Loss of endothelial ZEB2 in mice attenuates steatosis early during metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

ABSTRACT: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, features liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) alterations with ill-defined driving factors. Zinc-Finger E-Box-binding Homeobox (ZEB)2 in LSECs preserves their specialized features, prevents capillarization and protects against liver fibrosis. To investigate a potential protective role against steatosis, the initial MASLD stage, we fed EC-specific Zeb2 knockout (EC^Zeb2KO) mice a western-type diet (WD). In healthy and steatotic wild-type livers, Zeb2 was ubiquitously and similarly expressed across blood-vascular EC types. LSEC RNA sequencing revealed ZEB2 deficiency-triggered expression changes greatly overlapping with those evoked by WD-feeding. Endothelial Z

SUBMITTER: Dheedene W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12222841 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature