy; Dept. of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | | | - Caterina Conte
- IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milan, Italy; Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Elham Afzalpour
- Dept. of Biomedical Sciences and Clinic, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Jimmy Martin-Delgado
- Hospital Luis Vernaza, Junta de Beneficiencia de Guayaquil, 090603 Guayaquil, Ecuador; Instituto de Investigacion e Innovacion en Salud Integral, Universidad Catolica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil 090603, Ecuador
| | - Marco D'Anzeo
- AUO delle Marche, SOD Medicina di Laboratorio, Ancona, Italy
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23
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Tian M, Hou J, Liu Z, Li Z, Huang D, Zhang Y, Ma Y. BNIP3 in hypoxia-induced mitophagy: Novel insights and promising target for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2024; 168:106517. [PMID: 38216085 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106517] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
BNIP3 localizes to the outer mitochondrial membrane, has been demonstrated to be extensively involved in abnormalities to mitochondrial metabolic function and dynamicsand in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, its role in NAFLD under hypoxia remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression and the role of BNIP3 in NAFLD under hypoxia, and explore its involvement in regulating NAFLD mitophagy, fatty acid β-oxidation both in vivo and in vitro. BNIP3-mediated mitophagy level was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. The role of BNIP3 in fatty acid β-oxidation was evaluated using lipid droplet staining, triglyceride content determination, and cellular energy metabolism. The results showed that compared with the HFD-2200 m, the body weight, inflammatory liver injury, and lipid deposition were significantly reduced in the HFD-4500 m group (P < 0.05), but autophagy and mitophagy were increased, and the expression of the mitophagy receptor BNIP3 was increased (P < 0.05). Compared to the control group, BNIP3 knockdown in the hypoxia group resulted in decreased levels of CPT1, ATGL, and p-HSL in lipid-accumulating hepatocytes, lipid droplet accumulation and triglyceride content increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, the ability of lipid-accumulating hepatocytes to oxidize fatty acids was reduced by BNIP3 knockdown in the hypoxia group (P < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that, in NAFLD mice under hypoxia, BNIP3-mediated mitophagy promotes fatty acid β-oxidation. This study elucidated the role of BNIP3 in promoting fatty acid β-oxidation in NAFLD under hypoxia, and suggests BNIP3 may serve as a novel potential therapeutic target for NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiyuan Tian
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Key Laboratory of High-Altitude Medicine (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province (Qinghai-Utah Joint Research Key Lab for High Altitude Medicine), Qinghai University, Xining 810001, China; Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in Qinghai province, Xining 810001, China; Key Laboratory for Echinococcosis studies in Qinghai Province, Xining 810001, China
| | - Jing Hou
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in Qinghai province, Xining 810001, China; Key Laboratory for Echinococcosis studies in Qinghai Province, Xining 810001, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Key Laboratory of High-Altitude Medicine (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province (Qinghai-Utah Joint Research Key Lab for High Altitude Medicine), Qinghai University, Xining 810001, China; Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in Qinghai province, Xining 810001, China; Key Laboratory for Echinococcosis studies in Qinghai Province, Xining 810001, China
| | - Zhanquan Li
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in Qinghai province, Xining 810001, China; Key Laboratory for Echinococcosis studies in Qinghai Province, Xining 810001, China
| | - Dengliang Huang
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in Qinghai province, Xining 810001, China; Key Laboratory for Echinococcosis studies in Qinghai Province, Xining 810001, China
| | - Yaogang Zhang
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in Qinghai province, Xining 810001, China; Key Laboratory for Echinococcosis studies in Qinghai Province, Xining 810001, China
| | - Yanyan Ma
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, Key Laboratory of High-Altitude Medicine (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province (Qinghai-Utah Joint Research Key Lab for High Altitude Medicine), Qinghai University, Xining 810001, China; Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University in Qinghai province, Xining 810001, China; Key Laboratory for Echinococcosis studies in Qinghai Province, Xining 810001, China.
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24
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Li L, Zeng J, Zhang X, Feng Y, Lei JH, Xu X, Chen Q, Deng CX. Sirt6 ablation in the liver causes fatty liver that increases cancer risky by upregulating Serpina12. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:1361-1386. [PMID: 38332150 PMCID: PMC10933290 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00071-3] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a chronic liver abnormality that exhibits high variability and can lead to liver cancer in advanced stages. Hepatic ablation of SIRT6 results in fatty liver disease, yet the potential mechanism of SIRT6 deficiency, particularly in relation to downstream mediators for NAFLD, remains elusive. Here we identify Serpina12 as a key gene regulated by Sirt6 that plays a crucial function in energy homeostasis. Specifically, Sirt6 suppresses Serpina12 expression through histone deacetylation at its promoter region, after which the transcription factor, Cebpα, binds to and regulates its expression. Sirt6 deficiency results in an increased expression of Serpina12 in hepatocytes, which enhances insulin signaling and promotes lipid accumulation. Importantly, CRISPR-Cas9 mediated Serpina12 knockout in the liver ameliorated fatty liver disease caused by Sirt6 ablation. Finally, we demonstrate that Sirt6 functions as a tumor suppressor in the liver, and consequently, deletion of Sirt6 in the liver leads to not only the spontaneous development of tumors but also enhanced tumorigenesis in response to DEN treatment or under conditions of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Licen Li
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Jianming Zeng
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Yangyang Feng
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Josh Haipeng Lei
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Xiaoling Xu
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, 999078, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, 999078, China.
| | - Chu-Xia Deng
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, 999078, China.
