L-Buthionine (S,R) sulfoximine depletes hepatic glutathione but protects against ethanol-induced liver injury

BACKGROUND: L-Buthionine (S,R) sulfoximine (BSO) is an inhibitor of glutathione biosynthesis and has been used as an effective means of depleting glutathione from cells and tissues. Here we investigated whether treatment with BSO enhanced ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. METHODS: Female C57Bl/6 mice were pair fed with control and ethanol-containing liquid diets in which ethanol was 29.2% of total calories. During the final 7 days of pair feeding, groups of control-fed and ethanol-fed mice were given 0, 5 or 7.6 mM BSO in the liquid diets. RESULTS: Compared with controls, ethanol given alone decreased total liver glutathione. This effect was exacerbated in mice given ethanol with 7.6 mM BSO, causing a 72% decline in hepatic glutathione. While ethanol alone caused no decrease in mitochondrial glutathione, inclusion of 7.6 mM BSO caused a 2-fold decline compared with untreated controls. L-Buthionine (S,R) sulfoximine did not affect ethanol consumption, but serum ethanol levels in BSO-treated mice were nearly 6-fold lower than in mice given ethanol alone. The latter decline in serum ethanol was associated with a significant elevation in the specific activities of cytochrome P450 2E1 and alcohol dehydrogenase in livers of BSO-treated animals. Ethanol consumption caused a 3.5-fold elevation in serum alanine aminotransferase levels but the enzyme fell to control levels when BSO was included in the diet. L-Buthionine (S,R) sulfoximine administration also attenuated ethanol-induced steatosis, prevented the leakage of lysosomal cathepsins into the cytosol, and prevented the ethanol-elicited decline in proteasome activity. CONCLUSIONS: L-Buthionine (S,R) sulfoximine, administered with ethanol, significantly depleted hepatic glutathione, compared with controls. However, despite the decrease in hepatic antioxidant levels, liver injury by ethanol was alleviated, due, in part, to a BSO-elicited acceleration of ethanol metabolism.     

Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1表达缺陷缓解肝X受体激动剂诱导的小鼠肝脏脂肪性变

目的探讨Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1在肝X受体激动剂诱导的肝脏脂肪性变中的作用。方法给C57BL/6小鼠和Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1基因敲除小鼠喂食0.015%胆固醇饮食21天,胃饲溶剂或肝X受体激动剂T0901317一周后,收集小鼠肝脏,称重;抽提肝脏脂质并用酶法检测脂质含量;用实时定量聚合酶链反应法检测肝脏表达与脂肪合成相关基因固醇调节元件结合蛋白1c、脂肪酸合成酶和硬脂酰CoA去饱和酶1的mRNA水平。结果在胃饲T0901317一周后,C57BL/6小鼠肝脏由1.1±0.1g增大到2.8±0.3g,肝脏甘油三酯含量由34.2±18.1mg/g增至232.2±67.9mg/g,固醇调节元件结合蛋白1c、脂肪酸合成酶和硬脂酰CoA去饱和酶1mRNA水平在肝脏的表达也显著增高;而Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1基因敲除小鼠肝脏由0.9±0.1g增大到1.5±0.1g,肝脏甘油三酯含量由43.7±26.5mg/g增至104.9±62.1mg/g,脂肪酸合成酶和硬脂酰CoA去饱和酶1mRNA水平在肝脏的表达也显著增高。但在T0901317诱导下,Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1基因敲除小鼠肝脏脂肪酸合成酶mRNA水平仍比C57BL/6小鼠低63%。结论Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1表达缺陷降低肝X受体激动剂诱导的肝脏固醇调节元件结合蛋白1c和脂肪酸合成酶的表达,缓解小鼠肝脏脂肪性变。     

Constitutive androstane receptor agonist, TCPOBOP, attenuates steatohepatitis in the methionine choline-deficient diet-fed mouse

