Rousseau-Bacquie, E. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2024

p110α-dependent hepatocyte signaling is critical for liver gene expression and its rewiring in MASLD

Insulin and other growth factors are key regulators of liver gene expression, including in metabolic diseases. Most of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity induced by insulin is dependent on PI3K. We used mice lacking p110, the catalytic subunit of PI3K, to investigate its role in the regulation of liver gene expression in health and in Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). The absence of hepatocyte PI3K signaling promoted glucose intolerance in lean mice and significantly regulated liver gene expression, including insulin-sensitive genes, in ad libitum feeding. Some of the defective regulation of gene expression in response to hepatocyte-restricted insulin receptor deletion was related to PI3K signaling. In addition, though PI3K deletion in hepatocytes promoted insulin resistance, it was protective against steatotic liver disease in diet-induced obesity. In the absence of hepatocyte PI3K, the effect of diet-induced obesity on liver gene expression was significantly altered, with changes in rhythmic gene expression in liver. Altogether, this study highlights the specific role of p110 in the control of liver gene expression in physiology and in the metabolic rewiring that occurs during MASLD.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Pharmacological activation of constitutive androstane receptor induces female-specific modulation of hepatic metabolism

Background and AimsThe constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a nuclear receptor able to recognize a large panel of xenobiotics leading to the modulation of the expression of its target genes involved in xenobiotic detoxication and energy metabolism. While CAR hepatic activity is thought to be higher in women than in men, its response to an acute pharmacological activation has never been investigated in both sexes. MethodsHepatic transcriptome, plasma and hepatic metabolome, have been analyzed in Car+/+ and Car-/- male and female mice treated either with the CAR-specific agonist, 1,4-bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP), or with vehicle. ResultsWhile 90% of TCPOBOP-sensitive genes were modulated in a sex- independent way, the remaining 10% were almost exclusively impacted in female liver specifically. These female-specific CAR-sensitive genes were mainly involved in xenobiotic metabolism, inflammation and extracellular matrix organization. CAR activation also induced higher hepatic oxidative stress and hepatocyte cytolysis in females than in males. Data mining on human data confirmed that CAR activation may be involved in sexually-dimorphic drug-induced liver injury. Hepatic expression of flavin monooxygenase 3 (Fmo3) was almost abolished and associated with a decrease of hepatic trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) concentration in TCPOBOP-treated females. In line with a possible role in the control of TMAO homeostasis, CAR activation decreased platelet hyperresponsiveness in female mice supplemented with dietary choline. ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that more than 10% of CAR-sensitive genes are sex-specific and influence hepatic and systemic response such as platelet aggregation. Also, CAR activation may be an important mechanism of sexually- dimorphic drug-induced liver injury.

pharmacology and toxicology↗