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25
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Huang Y, Liu X, Wang HY, Chen JY, Zhang X, Li Y, Lu Y, Dong Z, Liu K, Wang Z, Wang Q, Fan G, Zou J, Liu S, Shao C. Single-cell transcriptome landscape of zebrafish liver reveals hepatocytes and immune cell interactions in understanding nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Fish Shellfish Immunol 2024; 146:109428. [PMID: 38325594 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most common chronic liver disease in the world. Immunity is the major contributing factor in NAFLD; however, the interaction of immune cells and hepatocytes in disease progression has not been fully elucidated. As a popular species for studying NAFLD, zebrafish, whose liver is a complex immune system mediated by immune cells and non-immune cells in maintaining immune tolerance and homeostasis. Understanding the cellular composition and immune environment of zebrafish liver is of great significance for its application in NAFLD. Here, we established a liver atlas that consists of 10 cell types using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). By examining the heterogeneity of hepatocytes and analyzing the expression of NAFLD-associated genes in the specific cluster, we provide a potential target cell model to study NAFLD. Additionally, our analysis identified two subtypes of distinct resident macrophages with inflammatory and non-inflammatory functions and characterized the successive stepwise development of T cell subclusters in the liver. Importantly, we uncovered the possible regulation of macrophages and T cells on target cells of fatty liver by analyzing the cellular interaction between hepatocytes and immune cells. Our data provide valuable information for an in-depth study of immune cells targeting hepatocytes to regulate the immune balance in NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingyi Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hong-Yan Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jian-Yang Chen
- BGI Research, 266555, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, BGI Research, 266555, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xianghui Zhang
- BGI Research, 266555, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, BGI Research, 266555, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yubang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yifang Lu
- BGI Research, 266555, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, BGI Research, 266555, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zhongdian Dong
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, 524088, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Kaiqiang Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zhongduo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture in South China Sea for Aquatic Economic Animal of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, 524088, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Qian Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI Research, 266555, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, BGI Research, 266555, Qingdao, Shandong, China; BGI Research, 518083, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Zou
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, 201306, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- MGI Tech, 518083, Shenzhen, China; BGI Research, 518083, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Changwei Shao
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266072, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
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26
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Fang C, Liu S, Yang W, Zheng G, Zhou F, Gao X, Qin L, Yang G, Yang J, Zhu G, Wang X, Huang K, Yang X, Wei Y, Peng S, Li L. Exercise ameliorates lipid droplet metabolism disorder by the PLIN2-LIPA axis-mediated lipophagy in mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167045. [PMID: 38306800 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167045] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Excessive hepatic lipid droplets (LDs) accumulation-induced lipid metabolism disorder contributes to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Exercise is a promising therapeutic strategy for NAFLD. However, the mechanism by which exercise ameliorates NAFLD through regulating the catabolism of hepatic LDs remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effect of perilipin2 (PLIN2)-lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA) axis mediating exercise-triggered lipophagy in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD mouse model. Our results showed that exercise could reduce HFD-induced hepatic LDs accumulation and change the expression of lipolysis-related enzymes. Moreover, exercise upregulated the expression of microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and autophagy-related proteins, and downregulated sequestosome 1 (P62) expression and promoted autophagosomes formation. Interestingly, exercise downregulated PLIN2 expression, upregulated LIPA expression, and increased the activity of hepatic LIPA and serum levels of LIPA in the NAFLD mouse model. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator-5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAr) treatment significantly increased mRNA levels and protein expression of LIPA and LC3II and decreased levels of PLIN2 and P62 in palmitic acid (PA)-treated HepG2 cells. PLIN2 silencing and LIPA overexpression notably increased the mRNA level and protein expression of LC3II and decreased the mRNA level and protein expression of p62, respectively. In summary, our findings reveal novel insights into the effect of exercise on improving lipid droplet metabolism disorder in NAFLD. Enhancing the PLIN2-LIPA axis-mediated lipophagy may be one of the key mechanisms involved in NAFLD alleviation by exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlu Fang
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China; Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Shujing Liu
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China; Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Wenqi Yang
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China; Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Guohua Zheng
- Institute of leisure, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Fu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Sports Training Institute, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Lian Qin
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Guirong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Jiapei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Guangming Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Xinzhuang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Kailing Huang
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Xincheng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
| | - Yuan Wei
- Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China.
| | - Shuang Peng
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China; Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China.
| | - Liangming Li
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China; Key Laboratory of Sports Technique, Tactics and Physical Function of General Administration of Sport of China, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China.
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Hukerikar N, Hingorani AD, Asselbergs FW, Finan C, Schmidt AF. Prioritising genetic findings for drug target identification and validation. Atherosclerosis 2024; 390:117462. [PMID: 38325120 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.117462] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The decreasing costs of high-throughput genetic sequencing and increasing abundance of sequenced genome data have paved the way for the use of genetic data in identifying and validating potential drug targets. However, the number of identified potential drug targets is often prohibitively large to experimentally evaluate in wet lab experiments, highlighting the need for systematic approaches for target prioritisation. In this review, we discuss principles of genetically guided drug development, specifically addressing loss-of-function analysis, colocalization and Mendelian randomisation (MR), and the contexts in which each may be most suitable. We subsequently present a range of biomedical resources which can be used to annotate and prioritise disease-associated proteins identified by these studies including 1) ontologies to map genes, proteins, and disease, 2) resources for determining the druggability of a potential target, 3) tissue and cell expression of the gene encoding the potential target, and 4) key biological pathways involving the potential target. We illustrate these concepts through a worked example, identifying a prioritised set of plasma proteins associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We identified five proteins with strong genetic support for involvement with NAFLD: CYB5A, NT5C, NCAN, TGFBI and DAPK2. All of the identified proteins were expressed in both liver and adipose tissues, with TGFBI and DAPK2 being potentially druggable. In conclusion, the current review provides an overview of genetic evidence for drug target identification, and how biomedical databases can be used to provide actionable prioritisation, fully informing downstream experimental validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Hukerikar
- Institute of Health Informatics, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Aroon D Hingorani
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK; The National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Folkert W Asselbergs
- Institute of Health Informatics, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Department of Cardiology, Division Heart and Lungs, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical, Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Chris Finan
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK; The National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK; Department of Cardiology, Division Heart and Lungs, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Amand F Schmidt
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK; The National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK; Department of Cardiology, Division Heart and Lungs, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical, Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Liang C, Murray S, Li Y, Lee R, Low A, Sasaki S, Chiang AWT, Lin WJ, Mathews J, Barnes W, Lewis NE. LipidSIM: Inferring mechanistic lipid biosynthesis perturbations from lipidomics with a flexible, low-parameter, Markov modeling framework. Metab Eng 2024; 82:110-122. [PMID: 38311182 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Lipid metabolism is a complex and dynamic system involving numerous enzymes at the junction of multiple metabolic pathways. Disruption of these pathways leads to systematic dyslipidemia, a hallmark of many pathological developments, such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and diabetes. Recent advances in computational tools can provide insights into the dysregulation of lipid biosynthesis, but limitations remain due to the complexity of lipidomic data, limited knowledge of interactions among involved enzymes, and technical challenges in standardizing across different lipid types. Here, we present a low-parameter, biologically interpretable framework named Lipid Synthesis Investigative Markov model (LipidSIM), which models and predicts the source of perturbations in lipid biosynthesis from lipidomic data. LipidSIM achieves this by accounting for the interdependency between the lipid species via the lipid biosynthesis network and generates testable hypotheses regarding changes in lipid biosynthetic reactions. This feature allows the integration of lipidomics with other omics types, such as transcriptomics, to elucidate the direct driving mechanisms of altered lipidomes due to treatments or disease progression. To demonstrate the value of LipidSIM, we first applied it to hepatic lipidomics following Keap1 knockdown and found that changes in mRNA expression of the lipid pathways were consistent with the LipidSIM-predicted fluxes. Second, we used it to study lipidomic changes following intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 to induce fast NAFLD/NASH development and the progression of fibrosis and hepatic cancer. Finally, to show the power of LipidSIM for classifying samples with dyslipidemia, we used a Dgat2-knockdown study dataset. Thus, we show that as it demands no a priori knowledge of enzyme kinetics, LipidSIM is a valuable and intuitive framework for extracting biological insights from complex lipidomic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenguang Liang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sue Murray