AIM： To ascertain whether constitutive androstane receptor （CAR） activation by 1,4-bis-[2-（3,5,- dichloropyridyloxy）] benzene （TCPOBOP） modulates steatohepatitis in the methionine choline-deficient （MCD） diet-fed animal.METHODS： C57/BL6 wild-type mice were fed the MCD or standard diet for 2 wk and were treated with either the CAR agonist, TCPOBOP, or the CAR inverse agonist, androstanol.RESULTS： Expression of CYP2B10 and CYP3A11, known CAR target genes, increased 30-fold and 45-fold, respectively, in TCPOBOP-treated mice fed the MCD diet. TCPOBOP treatment reduced hepatic steatosis （44.6 ＋ 5.4% vs 30.4 ＋ 4.5%, P 〈 0.05） and serum triglyceride levels （48 ＋ 8 vs 20 ＋ 1 mg/dL, P 〈 0.05） in MCD diet- fed mice as compared with the standard diet-fed mice. This reduction in hepatic steatosis was accompanied by an increase in enzymes involved in fatty acid microsomal co-oxidation and peroxisomal p-oxidation, namely CYP4A10, LPBE, and 3-ketoacyI-CoA thiolase. The reduction in steatosis was also accompanied by a reduction in liver cell apoptosis and inflammation. In contrast, androstanol was without effect on any of the above parameters.CONCLUSION： CAR activation stimulates induction of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, and ameliorates hepatic steatosis, apoptosis and inflammation.     

The Effect of Betaine in Reversing Alcoholic Steatosis

The feeding of ethanol to experimental animals results in fatty infiltration of the liver. Recent findings have shown that ethanol-induced steatosis is accompanied by a lowering in hepatic S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) levels. It is known that SAM provides substrates for reduced glutathione formation and offers the cell protection from toxic metabolic oxidants. A recent study in this laboratory demonstrated that dietary supplementation with betaine generated increased SAM in the liver and protected against ethanol-induced steatosis. The present study not only showed that betaine supplementation to rats protects the liver from alcoholic steatosis, but also demonstrated that once steatosis is established, treatment with betaine partially reversed the steatosis after cessation of ethanol feeding. Furthermore, this study indicated that betaine supplementation to the diet had the capacity to attenuate steatosis despite the continued feeding of ethanol.     

Hepatocyte-specific hypoxia-inducible factor-1α is a determinant of lipid accumulation and liver injury in alcohol-induced steatosis in mice

Chronic alcohol causes hepatic steatosis and liver hypoxia. Hypoxia-regulated hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α, (HIF-1α) may regulate liporegulatory genes, but the relationship of HIF-1 to steatosis remains unknown. We investigated HIF-1α in alcohol-induced hepatic lipid accumulation. Alcohol administration resulted in steatosis, increased liver triglyceride levels, and increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, suggesting liver injury in wild-type (WT) mice. There was increased hepatic HIF-1α messenger RNA (mRNA), protein, and DNA-binding activity in alcohol-fed mice compared with controls. Mice engineered with hepatocyte-specific HIF-1 activation (HIF1dPA) had increased HIF-1α mRNA, protein, and DNA-binding activity, and alcohol feeding in HIF1dPA mice increased hepatomegaly and hepatic triglyceride compared with WT mice. In contrast, hepatocyte-specific deletion of HIF-1α [HIF-1α(Hep(-/-) )], protected mice from alcohol- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver damage, serum ALT elevation, hepatomegaly, and lipid accumulation. HIF-1α(Hep(-/-) ), WT, and HIF1dPA mice had equally suppressed levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α mRNA after chronic ethanol, whereas the HIF target, adipocyte differentiation-related protein, was up-regulated in WT mice but not HIF-1α(Hep(-/-) ) ethanol-fed/LPS-challenged mice. The chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was cooperatively induced by alcohol feeding and LPS in WT but not HIF-1α(Hep(-/-) ) mice. Using Huh7 hepatoma cells in vitro, we found that MCP-1 treatment induced lipid accumulation and increased HIF-1α protein expression as well as DNA-binding activity. Small interfering RNA inhibition of HIF-1α prevented MCP-1-induced lipid accumulation, suggesting a mechanistic role for HIF-1α in hepatocyte lipid accumulation. CONCLUSION: Alcohol feeding results in lipid accumulation in hepatocytes involving HIF-1α activation. The alcohol-induced chemokine MCP-1 triggers lipid accumulation in hepatocytes via HIF-1α activation, suggesting a mechanistic link between inflammation and hepatic steatosis in alcoholic liver disease.     

