A MLKL inhibitor suppresses liver fibrosis by regulating hepatocyte death and macrophage inflammation
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus Musculus
SUBMITTER: 
Jingbo Qie
PROVIDER: PXD079163 | iProX | Tue Jun 02 00:00:00 BST 2026
REPOSITORIES: iProX
Similar Datasets
Project description:Cell death frequently occurs in the pathogenesis of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the exact contribution of core cell death machinery to disease manifestations remains ill defined. Here, we show via the direct comparison of mice genetically deficient in apoptotic caspase-8 in myeloid cells, or the essential necroptotic regulators, Receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3) and Mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL), that RIPK3-caspase-8 signaling regulates macrophage inflammatory responses and drives adipose tissue inflammation and NAFLD upon high-fat diet feeding. In contrast, MLKL, divergent to RIPK3, contributes to both obesity and NAFLD in a manner largely independent of inflammation. We also uncover that MLKL regulates the expression of molecules involved in lipid uptake, transport and metabolism and, congruent with this, we discover a shift in the hepatic lipidome upon MLKL deletion. Collectively, these findings highlight MLKL as an attractive therapeutic target to combat the growing obesity pandemic and metabolic disease.
2024-06-30 | GSE225560 | GEO
Project description:Clonorchis sinensis, a carcinogenic hepatobiliary trematode, drives severe pathological sequelae in humans. However, the immunological mechanisms underlying its chronic persistence remain incompletely elucidated. We systematically characterized the spatiotemporal dynamics of host immune responses during long-term C. sinensis infection. Systemically, immunity evolved from an early mixed Th1/Th2/Th17 response toward eventual immune resolution. In contrast, hepatic immunity shifted from an initial Th2 bias to sustained pro-inflammatory activation, paralleling progressive liver pathology. Mechanistically, this hepatic immunopathology was driven by the expansion of CD8⁺ tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells, which secreted high levels of CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, granzyme B, and granzyme K. Functional analyses demonstrated that CD8⁺ TRM cells orchestrated immune cell recruitment and fibroblast activation, with CD8⁺ T cell depletion significantly ameliorating liver damage. Notably, CCL4 was predominantly produced by CD8⁺ TRM cells and its serum levels correlated with hepatic pathology in both murine models and human patients with clonorchiasis. Our findings identify CD8⁺ TRM cells and CCL-mediated signaling as key drivers of chronic C. sinensis-induced liver immunopathology, highlighting promising targets for therapeutic intervention.
2026-06-09 | GSE302945 | GEO
Project description:In this study, we identified Receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) in hepatocytes as a critical regulator in preserving hepatic homeostasis during metabolic challenges, such as short-term fasting or high-fat dieting. Our results demonstrated that hepatocyte-specific deficiency of RIPK1 sensitized the liver to short-term fasting-induced liver injury and hepatocyte apoptosis in both male and female mice. Despite being a common physiological stressor that typically does not induce liver inflammation, short-term fasting triggered hepatic inflammation and compensatory proliferation in hepatocyte-specific RIPK1-deficient (Ripk1Δhep) mice. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that short-term fasting oriented the hepatic microenvironment into an inflammatory state in Ripk1Δhep mice, with upregulated expression of inflammation and immune cell recruitment-associated genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing further confirmed the altered cellular composition in the liver of Ripk1Δhep mice during fasting, highlighting the increased recruitment of macrophages to the liver.
2025-01-11 | GSE286072 | GEO
Project description:In this study, we identified Receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) in hepatocytes as a critical regulator in preserving hepatic homeostasis during metabolic challenges, such as short-term fasting or high-fat dieting. Our results demonstrated that hepatocyte-specific deficiency of RIPK1 sensitized the liver to short-term fasting-induced liver injury and hepatocyte apoptosis in both male and female mice. Despite being a common physiological stressor that typically does not induce liver inflammation, short-term fasting triggered hepatic inflammation and compensatory proliferation in hepatocyte-specific RIPK1-deficient (Ripk1Δhep) mice. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that short-term fasting oriented the hepatic microenvironment into an inflammatory state in Ripk1Δhep mice, with upregulated expression of inflammation and immune cell recruitment-associated genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing further confirmed the altered cellular composition in the liver of Ripk1Δhep mice during fasting, highlighting the increased recruitment of macrophages to the liver.
