Disruption of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α in hepatocytes protects against acetaminophen-induced liver injury by activating the IL-6/STAT3 pathway.

Abstract

Background & Aims: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) is a ligand-activated transcription factor abundantly expressed in liver. PPARα activator has been previously reported to protect against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity, but fenofibrate, a lipid-lowering drug that activates PPARα, has a common side-effect causing liver injury. Thus, the exact effect of liver PPARα on drug-induced liver injury remains obscure. Methods: Hepatocyte-specific Ppara knockout mice and littermate wild-type control mice were intraperitoneally injected with acetaminophen (400 mg/kg body weight). Blood and liver samples were collected at different time points. We measured phase I and II cytochrome P450 enzymes, glutathione, reactive oxygen species, cytokines including Il6, and pSTAT3 by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR, colorimetric, immunohistochemistry analyses and Western blotting. Results: Hepatic expression of PPARα was significantly decreased in DILI patients. Disruption of the Ppara gene in hepatocytes significantly reduced acetaminophen-induced liver injury in mice. ROS production rather than the expression levels of phase I and II cytochrome P450 enzymes was reduced in hepatocyte-specific Ppara knockout mice compared to control mice after acetaminophen administration. Mechanistically, hepatocyte-specific Ppara knockout mice had upregulated activation of the hepatoprotective pathway IL-6/STAT3 compared to wild-type mice, as evidenced by hepatic Il6 mRNA levels, hepatic protein levels of STAT3 and phosphorylated STAT3 were much higher in hepatocyte-specific Ppara knockout mice than in wild-type mice post acetaminophen injection. Conclusions: Hepatocyte-specific disruption of the Ppara gene protects against acetaminophen-induced liver injury by reducing oxidative stress and upregulating the hepatoprotective IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway.

• Authors: Zhenzhen Zhang, Tiantian Yao, Nan Zhao, Hui Liu, Hao Cheng, Frank J Gonzalez, Hua Wang, Guiqiang Wang, Aijuan Qu, Yan Wang
• Journal: International journal of biological sciences (Int J Biol Sci) Vol. 18 Issue 6 Pg. 2317-2328 ( 2022) ISSN: 1449-2288 [Electronic] Australia
• PMID: 35414769 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © The author(s).

Chemical References

• Interleukin-6
• PPAR alpha
• STAT3 Transcription Factor
• STAT3 protein, human
• Acetaminophen
• Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System

Topics

• Acetaminophen (toxicity)
• Animals
• Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury (metabolism)
• Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury, Chronic (metabolism)
• Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System (metabolism)
• Hepatocytes (metabolism)
• Interleukin-6 (metabolism)
• Liver (metabolism)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Knockout
• PPAR alpha (genetics, metabolism)
• STAT3 Transcription Factor (genetics, metabolism)