Hepatic insulin resistance in mice with hepatic overexpression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2

Mice overexpressing acylCoA:diacylglycerol (DAG) acyltransferase 2 in the liver (Liv-DGAT2) have been shown to have normal hepatic insulin responsiveness despite severe hepatic steatosis and increased hepatic triglyceride, diacylglycerol, and ceramide content, demonstrating a dissociation between hepatic steatosis and hepatic insulin resistance. This led us to reevaluate the role of DAG in causing hepatic insulin resistance in this mouse model of severe hepatic steatosis. Using hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps, we studied insulin action in Liv-DGAT2 mice and their wild-type (WT) littermate controls. Here, we show that Liv-DGAT2 mice manifest severe hepatic insulin resistance as reflected by decreased suppression of endogenous glucose production (0.8 ± 41.8 vs. 87.7 ± 34.3% in WT mice, P < 0.01) during the clamps. Hepatic insulin resistance could be attributed to an almost 12-fold increase in hepatic DAG content (P < 0.01) resulting in a 3.6-fold increase in protein kinase Cε (PKCε) activation (P < 0.01) and a subsequent 52% decrease in insulin-stimulated insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS-2) tyrosine phosphorylation (P < 0.05), as well as a 64% decrease in fold increase pAkt/Akt ratio from basal conditions (P < 0.01). In contrast, hepatic insulin resistance in these mice was not associated with increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress or inflammation. Importantly, hepatic insulin resistance in Liv-DGAT2 mice was independent of differences in body composition, energy expenditure, or food intake. In conclusion, these findings strengthen the link between hepatic steatosis and hepatic insulin resistance and support the hypothesis that DAG-induced PKCε activation plays a major role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-associated hepatic insulin resistance.     

Role of the endocannabinoid system in alcoholic liver disease

Alcohol abuse is a major cause of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in developed countries. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is distinctively characterized by a pronounced inflammatory response due to elevated gut-derived endotoxin plasma levels, an augmented generation of oxidative stress with pericentral hepatic hypoxia and the formation of noxious ethanol metabolites (e.g. acetaldehyde or lipid oxidation products). These factors, based on a complex network of cytokine actions, together result in increased hepatocellular damage and activation of hepatic stellate cells, the key cell type of liver fibrogenesis. Recent studies suggest that the endocannabinoid system is a signaling system that also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ALD. A study comparing chronic alcohol administration in cannabinoid receptor (CB) 1 or CB2 knockout versus wild-type mice revealed that CB1 signaling aggravated hepatic steatosis and fibrogenesis whereas CB2 protected the liver from ALD. These data suggested a protective role of CB2 (in contrast to CB1) in ALD. Similar results were found in global or hepatocyte-specific CB1 knockout mice that were resistant to ethanol-induced steatosis. Moreover, ethanol feeding upregulated the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and its biosynthetic enzyme diacylglycerol lipase-β selectively in hepatic stellate cells and subsequently increased expression of CB1 receptors in hepatocytes of wild-type mice leading to CB1-dependent hepatic steatosis by activation of lipogenic pathways. This ethanol-induced upregulation of CB1 receptors was partly dependent on the ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde. Thus, the hepatic endocannabinoid system offers emerging options for therapeutic exploitation not only for liver disease in general, but also for ALD.     

Effects of bile acid sequestration on hepatic steatosis in obese mice

Background. Bile acid sequestration (BAS) with resins has shown antidiabetic effects in both humans and animals. Since hepatic steatosis is commonly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and the effects of BAS on steatosis have not been explored in detail, we evaluated the effects of cholestyramine (CTM) administration on fatty liver development in the leptin-deficient obese mice.Aim. To study the effects of BAS on fatty liver development in obese (ob/ob) mice.Material and methods. 4 week-old ob/ob mice (B6.V-Le-pob/J, n = 4-6 per group) were fed with or without CTM (control group) during 8 weeks. Serum and biliary parameters, glucose tolerance test (GTT), hepatic triglyceride content, liver histology and hepatic gene expression of relevant genes related to bile secretion, lipid and glucose metabolism were assessed.Results. Control 12-week-old mice exhibited marked obesity and hepatic steatosis. CTM administration expectedly determined a marked de-repression of 7-α-hydroxylase and decreased biliary bile acid secretion as well as improved GTT. CTM feeding showed no effects on hepatic triglyceride content or in the degree of steatosis on liver histology. CTM was associated with increased levels of serum alanine-aminotransferase.Conclusion. Although CTM administration positively affects glucose tolerance it does not prevent hepatic steatosis development in obese mice. Moreover, CTM feeding was associated to liver enzyme elevation in this model of NAFLD. Thus, the effects BAS on NAFLD need to be specifically addressed since this therapy might not be beneficial for this condition.     