2025-01-11 | GSE286073 | GEO
Project description:Obesity is a global epidemic characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, with adipose tissue playing a pivotal role in these processes. The mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL) is a critical mediator of necroptosis but also exhibits noncanonical roles in metabolic regulation. This study aimed to investigate the adipocyte-specific functions of MLKL in obesity. Using adipocyte-specific Mlkl knockout (MlklAdi-KO) mice, we observed reduced susceptibility to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, enhanced glucose tolerance, and improved insulin sensitivity. MlklAdi-KO mice showed elevated energy expenditure independent of changes in food intake or locomotor activity, correlating with increased mitochondrial function and reduced lipid accumulation in white adipose tissue (WAT). Transcriptomic analyses of WAT revealed significant modulation of pathways linked to oxidative phosphorylation, inflammation, and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, metabolomic profiling highlighted reductions in TCA cycle intermediates, acylcarnitines, and pro-inflammatory amino acids in MlklAdi-KO mice under HFD conditions. These findings were accompanied by improved hepatic lipid profiles and decreased steatosis, underscoring systemic benefits of adipocyte-specific Mlkl deletion. Mechanistically, Mlkl deficiency altered adipocyte differentiation, potentially via modulation of Wnt10b and transcriptional regulators such as Foxa1. These results position MLKL as a promising therapeutic target for obesity and related metabolic disorders, emphasizing the need for future studies using conditional knockout and overexpression models to explore its cell-specific and noncanonical functions in metabolic regulation.
2025-12-02 | GSE293219 | GEO
Project description:Background and Aims: Inflammasome-mediated caspase-1 activity regulates the maturation and release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1M-CM-^_ and IL-18. Recently, we showed that caspase-1 deficiency strongly reduces high fat diet-induced adiposity although the mechanism is still unclear. We now aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which caspase-1 deficiency reduces modulates resistance to high fat diet-feeding fat accumulation in adipose tissue by focusing on the role of caspase-1 in the regulation of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein metabolism. Methods: Caspase-1 deficient and wild-type mice (both C57Bl/6 background) were used to determine postprandial TG kinetics, intestinal TG absorption, VLDL-TG production as well as TG clearance, all of which strongly contribute to the supply of TG for storage in adipose tissue. Micro-array and qPCR analysis were used to unravel intestinal and hepatic metabolic pathways involved. Results: Caspase-1 deficiency reduced the postprandial response to an oral lipid load, while tissue specific clearance of TG-rich lipoproteins was not changed. Indeed, an oral olive oil gavage containing [3H]TG revealed that caspase-1 deficiency significantly decreased intestinal chylomicron-TG production and reduced the uptake of [3H]TG-derived FA by liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. Similarly, caspase-1 deficiency reduced the hepatic VLDL-TG production without reducing VLDL-apoB production, despite an elevated hepatic TG content. Pathway analysis revealed that caspase-1 deficiency reduces intestinal and hepatic expression of genes involved in lipogenesis. Conclusions: Absence of caspase-1 reduces assembly and secretion of TG-rich lipoproteins, thereby reducing the availability of TG-derived FA for uptake by peripheral organs including adipose tissue. We anticipate that caspase-1 represents a novel link between innate immunity and lipid metabolism. Keywords: Expression profiling by array Wild-type (WT) and Casp1-null mice were maintained at lab chow. Animals, aged between 14 and 16 weeks (n=3 per genotype), were killed and liver and intestinal segments were removed. Livers were isolated from mice that were fasted over night, whereas intesines were removed from mice 2 hrs after they received an oral lipid load.Total RNA was isolated and subjected to gene expression profiling.
2013-09-15 | E-GEOD-32515 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Neuroinflammatory processes are a prominent contributor to the pathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD), characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and deposits of α-synuclein aggregates. MLKL-mediated cell necroptosis might occur in the onset of PD and lead to neuronal dopaminergic degeneration. However, the link between α-synuclein, neuroinflammatory processes, and neurodegeneration in PD remains unclear. Here, our in vitro study indicated that inhibition of MLKL exerted a protective effect against 6-OHDA- and TNF-α-induced neuronal cell death. Furthermore, we created a mouse model (Tg-Mlkl-/-) with typical progressive Parkinson traits by crossbreeding SNCA A53T transgenic mice with MLKL knockout mice. Tg-Mlkl-/ mice displayed dramatically improved motor symptoms and reduced hyperphosphorylated α-synuclein expression. More data suggested that MLKL deficiency protected dopaminergic neurons, blocked neuronal cell death, and attenuated neuroinflammation by inhibiting the activation of the microglia and astrocytes. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis revealed reduced microglial cells and damped neuron death in the SN of the Tg-Mlkl-/- mice. Subcluster analysis identified a unique cell type-specific transcriptome profiling in the MLKL deficiency mice. Thus, MLKL represents a critical therapeutic target for reducing neuroinflammation and preventing dopaminergic neuron degeneration.