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Yang Li
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Richard Lee
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Audrey Low
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Shruti Sasaki
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Austin W T Chiang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Wen-Jen Lin
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical University, Taichung 404333, Taiwan
| | - Joel Mathews
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Will Barnes
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Zhao Y, Li D, Shi H, Liu W, Qiao J, Wang S, Geng Y, Liu R, Han F, Li J, Li W, Wu F. Associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic liver diseases: evidence from a Mendelian ranldomization study in Europeans and East Asians. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1338465. [PMID: 38495785 PMCID: PMC10941029 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1338465] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Multiple observational studies have demonstrated an association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic liver diseases (CLDs). However, the causality of T2DM on CLDs remained unknown in various ethnic groups. Methods We obtained instrumental variables for T2DM and conducted a two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) study to examine the causal effect on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), viral hepatitis, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection risk in Europeans and East Asians. The primary analysis utilized the inverse variance weighting (IVW) technique to evaluate the causal relationship between T2DM and CLDs. In addition, we conducted a series of rigorous analyses to bolster the reliability of our MR results. Results In Europeans, we found that genetic liability to T2DM has been linked with increased risk of NAFLD (IVW : OR =1.3654, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2250-1.5219, p=1.85e-8), viral hepatitis (IVW : OR =1.1173, 95%CI, 1.0271-1.2154, p=0.0098), and a suggestive positive association between T2DM and HCC (IVW : OR=1.2671, 95%CI, 1.0471-1.5333, p=0.0150), HBV (IVW : OR=1.1908, 95% CI, 1.0368-1.3677, p=0.0134). No causal association between T2DM and HCV was discovered. Among East Asians, however, there was a significant inverse association between T2DM and the proxies of NAFLD (ALT: IVW OR=0.9752, 95%CI 0.9597-0.9909, p=0.0021; AST: IVW OR=0.9673, 95%CI, 0.9528-0.9821, p=1.67e-5), and HCV (IVW: OR=0.9289, 95%CI, 0.8852-0.9747, p=0.0027). Notably, no causal association was found between T2DM and HCC, viral hepatitis, or HBV. Conclusion Our MR analysis revealed varying causal associations between T2DM and CLDs in East Asians and Europeans. Further research is required to investigate the potential mechanisms in various ethnic groups, which could yield new insights into early screening and prevention strategies for CLDs in T2DM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhao
- Department of Surgery, Hospital of the First Mobile Corps of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Dingzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Di Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital of the First Mobile Corps of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Dingzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Hanyu Shi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital of the First Mobile Corps of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Dingzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Corps Hospital of Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Jinan, China
| | - Jiaojiao Qiao
- Department of Nursing, Hospital of the First Mobile Corps of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Dingzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Shanfu Wang
- Department of Surgery, Hospital of the First Mobile Corps of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Dingzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Yiwei Geng
- School of Statistic and Data Science, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Ruiying Liu
- Department of Nursing, Hospital of the First Mobile Corps of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Dingzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Feng Han
- Department of Surgery, Hospital of the First Mobile Corps of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Dingzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Health and Epidemic Prevention, Hospital of the First Mobile Corps of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Dingzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of General Surgery, The 980Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Joint Logistics Support Force (Primary Bethune International Peace Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Fengyun Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Characteristic Medical Center of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Tianjin, China
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Fuster-Martínez I, Català-Senent JF, Hidalgo MR, Roig FJ, Esplugues JV, Apostolova N, García-García F, Blas-García A. Integrated transcriptomic landscape of the effect of anti-steatotic treatments in high-fat diet mouse models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. J Pathol 2024; 262:377-389. [PMID: 38180387 DOI: 10.1002/path.6242] [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: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
High-fat diet (HFD) mouse models are widely used in research to develop medications to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as they mimic the steatosis, inflammation, and hepatic fibrosis typically found in this complex human disease. The aims of this study were to identify a complete transcriptomic signature of these mouse models and to characterize the transcriptional impact exerted by different experimental anti-steatotic treatments. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of liver transcriptomic studies performed in HFD-fed C57BL/6J mice, comparing them with control mice and HFD-fed mice receiving potential anti-steatotic treatments. Analyzing 21 studies broaching 24 different treatments, we obtained a robust HFD transcriptomic signature that included 2,670 differentially expressed genes and 2,567 modified gene ontology biological processes. Treated HFD mice generally showed a reversion of this HFD signature, although the extent varied depending on the treatment. The biological processes most frequently reversed were those related to lipid metabolism, response to stress, and immune system, whereas processes related to nitrogen compound metabolism were generally not reversed. When comparing this HFD signature with a signature of human NAFLD progression, we identified 62 genes that were common to both; 10 belonged to the group that were reversed by treatments. Altered expression of most of these 10 genes was confirmed in vitro in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells exposed to a lipotoxic or a profibrogenic stimulus, respectively. In conclusion, this study provides a vast amount of information about transcriptomic changes induced during the progression and regression of NAFLD and identifies some relevant targets. Our results may help in the assessment of treatment efficacy, the discovery of unmet therapeutic targets, and the search for novel biomarkers. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Fuster-Martínez
- Departamento de Farmacología, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
- FISABIO (Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana), Valencia, Spain
| | - José F Català-Senent
- Computational Biomedicine Laboratory, Principe Felipe Research Center, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta R Hidalgo
- Computational Biomedicine Laboratory, Principe Felipe Research Center, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisco J Roig
- Computational Biomedicine Laboratory, Principe Felipe Research Center, Valencia, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Jorge, Campus Universitario Villanueva de Gállego, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan V Esplugues
- Departamento de Farmacología, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
- FISABIO (Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana), Valencia, Spain
- CIBEREHD (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nadezda Apostolova
- Departamento de Farmacología, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
- FISABIO (Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana), Valencia, Spain
- CIBEREHD (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Ana Blas-García
- FISABIO (Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana), Valencia, Spain
- CIBEREHD (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas), Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
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Larion S, Padgett CA, Mintz JD, Thompson JA, Butcher JT, Belin de Chantemèle EJ, Haigh S, Khurana S, Fulton DJ, Stepp DW. NADPH oxidase 1 promotes hepatic steatosis in obese mice and is abrogated by augmented skeletal muscle mass. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2024; 326:G264-G273. [PMID: 38258487 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00153.2023] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Exercise as a lifestyle modification is a frontline therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but how components of exercise attenuate steatosis is unclear. To uncouple the effect of increased muscle mass from weight loss in obesity, myostatin knockout mice were bred on a lean and obese db/db background. Myostatin deletion increases gastrocnemius (Gastrocn.) mass and reduces hepatic steatosis and hepatic sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (Srebp1) expression in obese mice, with no impact on adiposity or body weight. Interestingly, hypermuscularity reduces hepatic NADPH oxidase 1 (Nox1) expression but not NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) in db/db mice. To evaluate a deterministic function of Nox1 on steatosis, Nox1 knockout mice were bred on a lean and db/db background. NOX1 deletion significantly attenuates hepatic oxidant stress, steatosis, and Srebp1 programming in obese mice to parallel hypermuscularity, with no improvement in adiposity, glucose control, or hypertriglyceridemia to suggest off-target effects. Directly assessing the role of NOX1 on SREBP1, insulin (Ins)-mediated SREBP1 expression was significantly increased in either NOX1, NADPH oxidase organizer 1 (NOXO1), and NADPH oxidase activator 1 (NOXA1) or NOX5-transfected HepG2 cells versus ?-galactosidase control virus, indicating superoxide is the key mechanistic agent for the actions of NOX1 on SREBP1. Metabolic Nox1 regulators were evaluated using physiological, genetic, and diet-induced animal models that modulated upstream glucose and insulin signaling, identifying hyperinsulinemia as the key metabolic derangement explaining Nox1-induced steatosis in obesity. GEO data revealed that hepatic NOX1 predicts steatosis in obese humans with biopsy-proven NAFLD. Taken together, these data suggest that hypermuscularity attenuates Srebp1 expression in db/db mice through a NOX1-dependent mechanism.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study documents a novel mechanism by which changes in body composition, notably increased muscle mass, protect against fatty liver disease. This mechanism involves NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1), an enzyme that increases superoxide and increases insulin signaling, leading to increased fat accumulation in the liver. NOX1 may represent a new early target for preventing fatty liver to stave off later liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Larion
