<i>PCSK9</i> and <i>APOA4</i>: The Dynamic Duo in TMAO-induced Cholesterol Metabolism and Cholelithiasis.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Cholesterol synthesis and gallstone formation are promoted by trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a derivative of trimethylamine, which is a metabolite of gut microbiota. However, the underlying mechanisms of TMAO-induced lithogenesis remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to explore the specific molecular mechanisms through which TMAO promotes gallstone formation.

Methods

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to compare serum concentrations of TMAO, apolipoprotein A4 (APOA4), and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) between patients with cholelithiasis and normal controls. A murine model of TMAO-induced cholelithiasis was employed, incorporating assays of gallstone weight and bile cholesterol content, along with RNA sequencin

SUBMITTER: Shi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11976434 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature