Project description:Whole liver from mice with diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH) was subjected to bulk RNA-seq. Ingenuity pathway analysis implicated pathways related to the leukocyte adhesion and differentiation in the pathogenesis of NASH. Among the adhesion molecules expressed in endothelial cells, only Icam1 (Log2FC: 1.99; FDR: 1.55E-37) and Vcam1 (Log2FC: 1.93; FDR: 9.32E-35) were differentially upregulated in NASH liver.
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the number one cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, with 25% of these patients developing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH significantly increases the risk of cirrhosis and decompensated liver failure. Past studies in rodent models have shown the knockout of glycine-N-methyltransferase (GNMT) results in rapid pro-gression of steatosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the attenuation of GNMT in subjects with NASH and the molecular basis for its impact on the disease process are still unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we show the reduction of GNMT protein levels in the liver of NASH subjects compared to healthy controls. To gain insight into the impact of decreased GNMT in the disease process, we performed global label-free proteome studies on the livers from a murine Western diet-based model of NASH. Histological and molecular characterization of the animal model demonstrate high resemblance to the human disease.
Project description:OBJECTIVE: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is closely associated with metabolic syndrome and increases the risk for end-stage liver disease, such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite this, the molecular events that influence NASH pathogenesis remain poorly understood. The objectives of the current study are to delineate the transcriptomic and proteomic signatures of NASH liver, to identify potential pathogenic pathways and factors, and to critically assess their role in NASH pathogenesis. METHODS: We performed RNA sequencing and quantitative proteomic analyses on the livers from healthy and diet-induced NASH mice. We examined the association between plasma levels of TSK, a newly discovered hepatokine, and NASH pathologies and reversal in response to dietary switch in mice. Using TSK knockout mouse model, we determined how TSK deficiency modulates key aspects of NASH pathogenesis. RESULTS: RNA sequencing and quantitative proteomic analyses revealed that diet-induced NASH triggers concordant reprogramming of the liver transcriptome and proteome in mice. NASH pathogenesis is linked to elevated plasma levels of the hepatokine TSK, whereas dietary switch reverses NASH pathologies and reduces circulating TSK concentrations. Finally, TSK inactivation protects mice from diet-induced NASH and liver transcriptome remodeling. CONCLUSIONS: Global transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of healthy and NASH livers revealed the molecular signatures of diet-induced NASH and dysregulation of the liver secretome. Our study illustrates a novel pathogenic mechanism through which elevated TSK in circulation promotes NASH pathologies, thereby revealing a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:Human genetic studies have identified several MARC1 variants as protective against non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD). The MARC1 variants are associated with reduced lipid profiles, liver enzymes, and liver-related mortality. However, the role of mitochondrial amidoxime reducing component 1 (mARC1), encoded by MARC1, in NAFLD is still unknown and the therapeutic potential of this target has never been developed. Given that mARC1 is mainly expressed in hepatocytes, we developed an N-acetylgalactosamine conjugated mouse mARC1 siRNA to address this. In ob/ob mice, knockdown of mARC1 in mouse hepatocytes resulted in decreased liver weight, serum lipid enzymes, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and liver triglycerides. Loss of mARC1 also improved the lipid profiles and attenuated liver pathological changes in two diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse models. A comprehensive analysis of mARC1-deficient liver in NASH by metabolomics, proteomics, and lipidomics showed that mARC1 knockdown partially restored metabolites and lipids altered by diets. Taken together, loss of mARC1 protects mouse liver from NASH, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach of NASH by downregulation of mARC1 in hepatocytes.
Project description:To investigate the alterlation of liver gene expression in diet-induced NASH model with adipose tissue insulin resistance, we evaluated liver of control mice and adipocyte-specific PDK1 knockout (PDK1KO) mice fed either normal chow(NC) or Gubra amylin NASH (GAN) diet for 16weeks after weaning at 4 weeks old. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of these 4 groups.
Project description:To investigate the alterlation of eWAT gene expression in diet-induced NASH model with adipose tissue insulin resistance, we evaluated eWAT of control mice and adipocyte-specific PDK1 knockout (PDK1KO) mice fed either normal chow(NC) or Gubra amylin NASH (GAN) diet for 16weeks after weaning at 4 weeks old. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of these 4 groups.
Project description:To investigate the role of hepatic CYP2B in diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a Cyp2b triple knockout mouse lacking Cyp2b9, Cyp2b10, and Cyp2b13 was developed using CRISPER/Cas9. Wildtype (WT) and Cyp2b-null mice were fed a normal diet (ND) or a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined high-fat diet (CDAHFD), containing 0.1% methionine and 62% fat for 8 weeks. RNA was extracted from the livers of female and male mice from all treatment groups and used for RNA seqencing. RNAseq data demonstrated that a lack of Cyp2b was protective in female but more harmful in male mice. Hepatic gene expression revealed a higher number of phase I-III xenobiotic metabolism and inflammatory response genes were down-regulated in CDAHFD-fed WT female and Cyp2b-null male mice.
Project description:To investigate the role of hepatic Pck1 in diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver-specific Pck1-knockout mice were developed with Alb-Cre. Wild-type (WT) and Pck1-cKO mice were fed a Chow diet (Research Diets, D12450J: 10% Kcal fat, with tap water) or NASH-inducing diet (Research Diets, D12492: 60% Kcal fat, with drinking water containig 23.1 g/L fructose and 18.9 g/L glucose) for 24 weeks. RNA was extracted from the livers of mice from all treatment groups and used for RNA seqencing. RNA-seq data demonstrated that gluconeogenic enzyme PCK1 deficiency played an important role in the development of NASH.
Project description:To investigate the alterlation of liver gene expression by linoleic acid (LA) metabolite HYA (10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid) in a diet-induced NAFLD/NASH model, we evaluated liver of male C57BL/6J mice fed a nomal diet (ND), a high fat diet (HFD, Control(CT)), HFD supplemented with 1% HYA (HYA), or HFD supplemented with 1% LA (LA) for 26 weeks from 5-week-old. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of these 4 groups.