2023-12-14 | GSE197679 | GEO
Project description:Hyaluronan receptor LYVE-1 is expressed by liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC), lymphatic endothelial cells and specialized macrophages. Besides binding hyaluronan, LYVE-1 mediates adhesion of leukocytes and cancer cells to endothelial cells. Here, we analyzed the impact of LYVE-1 on physiological liver functions and metastasis. Mice with deficiency of Lyve-1 (Lyve-1 KO) were analyzed using histology, immunofluorescence, RNA sequencing, plasma proteomics and flow cytometry. Liver metastasis was studied by intrasplenic/intravenous injection of melanoma (B16F10luc2, WT31) or colorectal carcinoma (MC38) cell lines. Results: Hepatic architecture, liver size, endothelial differentiation and angiocrine functions were unaltered in Lyve-1 KO mice. Hyaluronan plasma levels were significantly increased in Lyve-1-KO mice; besides, plasma proteomics revealed increased carbonic anhydrase-2 and decreased FXIIIA, potential modulators of metastatis. Furthermore, gene expression analysis of LSEC indicated regulation of immunological pathways. Therefore, liver metastasis of a highly and of a weekly immunogenic tumor, i.e. melanoma and colorectal carcinoma (CRC), was analyzed in Lyve-1 KO mice. Hepatic metastasis of B16F10 luc2 and WT31 melanoma cells, but not MC38 CRC cells, was significantly reduced in Lyve-1 KO mice. While short-term adhesion assays with B16F10 luc2 cells in vivo did not show differences between Lyve-1 KO and wild-type mice, increased numbers of resident hepatic CD4+, CD8+ and regulatory T cells were detected in Lyve-1 KO livers. In addition, iron deposition was detected in F4/80+ liver macrophages known to exert pro-inflammatory effects. Conclusions: LYVE-1 deficiency controlled hepatic metastasis in a tumor cell-specific manner reducing hepatic metastasis of melanoma, but not CRC. Anti-tumorigenic effects are likely due to enhancement of the resident hepatic immune microenvironment.
2023-03-11 | PXD032717 | Pride
Project description:Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and liver fibrosis represent distinct yet interconnected pathological processes underlying chronic liver disease progression. While high-fat diet (HFD)-induced MASH models recapitulate metabolic inflammation, carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced models capture toxicant-driven fibrogenesis. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on liver tissues from HFD-induced MASH and CCl₄-induced fibrosis mouse models to construct a high-resolution atlas of liver cellular heterogeneity. This work establishes a valuable resource for dissecting liver disease mechanisms, enabling targeted therapeutic discovery and offering a framework for integrating diverse preclinical models of chronic liver injury.
2026-06-18 | GSE300744 | GEO
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excess lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and reprepresents a huge public health problem owing to its propensity to progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and liver failure. The lipids stored in hepatic steatosis are primarily triglycerides (TGs) synthesized by two acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) enzymes. Either DGAT1 or DGAT2 catalyzes this reaction, and these enzymes have been suggested to differentially utilize exogenous or endogenously synthesized fatty acids, with DGAT2 being linked to storage of fatty acids from de novo lipogenesis, a process that is increased in NAFLD. However, whether DGAT2 is more responsible for lipid accumulation in NAFLD and the progression to fibrosis is currently unknown. Also, it is unresolved whether DGAT2 can be safely inhibited as a therapy for NAFLD. Here we induced NAFLD-like disease in mice by feeding a diet rich in fructose, saturated fat, and cholesterol and found that hepatocyte-specfici Dgat2 deficiency reduced expression of de novo lipogenesis genes and lowered liver TGs by ~70%. Importantly, the reduction of steatosis was not accompanied by increased inflammation or fibrosis, and insulin and glucose metabolism were unchanged. Conclusion: This study suggests that hepatic DGAT2 deficiency successfully reduced diet-induced hepatic steatosis and supports the development of DGAT2 inhibitors as a therapeutic strategy for treating NAFLD and preventing downstream consequences.
2020-05-26 | PXD013423 | Pride