Project description:Bazedoxifene and conjugated estrogens (CE+BZA) combination has been shown to prevent visceral adiposity and weight gain after menopause. However, its interaction with the microbiota has yet to be examined. In the present study, we use several –omics technologies to characterize the effects of various estrogens on the health of gut-liver axis. As reported in previous studies, CE+BZA combination is very effective at preventing ovariectomy-induced weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet. Additionally, CE+BZA induces unique liver transcriptomic and blood metabolite profiles compared to estradiol, conjugated estrogens alone, and bazedoxifene alone. Several pathways and metabolites influenced are associated with lower rates of inflammation and overall benefits to gut and liver health. Finally, microbiome analysis shows that several bacterial species that potentially metabolize estrogens and affect their half-life in the body were significantly changed in CE+BZA treated mice. Our findings indicate a possible link between certain estrogens and gut microbiome and suggest a metabolic benefit of estrogens through manipulation of the gut-liver axis.
Project description:Bazedoxifene and conjugated estrogens (CE+BZA) combination has been shown to prevent visceral adiposity and weight gain after menopause. However, its interaction with the microbiota has yet to be examined. In the present study, we use several –omics technologies to characterize the effects of various estrogens on the health of gut-liver axis. As reported in previous studies, CE+BZA combination is very effective at preventing ovariectomy-induced weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet. Additionally, CE+BZA induces unique liver transcriptomic and blood metabolite profiles compared to estradiol, conjugated estrogens alone, and bazedoxifene alone. Several pathways and metabolites influenced are associated with lower rates of inflammation and overall benefits to gut and liver health. Finally, microbiome analysis shows that several bacterial species that potentially metabolize estrogens and affect their half-life in the body were significantly changed in CE+BZA treated mice. Our findings indicate a possible link between certain estrogens and gut microbiome and suggest a metabolic benefit of estrogens through manipulation of the gut-liver axis.
Project description:Association between the microbiome, IBD and liver diseases are known, yet cause and effect remain elusive. By connecting human microphysiological systems of the gut, liver and circulating Treg/Th17 cells, we modeled progression of ulcerative colitis (UC) ex vivo. We show that microbiome-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) may either improve or worsen disease severity, depending on the activation state of CD4 T cells. Employing a multiomic approach, we found SCFA reduced innate activation of the UC gut and increased hepatic metabolism. However, during acute T cell-mediated inflammation, SCFA exacerbate CD4 T cell effector function leading to gut barrier disruption and liver damage. These paradoxical findings underscore the emerging utility of human physiomimetic technology in combination with systems immunology to study causality and temporal facets of gut-liver axis related diseases where animal models might leave ambiguity.
Project description:Liver disease alters the gut microenvironment by liver-gut axis. To investigate the composition and transcriptome changes of various intestinal cell populations in liver cirrhosis, we delineated a single-cell atlas of the colon from mice treated CCl4 for 6 weeks.
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) influence one of third population around the world. Until now, no effective treatments have been established due to the improper in vitro assays and experimental animal models. By co-culturing human gut and liver cell lines (CaCO2 and HepG2 cells, respectively) interconnected via the microfluidic closed medium circulation loop, we created a gut-liver-on-a-chip (iGLC) platform as an in vitro human model of the gut-liver axis (GLA) in initiation and progression of NAFLD.
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) influence one of third population around the world. Until now, no effective treatments have been established due to the improper in vitro assays and experimental animal models. By co-culturing human gut and liver cell lines (CaCO2 and HepG2 cells, respectively) interconnected via the microfluidic closed medium circulation loop, we created a gut-liver-on-a-chip (iGLC) platform as an in vitro human model of the gut-liver axis (GLA) in initiation and progression of NAFLD.
Project description:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease with increased risk in patients with metabolic syndrome. There are no FDA approved treatments, but farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists have shown promising results in clinical studies for NAFLD management. In addition to FXR, fibroblast growth factor receptor FGFR4 is a key mediator of hepatic bile acid synthesis. Using N-acetylgalactosamine-conjugated siRNA, we knocked down FGFR4 specifically in the liver of mice on chow or high-fat diet (HFD) and in mouse primary hepatocytes to determine the role of FGFR4 in metabolic processes and hepatic steatosis. Liver-specific FGFR4 silencing increased bile acid production and lowered serum cholesterol. Additionally, we found that HFD-induced liver steatosis and insulin resistance improved following FGFR4 knockdown. These improvements were associated with activation of the FXR-FGF15 axis in intestinal cells, but not in hepatocytes. We conclude that targeting FGFR4 in the liver to activate the intestinal FXR-FGF15 axis may be a promising strategy for the treatment of NAFLD and metabolic dysfunction.
Project description:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease with increased risk in patients with metabolic syndrome. There are no FDA approved treatments, but farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists have shown promising results in clinical studies for NAFLD management. In addition to FXR, fibroblast growth factor receptor FGFR4 is a key mediator of hepatic bile acid synthesis. Using N-acetylgalactosamine-conjugated siRNA, we knocked down FGFR4 specifically in the liver of mice on chow or high-fat diet (HFD) and in mouse primary hepatocytes to determine the role of FGFR4 in metabolic processes and hepatic steatosis. Liver-specific FGFR4 silencing increased bile acid production and lowered serum cholesterol. Additionally, we found that HFD-induced liver steatosis and insulin resistance improved following FGFR4 knockdown. These improvements were associated with activation of the FXR-FGF15 axis in intestinal cells, but not in hepatocytes. We conclude that targeting FGFR4 in the liver to activate the intestinal FXR-FGF15 axis may be a promising strategy for the treatment of NAFLD and metabolic dysfunction.