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Caleb A Padgett
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - James D Mintz
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Jennifer A Thompson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Joshua T Butcher
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Eric J Belin de Chantemèle
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Stephen Haigh
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Sandeep Khurana
- Division of Gastroenterology, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - David J Fulton
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - David W Stepp
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
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Donné R, Desdouets C. [Fatty liver disease and DNA replication stress]. Med Sci (Paris) 2024; 40:231-234. [PMID: 38520094 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2024008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Donné
- Centre de recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne université, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France - Laboratoire « Instabilité génomique, métabolisme, immunité et tumorigenèse hépatique », Équipe labellisée par la Ligue nationale contre le cancer, Paris, France
| | - Chantal Desdouets
- Centre de recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne université, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France - Laboratoire « Instabilité génomique, métabolisme, immunité et tumorigenèse hépatique », Équipe labellisée par la Ligue nationale contre le cancer, Paris, France
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Li X, Bhattacharya D, Yuan Y, Wei C, Zhong F, Ding F, D'Agati VD, Lee K, Friedman SL, He JC. Chronic kidney disease in a murine model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Kidney Int 2024; 105:540-561. [PMID: 38159678 PMCID: PMC10922588 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2023.12.009] [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: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Clinical studies suggest that non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but causality and mechanisms linking these two major diseases are lacking. To assess whether NASH can induce CKD, we have characterized kidney function, histological features, transcriptomic and lipidomic profiles in a well-validated murine NASH model. Mice with NASH progressively developed significant podocyte foot process effacement, proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis, tubular epithelial cell injury, lipid accumulation, and interstitial fibrosis. The progression of kidney fibrosis paralleled the severity of the histologic NASH-activity score. Significantly, we confirmed the causal link between NASH and CKD by orthotopic liver transplantation, which attenuated proteinuria, kidney dysfunction, and fibrosis compared with control sham operated mice. Transcriptomic analysis of mouse kidney cortices revealed differentially expressed genes that were highly enriched in mitochondrial dysfunction, lipid metabolic process, and insulin signaling pathways in NASH-induced CKD. Lipidomic analysis of kidney cortices further revealed that phospholipids and sphingolipids were the most significantly changed lipid species. Notably, we found similar kidney histological changes in human NASH and CKD. Thus, our results confirm a causative role of NASH in the development of CKD, reveal potential pathophysiologic mechanisms of NASH-induced kidney injury, and established a valuable model to study the pathogenesis of NASH-associated CKD. This is an important feature of fatty liver disease that has been largely overlooked but has clinical and prognostic importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuezhu Li
- Barbara T. Murphy Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA; Division of Nephrology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dipankar Bhattacharya
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yue Yuan
- Division of Nephrology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengguo Wei
- Barbara T. Murphy Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Fang Zhong
- Barbara T. Murphy Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Feng Ding
- Division of Nephrology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Vivette D D'Agati
- Department of Pathology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kyung Lee
- Barbara T. Murphy Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
| | - John Cijiang He
- Barbara T. Murphy Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA; Renal Program, James J Peters VA Medical Center at Bronx, New York, New York, USA.
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Zhang Z, Li M, Ji G, Zhang L. Causal relationship between sleep apnea and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A Mendelian randomization study. Eur J Clin Invest 2024; 54:e14116. [PMID: 37916519 DOI: 10.1111/eci.14116] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational studies indicate that sleep apnea is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its related metabolic features, independent of confounding factors including obesity. However, the causal relationships remain to be determined. METHODS Univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed to investigate the causal relationship between sleep apnea and NAFLD, along with its typical features including liver function, glycemic traits and lipid profiles. Summary-level data for sleep apnea were obtained from the Finngen consortium (33,423 cases and 307,648 controls). Summary-level data for NAFLD were available from a GWAS meta-analysis (8434 cases and 770,180 controls), and data for 12 NAFLD-related features from corresponding published GWASs. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis was employed as the primary statistical method. Bidirectional MR and CAUSE analysis were conducted to avoid reverse causality and false positive findings. RESULTS In univariable MR analyses, we found evidence to support a causal effect of genetically predicted sleep apnea on NAFLD (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.18-1.91) and HDL-C (β = -0.045, 95% CI = -0.090 to -0.001). In reverse MR, genetically predicted serum TG was associated with an increased risk of sleep apnea (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.02-1.12), while genetically predicted HDL-C was associated with a decreased risk of sleep apnea (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.89-0.98). After adjusting body mass index or educational attainment, none of these causal associations were retained. However, CAUSE method and MR analyses focusing on lipoprotein subfractions supported a causal effect of sleep apnea on HDL-C and HDL subfractions. CONCLUSION This MR study indicated that sleep apnea has no direct causal association with NAFLD, elevated liver enzymes and insulin resistance. Our results showed suggestive inverse associations of genetically predicted sleep apnea on HDL-C and HDL subfractions, indicating that both HDL-C levels and HDL function may be causally implicated in sleep apnea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqi Zhang
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Li
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guang Ji
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Huang Z, Luo L, Wu Z, Xiao Z, Wen Z. Identification of m6A-associated autophagy genes in non-alcoholic fatty liver. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17011. [PMID: 38436022 PMCID: PMC10909346 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17011] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Studies had shown that autophagy was closely related to nonalcoholic fat liver disease (NAFLD), while N6-methyladenosine (m6A) was involved in the regulation of autophagy. However, the mechanism of m6A related autophagy in NAFLD was unclear. Methods The NAFLD related datasets were gained via the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and we also extracted 232 autophagy-related genes (ARGs) and 37 m6A. First, differentially expressed ARGs (DE-ARGs) and differentially expressed m6A (DE-m6A) were screened out by differential expression analysis. DE-ARGs associated with m6A were sifted out by Pearson correlation analysis, and the m6A-ARGs relationship pairs were acquired. Then, autophagic genes in m6A-ARGs pairs were analyzed for machine learning algorithms to obtain feature genes. Further, we validated the relationship between feature genes and NAFLD through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot (WB). Finally, the immuno-infiltration analysis was implement, and we also constructed the TF-mRNA and drug-gene networks. Results There were 19 DE-ARGs and four DE-m6A between NAFLD and normal samples. The three m6A genes and five AGRs formed the m6A-ARGs relationship pairs. Afterwards, genes obtained from machine learning algorithms were intersected to yield three feature genes (TBK1, RAB1A, and GOPC), which showed significant positive correlation with astrocytes, macrophages, smooth muscle, and showed significant negative correlation with epithelial cells, and endothelial cells. Besides, qRT-PCR and WB indicate that TBK1, RAB1A and GOPC significantly upregulated in NAFLD. Ultimately, we found that the TF-mRNA network included FOXP1-GOPC, ATF1-RAB1A and other relationship pairs, and eight therapeutic agents such as R-406 and adavosertib were predicted based on the TBK1. Conclusion The study investigated the potential molecular mechanisms of m6A related autophagy feature genes (TBK1, RAB1A, and GOPC) in NAFLD through bioinformatic analyses and animal model validation. However, it is critical to note that these findings, although consequential, demonstrate correlations rather than cause-and-effect relationships. As such, more research is required to fully elucidate the underlying mechanisms and validate the clinical relevance of these feature genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqing Huang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Linfei Luo