Alcohol and hepatitis C virus core protein additively increase lipid peroxidation and synergistically trigger hepatic cytokine expression in a transgenic mouse model

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Alcohol consumption accelerates the appearance of liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but the mechanisms of these interactions are unknown. We therefore investigated the effects of chronic ethanol consumption in HCV core protein-expressing transgenic mice. METHODS: Ethanol was progressively added (up to 20%) to the drinking water that was given ad libidum. RESULTS: In vivo fatty acid oxidation was not inhibited by ethanol consumption and/or HCV core expression. Both chronic ethanol consumption and HCV core expression decreased hepatic lipoprotein secretion and caused steatosis, but had no additive effects on lipoprotein secretion or steatosis. However, chronic ethanol consumption and HCV core protein additively increased lipid peroxidation and acted synergistically to increase the hepatic expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and, to a less extent, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). CONCLUSIONS: HCV core protein expression and chronic alcohol consumption have no effects on in vivo fatty acid oxidation and do not additively impair hepatic lipoprotein secretion, but additively increase hepatic lipid peroxidation and synergistically increase hepatic TNF-alpha and TGF-beta expression. These effects may be involved in the activation of fibrogenesis and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients cumulating alcohol abuse and HCV infection.     

Decreased microsomal triglyceride transfer protein activity contributes to initiation of alcoholic liver steatosis in rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To elucidate the role of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) in the pathogenesis of alcoholic fatty liver, the effects of ethanol on MTP activity and gene expression were investigated. METHODs AND RESULTS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet for 37 days, respectively, showed 2.9- and 4.9-fold increases in hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride content in comparison with rats fed an isocaloric ethanol-free diet (P<0.01). Furthermore, a significant decrease in MTP activity and mRNA expression (by 27 and 58%, respectively) was observed after ethanol administration. Intravenous injection of human recombinant hepatocyte growth factor (hrHGF) on each of the last 7 days markedly suppressed ethanol-induced lipid accumulation in the liver. This inhibition of fatty change by hrHGF was accompanied by recovery of MTP activity and gene expression. No inhibitory effect of hrHGF on ethanol-induced acyl-CoA synthetase activation was observed. Experiments using human hepatoma-derived HepG2 cells indicated a direct positive effect of hrHGF on MTP gene expression as well as apolipoprotein B secretion. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that reduced MTP activity is crucial to development of alcoholic fatty liver, while promotion of MTP activity by HGF might serve as a therapeutic measure against alcoholic liver steatosis.     

Reduction of hepatosteatosis and lipid levels by an adipose differentiation-related protein antisense oligonucleotide

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive triglyceride accumulation in hepatocytes. Expression of the lipid droplet protein adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) is increased in NAFLD, but whether this is causally linked to hepatic lipid metabolism is unclear. We postulated that a reduction in ADRP would ameliorate hepatic steatosis and improve insulin action. METHODS: Leptin deficient Lep(ob/ob) and diet-induced obese (DIO) mice were treated with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) against ADRP, and effects on hepatic and serum lipids and glucose homeostasis were examined. RESULTS: ADRP ASO specifically decreased ADRP mRNA and protein levels in the livers of Lep(ob/ob) and DIO mice, without altering the levels of other lipid droplet proteins, that is, S3-12 and TIP47. ADRP ASO suppressed expression of lipogenic genes, reduced liver triglyceride content without affecting cholesterol, attenuated triglyceride secretion, and decreased serum triglyceride and alanine aminotransaminase levels. The reduction in hepatic steatosis by ADRP ASO was associated with improvement in glucose homeostasis in both Lep(ob/ob) and DIO mice. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a crucial role for the lipid droplet protein ADRP in regulation of lipid metabolism. Reduction in hepatic ADRP level using an antisense oligonucleotide reverses hepatic steatosis, hypertriglyceridemia, and insulin resistance in obese mice, suggesting that ADRP may be targeted for the treatment of NAFLD and associated lipid and glucose abnormalities.     

