Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one of the most common liver diseases worldwide. However, the exact mechanisms underlying ALD remain unclear. Previous studies reported that sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2) plays an essential role in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism. In the current study, we demonstrate that compared to wild-type (WT) mice, SphK2 deficient (SphK2) mice exhibited a greater degree of liver injury and hepatic lipid accumulation after feeding with an alcohol diet for 60 days. This is accompanied by a down-regulation of steroid 7-alpha-hydroxylase (Cyp7b1) and an up-regulation of pro-inflammatory mediators (Tnfα, F4/80, Il-1β). In vitro experiments showed that alcohol induced SphK2 expression in mouse primary hepatocytes and cultured mouse macrophages. Furthermore, alcohol feeding induced a more severe intestinal barrier dysfunction in SphK2 mice than WT mice. Deficiency of SphK2 impaired the growth of intestinal organoids. Finally, SphK2 expression levels were down-regulated in the livers of human patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma compared to healthy controls. In summary, these findings suggest that SphK2 is a crucial regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and that modulating the SphK2-mediated signaling pathway may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ALD and other metabolic liver diseases.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6682426 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dld.2019.03.020 | DOI Listing |
Adv Sci (Weinh)
January 2025
Fujian Key Laboratory of Coastal Pollution Prevention and Control, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an "environmental obesogen" and this study aims to investigate the intergenerational impacts of BPA-induced metabolic syndrome (MetS), specifically focusing on unraveling mechanisms. Exposure to BPA induces metabolic disorders in the paternal mice, which are then transmitted to offspring, leading to late-onset MetS. Mechanistically, BPA upregulates Srebf1, which in turn promotes the Pparg-dependent transcription of Dicer1 in spermatocytes, increasing the levels of multiple sperm microRNAs (miRNAs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Rep
January 2025
Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address:
Glucagon has recently been found to modulate liver fat content, in addition to its role in regulating gluconeogenesis. However, the precise mechanisms by which glucagon signaling synchronizes glucose and lipid metabolism in the liver remain poorly understood. By employing chemical and genetic approaches, we demonstrate that inhibiting the androgen receptor (AR) impairs the ability of glucagon to stimulate gluconeogenesis and lipid catabolism in primary hepatocytes and female mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFASEB J
January 2025
Department of Nutrition, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Tamoxifen is an inhibitor of estrogen receptors and was originally developed for breast cancer therapy. Besides, tamoxifen is widely used for Cre-estrogen receptor-mediated conditional knockout in transgenic mice. However, we found that the 3-month feeding of 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Pharmacy, Punjab University College of Pharmacy, Lahore, PAK.
Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy (BSCL), also known as congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL), is an exceptionally rare autosomal recessive disorder marked by a significant deficiency of adipose tissue throughout the body. This lack of adipose tissue, normally found beneath the skin and between internal organs, leads to impaired adipocyte formation and fat storage, causing lipids to accumulate in atypical tissues such as muscles and the liver. The extent of adipose tissue loss directly influences the severity of symptoms, which can include a muscular appearance, increased appetite, bone cysts, marrow fat depletion, acromegalic features, severe insulin resistance, skeletal muscle hypertrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hepatic steatosis, hepatomegaly, cirrhosis, and intellectual disability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetabol Open
March 2025
Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Background: Tissue damage by viral hepatitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Oxidation reactions and reactive oxygen species (ROS) transform proteins and lipids in plasma low-density lipoproteins (LDL) into the abnormal oxidized LDL (ox-LDL). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces oxidative/nitrosative stress from multiple sources, including the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), the mitochondrial electron transport chain, hepatocyte NAD(P)H oxidases (NOX enzymes), and inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!