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhengqiang Wu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhihua Xiao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhili Wen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Li YS, Xia YG, Liu YL, Jiang WR, Qiu HN, Wu F, Li JB, Lin JN. Metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease-related diseases, cognition and dementia: A two-sample mendelian randomization study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297883. [PMID: 38422093 PMCID: PMC10903857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The results of current studies on metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)-related diseases, cognition and dementia are inconsistent. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of MASLD-related diseases on cognition and dementia. METHODS By using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with different traits of NAFLD (chronically elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels [cALT], imaging-accessed and biopsy-proven NAFLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, and liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, we employed three methods of mendelian randomization (MR) analysis (inverse-variance weighted [IVW], weighted median, and MR-Egger) to determine the causal relationships between MASLD-related diseases and cognition and dementia. We used Cochran's Q test to examine the heterogeneity, and MR-PRESSO was used to identify outliers (NbDistribution = 10000). The horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated using the MR-Egger intercept test. A leave-one-out analysis was used to assess the impact of individual SNP on the overall MR results. We also repeated the MR analysis after excluding SNPs associated with confounding factors. RESULTS The results of MR analysis suggested positive causal associations between MASLD confirmed by liver biopsy (p of IVW = 0.020, OR = 1.660, 95%CI = 1.082-2.546) and liver fibrosis and cirrhosis (p of IVW = 0.009, OR = 1.849, 95%CI = 1.169-2.922) with vascular dementia (VD). However, there was no evidence of a causal link between MASLD-related diseases and cognitive performance and other types of dementia (any dementia, Alzheimer's disease, dementia with lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia). Sensitivity tests supported the robustness of the results. CONCLUSIONS This two-sample MR analysis suggests that genetically predicted MASLD and liver fibrosis and cirrhosis may increase the VD risk. Nonetheless, the causal effects of NAFLD-related diseases on VD need more in-depth research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Shuang Li
- Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu-Ge Xia
- Geriatric Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yan-Lan Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei-Ran Jiang
- Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Hui-Na Qiu
- Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing-Bo Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing-Na Lin
- Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin, China
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Chen X, Deng SZ, Sun Y, Bai Y, Wang Y, Yang Y. Key genes involved in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis improvement after bariatric surgery. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1338889. [PMID: 38469144 PMCID: PMC10925704 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1338889] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the advanced stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), one of the most prevalent chronic liver diseases. The effectiveness of bariatric surgery in treating NASH and preventing or even reversing liver fibrosis has been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies, but the underlying mechanisms and crucial variables remain unknown. Methods Using the GSE135251 dataset, we examined the gene expression levels of NASH and healthy livers. Then, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of patients with NASH, at baseline and one year after bariatric surgery, were identified in GSE83452. We overlapped the hub genes performed by protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and DEGs with different expression trends in both datasets to obtain key genes. Genomic enrichment analysis (GSEA) and genomic variation analysis (GSVA) were performed to search for signaling pathways of key genes. Meanwhile, key molecules that regulate the key genes are found through the construction of the ceRNA network. NASH mice were induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG). We then cross-linked the DEGs in clinical and animal samples using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and validated the key genes. Results Seven key genes (FASN, SCD, CD68, HMGCS1, SQLE, CXCL10, IGF1) with different expression trends in GSE135251 and GSE83452 were obtained with the top 30 hub genes selected by PPI. The expression of seven key genes in mice after SG was validated by qPCR. Combined with the qPCR results from NASH mice, the four genes FASN, SCD, HMGCS1, and CXCL10 are consistent with the biological analysis. The GSEA results showed that the 'cholesterol homeostasis' pathway was enriched in the FASN, SCD, HMGCS1, and SQLE high-expression groups. The high-expression groups of CD68 and CXCL10 were extremely enriched in inflammation-related pathways. The construction of the ceRNA network obtained microRNAs and ceRNAs that can regulate seven key genes expression. Conclusion In summary, this study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms by which bariatric surgery improves NASH, and to the development of potential biomarkers for the treatment of NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyu Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shi-Zhou Deng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yuze Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yunhu Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- Department of General Surgery, 988 Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yayun Wang
- Specific Lab for Mitochondrial Plasticity Underlying Nervous System Diseases, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Preclinical Medicine Education, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yanling Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xi-Jing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
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Mao Z, Gao ZX, Ji T, Huan S, Yin GP, Chen L. Bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization analysis identifies causal associations of MRI-based cortical thickness and surface area relation to NAFLD. Lipids Health Dis 2024; 23:58. [PMID: 38395962 PMCID: PMC10885469 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-024-02043-x] [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: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients have exhibited extra-hepatic neurological changes, but the causes and mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the causal effect of NAFLD on cortical structure through bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. METHODS Genetic data from 778,614 European individuals across four NAFLD studies were used to determine genetically predicted NAFLD. Abdominal MRI scans from 32,860 UK Biobank participants were utilized to evaluate genetically predicted liver fat and volume. Data from the ENIGMA Consortium, comprising 51,665 patients, were used to evaluate the associations between genetic susceptibility, NAFLD risk, liver fat, liver volume, and alterations in cortical thickness (TH) and surface area (SA). Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) estimation, Cochran Q, and MR-Egger were employed to assess heterogeneity and pleiotropy. RESULTS Overall, NAFLD did not significantly affect cortical SA or TH. However, potential associations were noted under global weighting, relating heightened NAFLD risk to reduced parahippocampal SA and decreased cortical TH in the caudal middle frontal, cuneus, lingual, and parstriangularis regions. Liver fat and volume also influenced the cortical structure of certain regions, although no Bonferroni-adjusted p-values reached significance. Two-step MR analysis revealed that liver fat, AST, and LDL levels mediated the impact of NAFLD on cortical structure. Multivariable MR analysis suggested that the impact of NAFLD on the cortical TH of lingual and parstriangularis was independent of BMI, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that NAFLD causally influences the cortical structure of the brain, suggesting the existence of a liver-brain axis in the development of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zun Mao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Xiang Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Tong Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Sheng Huan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210000, P. R. China
| | - Guo-Ping Yin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Second Hospital, Nanjing, 210000, P. R. China.
| | - Long Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China.
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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 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [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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Dong J, Li M, Peng R, Zhang Y, Qiao Z, Sun N. ACACA reduces lipid accumulation through dual regulation of lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function via AMPK- PPARα- CPT1A axis. J Transl Med 2024; 22:196. [PMID: 38395901 PMCID: PMC10885411 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04942-0] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multifaceted metabolic disorder, whose global prevalence is rapidly increasing. Acetyl CoA carboxylases 1 (ACACA) is the key enzyme that controls the rate of fatty acid synthesis. Hence, it is crucial to investigate the function of ACACA in regulating lipid metabolism during the progress of NAFLD. METHODS Firstly, a fatty liver mouse model was established by high-fat diet at 2nd, 12th, and 20th week, respectively. Then, transcriptome analysis was performed on liver samples to investigate the underlying mechanisms and identify the target gene of the occurrence and development of NAFLD. Afterwards, lipid accumulation cell model was induced by palmitic acid and oleic acid (PA ∶ OA molar ratio = 1∶2). Next, we silenced the target gene ACACA using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or the CMS-121 inhibitor. Subsequently, experiments were performed comprehensively the effects of inhibiting ACACA on mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism, as well as on AMPK- PPARα- CPT1A pathway. RESULTS This data indicated that the pathways significantly affected by high-fat diet include lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function. Then, we focus on the target gene ACACA. In addition, the in vitro results suggested that inhibiting of ACACA in vitro reduces intracellular lipid accumulation, specifically the content of TG and TC. Furthermore, ACACA ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction and alleviate oxidative stress, including MMP complete, ATP and ROS production, as well as the expression of mitochondria respiratory chain complex (MRC) and AMPK proteins. Meanwhile, ACACA inhibition enhances lipid metabolism through activation of PPARα/CPT1A, leading to a decrease in intracellular lipid accumulation. CONCLUSION Targeting ACACA can reduce lipid accumulation by mediating the AMPK- PPARα- CPT1A pathway, which regulates lipid metabolism and alleviates mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Dong
- Gansu Technology Innovation Center of Animal Cell, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Muzi Li
- Gansu Technology Innovation Center of Animal Cell, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Runsheng Peng
- Gansu Technology Innovation Center of Animal Cell, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology & Bioengineering of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuchuan Zhang
- Gansu Technology Innovation Center of Animal Cell, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zilin Qiao
- Gansu Technology Innovation Center of Animal Cell, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Key Technology and Industrialization of Cell-Based Vaccine, Ministry of Education, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
- Gansu Provincial Bioengineering Materials Engineering Research Center, Lanzhou, China
| | - Na Sun
- Gansu Technology Innovation Center of Animal Cell, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Key Technology and Industrialization of Cell-Based Vaccine, Ministry of Education, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology & Bioengineering of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Biomedical Research Center, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China.