Metformin prevents alcohol-induced liver injury in the mouse: Critical role of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The biguanide drug metformin has recently been found to improve steatosis and liver damage in animal models and in humans with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. METHODS: The aim of the present study was to determine whether metformin also prevents steatosis and liver damage in mouse models of acute and chronic alcohol exposure. RESULTS: Acute ethanol exposure caused a >20-fold increase in hepatic lipids, peaking 12 hours after administration. Metformin treatment significantly blunted the ethanol effect by >60%. Although metformin is a known inducer of AMP kinase (AMPK) activity, the hepatoprotective property of metformin did not correlate with activation of AMPK or of AMPK-dependent pathways. Instead, the protective effects of metformin correlated with complete prevention of the upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 caused by ethanol. Indeed, a similar protective effect against acute alcohol-induced lipid accumulation was observed in PAI-1-/- mice. Hepatic fat accumulation caused by chronic enteral ethanol feeding was also prevented by metformin or by knocking out PAI-1. Under these conditions, necroinflammatory changes caused by ethanol were also significantly attenuated. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings suggest a novel mechanism of action for metformin and identify a new role of PAI-1 in hepatic injury caused by ethanol.     

Hepatic iron overload induces hepatocellular carcinoma in transgenic mice expressing the hepatitis C virus polyprotein

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Despite the evidence of hepatic iron overload in patients with chronic hepatitis C, it remains unknown if iron overload is related to hepatocarcinogenesis in this condition. The aim of this study was to determine whether iron overload contributes to development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in transgenic mice expressing the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein. METHODS: Male C57BL/6 transgenic mice expressing the HCV polyprotein and nontransgenic littermates were fed an excess-iron diet or control diet. Mice in each group were assessed for altered liver morphology and function and the development of liver tumors. RESULTS: Hepatic iron concentrations in mice fed the excess-iron diet were comparable to those of patients with chronic hepatitis C. There was no inflammation in transgenic and nontransgenic livers. Compared with mice in 3 other groups, transgenic mice fed the excess-iron diet showed marked hepatic steatosis including the centrilobular microvesicular type, ultrastructural alterations of the mitochondria and decreased degradation activity of fatty acid at 6 months, and greater hepatic content of lipid peroxidation products and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine at 12 months after initiation of feeding. The number of proliferating hepatocytes was significantly increased in mice fed the excess-iron diet but was not different between transgenic and nontransgenic mice. Hepatic tumors including HCC developed in 5 of 11 (45%) transgenic mice fed the excess-iron diet but not in mice in other groups at 12 months after initiation of feeding. CONCLUSIONS: Iron overload induces mitochondrial injury and increases the risk of HCC development in transgenic mice expressing the HCV polyprotein.     

TNF alpha-induced Ras activation due to ethanol promotes hepatocyte proliferation independently of liver injury in the mouse

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) has been shown to be both proapoptotic and mitogenic for hepatocytes and necessary for alcohol-induced liver injury. Ras, a known proto-oncogene, is very important in the regulation of cellular responses to TNFalpha. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Ras in alcohol-induced pathogenesis. Male C57Bl/6 mice were fed ethanol or high-fat control diet via intragastric cannulation for 4 weeks. Ras activity was increased significantly after 4 weeks of ethanol and correlated with an increase in pathologic features. However, in mice deficient in the receptor-type 1 for TNFalpha (TNFR1(-/-)), ethanol-induced liver injury and the increase in Ras activity were significantly blunted compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that H-, K-, and R-Ras isoforms were increased after ethanol exposure in wild-type mice. In TNFR1(-/-) mice, R-Ras activity remained elevated by ethanol, whereas H-Ras and K-Ras activity was blunted significantly under these conditions. Interestingly, hepatocellular proliferation, which was elevated approximately fivefold after 4 weeks of chronic ethanol in wild-type mice, was also blunted in TNFR1(-/-) mice given ethanol. Inhibition of Ras with adenovirus containing a dominant-negative Ras had no effect on ethanol-induced liver injury, but significantly blunted ethanol-induced hepatocyte proliferation by more than 50%. Overexpression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase using recombinant adenovirus blunted lipid peroxidation and attenuated hepatic injury resulting from ethanol, but had no effect on Ras activation and hepatocyte proliferation caused by ethanol. In conclusion, these data support the hypotheses that hepatocellular oxidative stress leads to cell death and that TNFalpha-induced Ras activation is important in hepatic proliferation in response to ethanol-induced liver injury.