Project description:Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most significant cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, with limited therapeutic options. In this experiment, a choline-deficient amino acid-defined high fat diet (CDAHFD) were used to construct a mouse NASH model. After 16 weeks of CDAHFD diets, liver samples were collected. We want to further confirm that the elevated EFHD2 is specifically expressed in infiltrated macrophages/monocytes in NASH.
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, and can rapidly progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Accurate preclinical models and robust methodologies need to be established to understand the underlying metabolic mechanisms and develop treatment strategies. Based on our meta-analysis of currently available data on several mouse models, we hypothesized a diet- and chemical-induced NASH model closely resembles metabolic alteration in human. We developed an already established WD+CCl4-induced NASH model. We developed and performed transcriptomics driven metabolic pathway analysis (TDMPA) using differentially expressed genes in mouse NASH liver compared to control. We compared the altered metabolic pathways and enzymatic reactions to human NASH. We performed functional assays and lipidomics to confirm our findings related to metabolic alterations. Numerous metabolic pathways were altered in human NASH and mouse model. De novo triglyceride biosynthesis, fatty acid beta-oxidation, bile acid biosynthesis, cholesterol metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation were the most influenced pathways. We confirmed significant reduction in mitochondrial functions and bioenergetics in NASH model, and in acylcarnitines. We identified a wide range of lipid species within the most perturbed pathways predicted by TDMPA. Triglycerides, phospholipids and bile acids were increased significantly in NASH, confirming our initial observations. We identified several metabolic pathways that typify NASH pathophysiology in human. By comparing human and mouse metabolic signatures, we evaluated metabolic resemblance of mouse model to human and its suitability for the study of the disease and potential usage for drug discovery and testing. We also presented TDMPA, a novel methodology to evaluate metabolic pathway alterations in metabolic disorders and a valuable tool for defining metabolic space to aid experimental design for lipidomics and metabolomics approaches.
Project description:We applied RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to study the effects of dietary intervention on hallmarks of NASH and molecular signatures of hepatocellular senescence in the Gubra-Amylin NASH (GAN) diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse model of NASH. GAN DIO-NASH mice with liver biopsy-confirmed NASH and fibrosis received dietary intervention by switching to chow feeding (chow reversal) for 8, 16, or 24 weeks. Untreated GAN DIO-NASH mice and chow-fed C57BL/6J mice served as controls. We find that chow reversal promoted substantial benefits on metabolic, biochemical and histological outcomes accompanied by marked suppression of gene expression markers of hepatocellular senescence in GAN DIO-NASH mice. These therapeutic benefits were reflected by progressive clearance of senescent hepatocellular cells, making the model suitable for profiling potential senotherapeutics in preclinical drug discovery for NASH.
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:Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has emerged as a major challenge for public health because of high global prevalence and lack of evidence-based therapies. Most animal models of NASH lack sufficient validation regarding disease progression and pharmacological treatment. The Gubra-Amylin NASH (GAN) diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse demonstrate clinical translatability with respect to disease etiology and hallmarks of NASH. This study aimed to evaluate disease progression and responsiveness to clinically effective interventions in GAN DIO-NASH mice. Disease phenotyping was performed in male C57BL/6J mice fed the GAN diet high in fat, fructose and cholesterol for 28-88 weeks. GAN DIO-NASH mice with biopsy-confirmed NASH and fibrosis received low-caloric dietary intervention, semaglutide (30 nmol/kg/day, s.c.) or lanifibranor (30 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. Within-subject change in NAFLD Activity Score (NAS) and fibrosis stage was evaluated using automated deep learning-based image analysis. GAN DIO-NASH mice showed clear and reproducible progression in NASH, fibrosis stage and tumor burden with high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Consistent with clinical trial outcomes, semaglutide and lanifibranor improved NAS, while only lanifibranor induced regression in fibrosis stage. Dietary intervention also demonstrated substantial benefits on metabolic outcomes and liver histology. Differential therapeutic efficacy of dietary intervention, semaglutide and lanifibranor was supported by quantitative histology, RNA sequencing, and blood/liver biochemistry. In conclusion, the GAN DIO-NASH mouse model recapitulates various histological stages of NASH and faithfully reproduces histological efficacy profiles of compounds in advanced clinical development for NASH. Collectively, these features highlight the utility of GAN DIO-NASH mice in preclinical drug development.
Project description:Comparison between livers of FLS mice and livers of DS (DD shionogi) mice We used FLS mice as model animals of human NASH, while DS mice as control animals. FLS mice develops NASH spontaneously. DS mouse strain is a sister strain of the FLS mouse strain. We compared RNA from pooled livers of three FLS mice and three DS mice at 19 weeks. NASH in livers from FLS mice was confirmied pathologically while simple steatosis of DS mouse livers confirmed.
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH) is a significant risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, a preclinical model of progressive NAFLD/NASH is largely lacking. Here, we report that mice with hepatocyte-specific deletion of Tid1, encoding a mitochondrial cochaperone, tended to develop NASH-dependent HCC. Mice with hepatic Tid1 deficiency showed impairing mitochondrial function and causing fatty acid metabolic dysregulation; meanwhile, sequentially developed fatty liver, NASH, and cirrhosis/HCC in a diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced oxidative environment. The pathological signatures of human NASH, including cholesterol accumulation and activation of inflammatory and apoptotic signaling pathways, are also present in these mice. Clinically, low Tid1 expression was associated with unfavorable prognosis in patients with HCC. Empirically, hepatic Tid1 deficiency directly disrupts entire mitochondria that play a key role in the NASH-dependent HCC development. Overall, we established a new mouse model that develops NASH-dependent HCC and provides a promising approach to improve the treatment.
Project description:The microRNAs expression was altered with the treatment of metformin in vivo and several microRNAs induced by metformin also may contribute to suppressed of NASH. Using a custom microarray platform, we analyzed the expression levels of 1135 mouse microRNA probes in liver tissue in vivo that were treated with and without metformin.
Project description:Gene expression profiling reveals a potential role of isorhamnetin in the mitigation of NASH features including steatosis, liver injury, and fibrosis Microarray gene expression profiling was conducted for technical replicates of healthy liver as control (CTL), NASH-induced (NASH), NASH-induced treated with isorhamnetin for 14 days (50 mg/kg of body weight) (NASH+ISO) liver tissues to identify its effect in the regulation of pathways involved in pathologic features of NASH.