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Yuan M, He J, Hu X, Yao L, Chen P, Wang Z, Liu P, Xiong Z, Jiang Y, Li L. Hypertension and NAFLD risk: Insights from the NHANES 2017-2018 and Mendelian randomization analyses. Chin Med J (Engl) 2024; 137:457-464. [PMID: 37455323 PMCID: PMC10876227 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000002753] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) share several pathophysiologic risk factors, and the exact relationship between the two remains unclear. Our study aims to provide evidence concerning the relationship between hypertension and NAFLD by analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. METHODS Weighted multivariable-adjusted logistic regression was applied to assess the relationship between hypertension and NAFLD risk by using data from the NHANES 2017-2018. Subsequently, a two-sample MR study was performed using the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics to identify the causal association between hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and NAFLD. The primary inverse variance weighted (IVW) and other supplementary MR approaches were conducted to verify the causal association between hypertension and NAFLD. Sensitivity analyses were adopted to confirm the robustness of the results. RESULTS A total of 3144 participants were enrolled for our observational study in NHANES. Weighted multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis suggested that hypertension was positively related to NAFLD risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.677; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.159-2.423). SBP ≥130 mmHg and DBP ≥80 mmHg were also significantly positively correlated with NAFLD. Moreover, hypertension was independently connected with liver steatosis ( β = 7.836 [95% CI, 2.334-13.338]). The results of MR analysis also supported a causal association between hypertension (OR = 7.203 [95% CI, 2.297-22.587]) and NAFLD. Similar results were observed for the causal exploration between SBP (OR = 1.024 [95% CI, 1.003-1.046]), DBP (OR = 1.047 [95% CI, 1.005-1.090]), and NAFLD. The sensitive analysis further confirmed the robustness and reliability of these findings (all P >0.05). CONCLUSION Hypertension was associated with an increased risk of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqin Yuan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
| | - Jian He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510010, China
| | - Xue Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
| | - Lichao Yao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
| | - Pingji Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
| | - Zhiyu Xiong
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
| | - Yingan Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
| | - Lanjuan Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
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Caputo M, Andersson E, Xia Y, Hou W, Cansby E, Erikson M, Lind DE, Hallberg B, Amrutkar M, Mahlapuu M. Genetic Ablation of STE20-Type Kinase MST4 Does Not Alleviate Diet-Induced MASLD Susceptibility in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2446. [PMID: 38397122 PMCID: PMC10888586 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042446] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its advanced subtype, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), have emerged as the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, yet there is no targeted pharmacotherapy presently available. This study aimed to investigate the possible in vivo function of STE20-type protein kinase MST4, which was earlier implicated in the regulation of hepatocellular lipotoxic milieu in vitro, in the control of the diet-induced impairment of systemic glucose and insulin homeostasis as well as MASLD susceptibility. Whole-body and liver-specific Mst4 knockout mice were generated by crossbreeding conditional Mst4fl/fl mice with mice expressing Cre recombinase under the Sox2 or Alb promoters, respectively. To replicate the environment in high-risk subjects, Mst4-/- mice and their wild-type littermates were fed a high-fat or a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet. Different in vivo tests were conducted in obese mice to describe the whole-body metabolism. MASLD progression in the liver and lipotoxic damage to adipose tissue, kidney, and skeletal muscle were analyzed by histological and immunofluorescence analysis, biochemical assays, and protein and gene expression profiling. In parallel, intracellular fat storage and oxidative stress were assessed in primary mouse hepatocytes, where MST4 was silenced by small interfering RNA. We found that global MST4 depletion had no effect on body weight or composition, locomotor activity, whole-body glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity in obese mice. Furthermore, we observed no alterations in lipotoxic injuries to the liver, adipose, kidney, or skeletal muscle tissue in high-fat diet-fed whole-body Mst4-/- vs. wild-type mice. Liver-specific Mst4-/- mice and wild-type littermates displayed a similar severity of MASLD when subjected to an MCD diet, as evidenced by equal levels of steatosis, inflammation, hepatic stellate cell activation, fibrosis, oxidative/ER stress, and apoptosis in the liver. In contrast, the in vitro silencing of MST4 effectively protected primary mouse hepatocytes against ectopic lipid accumulation and oxidative cell injury triggered by exposure to fatty acids. In summary, these results suggest that the genetic ablation of MST4 in mice does not mitigate the initiation or progression of MASLD and has no effect on systemic glucose or insulin homeostasis in the context of nutritional stress. The functional compensation for the genetic loss of MST4 by yet undefined mechanisms may contribute to the apparent discrepancy between in vivo and in vitro phenotypic consequences of MST4 silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Caputo
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emma Andersson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ying Xia
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Wei Hou
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emmelie Cansby
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Max Erikson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Dan Emil Lind
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hallberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Manoj Amrutkar
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Margit Mahlapuu
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Yan C, Bao J, Jin J. Exploring the interplay of gut microbiota, inflammation, and LDL-cholesterol: a multiomics Mendelian randomization analysis of their causal relationship in acute pancreatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. J Transl Med 2024; 22:179. [PMID: 38374155 PMCID: PMC10875775 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04996-0] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are both serious diseases in the digestive system. The pathogenesis of both diseases is extremely complex closely and it related to gut microbiota, inflammation, and blood fat. There is a close relationship between gut microbiota and blood lipids. METHODS In this study, we used three types of exposure: 412 gut microbiota, 731 inflammatory cells, and 91 inflammatory proteins (pqtls), with LDL-C as an intermediary and acute pancreatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as outcomes. We mainly used MR-IVW, co-localization analysis, and reverse MR analysis methods for analysis. RESULTS 7 gut microbiota, 21 inflammatory cells, and 3 inflammatory proteins can affect LDL-C levels. LDL-C is associated with acute pancreatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. CONCLUSIONS Three omics were used: 412 gut microbiota, 731 inflammatory cells, and 91 inflammatory proteins (pqtls). It explains the causal relationship between multiomics, LDL- cholesterol, acute pancreatitis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congzhi Yan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jingxia Bao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinji Jin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325000, China.
- Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China.
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Da Dalt L, Moregola A, Svecla M, Pedretti S, Fantini F, Ronzio M, Uboldi P, Dolfini D, Donetti E, Baragetti A, Mitro N, Scorrano L, Norata GD. The inhibition of inner mitochondrial fusion in hepatocytes reduces non-alcoholic fatty liver and improves metabolic profile during obesity by modulating bile acid conjugation. Cardiovasc Res 2024; 119:2917-2929. [PMID: 37922889 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvad169] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Mitochondria are plastic organelles that continuously undergo biogenesis, fusion, fission, and mitophagy to control cellular energy metabolism, calcium homeostasis, hormones, sterols, and bile acids (BAs) synthesis. Here, we evaluated how the impairment of mitochondrial fusion in hepatocytes affects diet-induced liver steatosis and obesity. METHODS AND RESULTS Male mice selectively lacking the key protein involved in inner mitochondrial fusion, optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) (OPA1ΔHep) were fed a high fat diet (HFD) for 20 weeks. OPA1ΔHep mice were protected from the development of hepatic steatosis and obesity because of reduced lipid absorption; a profile which was accompanied by increased respiratory exchange ratio in vivo, suggesting a preference for carbohydrates in OPA1ΔHep compared to controls. At the molecular level, this phenotype emerged as a consequence of poor mitochondria-peroxisome- endoplasmic reticulum (ER) tethering in OPA1 deficient hepatocytes, which impaired BAs conjugation and release in the bile, thus impacting lipid absorption from the diet. Concordantly, the liver of subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) presented an increased expression of OPA1 and of the network of proteins involved in mitochondrial function when compared with controls. CONCLUSION Patients with NAFLD present increased expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion in the liver. The selective deficency of OPA1 in hepatocytes protects mice from HFD-induced metabolic dysfunction by reducing BAs secretion and dietary lipids absorption as a consequence of reduced liver mitochondria-peroxisome-ER tethering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Da Dalt
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Moregola
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Monika Svecla
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Pedretti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Fantini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Mirko Ronzio
- Dipartiment of Biosciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano,Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Uboldi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Diletta Dolfini
- Dipartiment of Biosciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano,Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Donetti
- Department of Biomedical Science for Health, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli, 31, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Baragetti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Nico Mitro
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Scorrano
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, 35121 Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, 35129 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Danilo Norata
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Center for the Study of Atherosclerosis, E. Bassini Hospital, Via Massimo Gorki 50, Cinisello Balsamo, Italy
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Castillejo-López C, Bárcenas-Walls JR, Cavalli M, Larsson A, Wadelius C. A regulatory element associated to NAFLD in the promoter of DIO1 controls LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides in hepatic cells. Lipids Health Dis 2024; 23:48. [PMID: 38365720 PMCID: PMC10870585 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-024-02029-9] [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: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants linked to fat metabolism and related traits, but rarely pinpoint causative variants. This limitation arises from GWAS not considering functional implications of noncoding variants that can affect transcription factor binding and potentially regulate gene expression. The aim of this study is to investigate a candidate noncoding functional variant within a genetic locus flagged by a GWAS SNP associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition characterized by liver fat accumulation in non-alcohol consumers. METHODS CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in HepG2 cells was used to modify the regulatory element containing the candidate functional variant linked to NAFLD. Global gene expression in mutant cells was assessed through RT-qPCR and targeted transcriptomics. A phenotypic assay measured lipid droplet accumulation in the CRISPR-Cas9 mutants. RESULTS The candidate functional variant, rs2294510, closely linked to the NAFLD-associated GWAS SNP rs11206226, resided in a regulatory element within the DIO1 gene's promoter region. Altering this element resulted in changes in transcription factor binding sites and differential expression of candidate target genes like DIO1, TMEM59, DHCR24, and LDLRAD1, potentially influencing the NAFLD phenotype. Mutant HepG2 cells exhibited increased lipid accumulation, a hallmark of NAFLD, along with reduced LDL-C, HDL-C and elevated triglycerides. CONCLUSIONS This comprehensive approach, that combines genome editing, transcriptomics, and phenotypic assays identified the DIO1 promoter region as a potential enhancer. Its activity could regulate multiple genes involved in the NAFLD phenotype or contribute to defining a polygenic risk score for enhanced risk assessment in NAFLD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casimiro Castillejo-López
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 , Uppsala, Sweden, Box 815, Husargatan 3, BMC
| | - José Ramón Bárcenas-Walls
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 , Uppsala, Sweden, Box 815, Husargatan 3, BMC
| | - Marco Cavalli
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 , Uppsala, Sweden, Box 815, Husargatan 3, BMC
| | - Anders Larsson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Chemistry, Uppsala University Hospital, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Claes Wadelius
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 08 , Uppsala, Sweden, Box 815, Husargatan 3, BMC.
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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] [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: 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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Liu Z, Huang H, Ruan J, Wang Z, Xu C. The sulfur microbial diet and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a prospective gene-diet study from the UK Biobank. Am J Clin Nutr 2024; 119:417-424. [PMID: 38000660 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.11.012] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gut microbiota is closely related to liver diseases. The dietary pattern associated with sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in stool has been found to influence intestinal health. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate whether consuming the sulfur microbial diet is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS We included 143,918 participants of European descent from the UK Biobank. Information on serving sizes used per diet component was recorded by an online 24-h dietary assessment tool (Oxford WebQ). The total sulfur microbial diet score was constructed by summing the product of β-coefficients and corresponding serving sizes. NAFLD was ascertained using hospital inpatient and death records. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Mediation analyses were used to investigate underlying mediators including body mass index, waist circumference, glucose, triglyceride, urate, and C-reactive protein. A polygenic risk score for NAFLD was constructed and stratified to assess whether the association is modified by genetic predisposition. RESULTS After a median follow-up of 11.7 y (interquartile range: 11.3-12.5 y), we documented 1540 incident cases of NAFLD. After adjustment for covariates, we observed an overall J-shaped relationship between the sulfur microbial diet and risk of NAFLD. Those in the highest quartile of sulfur microbial diet score had a 46% increased risk of NAFLD [HRQ4vsQ1 (95% CI): 1.46 (1.26, 1.69)]. We also found that this association is partly mediated by metabolic disorders and systemic inflammation. In addition, the positive association was stronger among individuals at higher genetic risk for NAFLD (Pinteraction = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS The sulfur microbial diet had adverse associations with incident NAFLD, particularly in those at a higher genetic risk. Our study may provide evidence on the role of sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in the diet-NAFLD association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhening Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Digestive Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hangkai Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Digestive Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaqi Ruan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Digestive Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zejun Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Linping District, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengfu Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Digestive Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
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Padilla J, Osman NM, Bissig-Choisat B, Grimm SL, Qin X, Major AM, Yang L, Lopez-Terrada D, Coarfa C, Li F, Bissig KD, Moore DD, Fu L. Circadian dysfunction induces NAFLD-related human liver cancer in a mouse model. J Hepatol 2024; 80:282-292. [PMID: 37890720 PMCID: PMC10929560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.10.018] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Chronic circadian dysfunction increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the underlying mechanisms and direct relevance to human HCC have not been established. In this study, we aimed to determine whether chronic circadian dysregulation can drive NAFLD-related carcinogenesis from human hepatocytes and human HCC progression. METHODS Chronic jet lag of mice with humanized livers induces spontaneous NAFLD-related HCCs from human hepatocytes. The clinical relevance of this model was analysed by biomarker, pathological/histological, genetic, RNA sequencing, metabolomic, and integrated bioinformatic analyses. RESULTS Circadian dysfunction induces glucose intolerance, NAFLD-associated human HCCs, and human HCC metastasis independent of diet in a humanized mouse model. The deregulated transcriptomes in necrotic-inflammatory humanized livers and HCCs bear a striking resemblance to those of human non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and HCC. Stable circadian entrainment of hosts rhythmically paces NASH and HCC transcriptomes to decrease HCC incidence and prevent HCC metastasis. Circadian disruption directly reprogrammes NASH and HCC transcriptomes to drive a rapid progression from hepatocarcinogenesis to HCC metastasis. Human hepatocyte and tumour transcripts are clearly distinguishable from mouse transcripts in non-parenchymal cells and tumour stroma, and display dynamic changes in metabolism, inflammation, angiogenesis, and oncogenic signalling in NASH, progressing to hepatocyte malignant transformation and immunosuppressive tumour stroma in HCCs. Metabolomic analysis defines specific bile acids as prognostic biomarkers that change dynamically during hepatocarcinogenesis and in response to circadian disruption at all disease stages. CONCLUSION Chronic circadian dysfunction is independently carcinogenic to human hepatocytes. Mice with humanized livers provide a powerful preclinical model for studying the impact of the necrotic-inflammatory liver environment and neuroendocrine circadian dysfunction on hepatocarcinogenesis and anti-HCC therapy. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Human epidemiological studies have linked chronic circadian dysfunction to increased hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk, but direct evidence that circadian dysfunction is a human carcinogen has not been established. Here we show that circadian dysfunction induces non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related carcinogenesis from human hepatocytes in a murine humanized liver model, following the same molecular and pathologic pathways observed in human patients. The gene expression signatures of humanized HCC transcriptomes from circadian-disrupted mice closely match those of human HCC with the poorest prognostic outcomes, while those from stably circadian entrained mice match those from human HCC with the best prognostic outcomes. Our studies establish a new model for defining the mechanism of NASH-related HCC and highlight the importance of circadian biology in HCC prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Padilla
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Noha M Osman
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Beatrice Bissig-Choisat
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Y.T. and Alice Chen Pediatric Genetics and Genomics Research Center, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Sandra L Grimm
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xuan Qin
- NMR and Drug Metabolic Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Angela M Major
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dolores Lopez-Terrada
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Feng Li
- NMR and Drug Metabolic Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Karl-Dimiter Bissig
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Y.T. and Alice Chen Pediatric Genetics and Genomics Research Center, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - David D Moore
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA94720, USA.
| | - Loning Fu
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Ren Q, Sun Q, Fu J. Dysfunction of autophagy in high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Autophagy 2024; 20:221-241. [PMID: 37700498 PMCID: PMC10813589 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2254191] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
ABBREVIATIONS ACOX1: acyl-CoA oxidase 1; ADH5: alcohol dehydrogenase 5 (class III), chi polypeptide; ADIPOQ: adiponectin, C1Q and collagen domain containing; ATG: autophagy related; BECN1: beclin 1; CRTC2: CREB regulated transcription coactivator 2; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; F2RL1: F2R like trypsin receptor 1; FA: fatty acid; FOXO1: forkhead box O1; GLP1R: glucagon like peptide 1 receptor; GRK2: G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2; GTPase: guanosine triphosphatase; HFD: high-fat diet; HSCs: hepatic stellate cells; HTRA2: HtrA serine peptidase 2; IRGM: immunity related GTPase M; KD: knockdown; KDM6B: lysine demethylase 6B; KO: knockout; LAMP2: lysosomal associated membrane protein 2; LAP: LC3-associated phagocytosis; LDs: lipid droplets; Li KO: liver-specific knockout; LSECs: liver sinusoidal endothelial cells; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MAP3K5: mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 5; MED1: mediator complex subunit 1; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; MTORC1: mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1; NAFLD: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; NASH: non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; NFE2L2: NFE2 like bZIP transcription factor 2; NOS3: nitric oxide synthase 3; NR1H3: nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 3; OA: oleic acid; OE: overexpression; OSBPL8: oxysterol binding protein like 8; PA: palmitic acid; RUBCNL: rubicon like autophagy enhancer; PLIN2: perilipin 2; PLIN3: perilipin 3; PPARA: peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha; PRKAA2/AMPK: protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 2; RAB: member RAS oncogene family; RPTOR: regulatory associated protein of MTOR complex 1; SCD: stearoyl-CoA desaturase; SIRT1: sirtuin 1; SIRT3: sirtuin 3; SNARE: soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; SREBF1: sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1;SREBF2: sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 2; STING1: stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor 1; STX17: syntaxin 17; TAGs: triacylglycerols; TFEB: transcription factor EB; TP53/p53: tumor protein p53; ULK1: unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1; VMP1: vacuole membrane protein 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiannan Ren
- Department of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiming Sun
- International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Cardiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junfen Fu
- Department of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
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Calixto-Tlacomulco S, Luna-Reyes I, Delgado-Coello B, Gutiérrez-Vidal R, Reyes-Grajeda JP, Mas-Oliva J. CETP-derived Peptide Seq-1, the Key Component of HB-ATV-8 Vaccine Prevents Stress Responses, and Promotes Downregulation of Pro-Fibrotic Genes in Hepatocytes and Stellate Cells. Arch Med Res 2024; 55:102937. [PMID: 38301446 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2023.102937] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nasal vaccine HB-ATV-8 has emerged as a promising approach for NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) and atherosclerosis prevention. HB-ATV-8 contains peptide seq-1 derived from the carboxy-end of the Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP), shown to reduce liver fibrosis, inflammation, and atherosclerotic plaque formation in animal models. Beyond the fact that this vaccine induces B-cell lymphocytes to code for antibodies against the seq-1 sequence, inhibiting CETP's cholesterol transfer activity, we have hypothesized that beyond the modulation of CETP activity carried out by neutralizing antibodies, the observed molecular effects may also correspond to the direct action of peptide seq-1 on diverse cellular systems and molecular features involved in the development of liver fibrosis. METHODS The HepG2 hepatoma-derived cell line was employed to establish an in vitro steatosis model. To obtain a conditioned cell medium to be used with hepatic stellate cell (HSC) cultures, HepG2 cells were exposed to fatty acids or fatty acids plus peptide seq-1, and the culture medium was collected. Gene regulation of COL1A1, ACTA2, TGF-β, and the expression of proteins COL1A1, MMP-2, and TIMP-2 were studied. AIM To establish an in vitro steatosis model employing HepG2 cells that mimics molecular processes observed in vivo during the onset of liver fibrosis. To evaluate the effect of peptide Seq-1 on lipid accumulation and pro-fibrotic responses. To study the effect of Seq-1-treated steatotic HepG2 cell supernatants on lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, and pro-fibrotic responses in HSC. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Peptide seq-1-treated HepG2 cells show a downregulation of COLIA1, ACTA2, and TGF-β genes, and a decreased expression of proteins such as COL1A1, MMP-2, and TIMP-2, associated with the remodeling of extracellular matrix components. The same results are observed when HSCs are incubated with peptide Seq-1-treated steatotic HepG2 cell supernatants. The present study consolidates the nasal vaccine HB-ATV-8 as a new prospect in the treatment of NASH directly associated with the development of cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ismael Luna-Reyes
- Cellular Physiology Institute, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Blanca Delgado-Coello
- Cellular Physiology Institute, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Roxana Gutiérrez-Vidal
- Researchers Program for Mexico CONAHCYT, Mexico City, Mexico; Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Cinvestav Unidad Monterey, Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | | | - Jaime Mas-Oliva
- Cellular Physiology Institute, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
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