Mei Xiang1, Pi-Xiao Wang2, Ai-Bing Wang3, Xiao-Jing Zhang4, Yaxing Zhang2, Peng Zhang2, Fang-Hua Mei2, Man-Hua Chen5, Hongliang Li6. 1. Department of Cardiology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China; Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; Animal Experiment Center/Animal Biosafety Level-III Laboratory, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China. 2. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; Animal Experiment Center/Animal Biosafety Level-III Laboratory, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China. 3. College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China. 4. State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao 999078, China. 5. Department of Cardiology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China. Electronic address: chenmh@aliyun.com. 6. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; Animal Experiment Center/Animal Biosafety Level-III Laboratory, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China. Electronic address: lihl@whu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 1 (TRAF1) is an important adapter protein that is largely implicated in molecular events regulating immunity/inflammation and cell death. Although inflammation is closely related to and forms a vicious circle with insulin dysfunction and hepatic lipid accumulation, the role of TRAF1 in hepatic steatosis and the related metabolic disorders remains unclear. METHODS: The participation of TRAF1 in the initiation and progression of hepatic steatosis was evaluated in high fat diet (HFD)-induced and genetic obesity. Mice with global TRAF1 knockout or liver-specific TRAF1 overexpression were employed to investigate the role of TRAF1 in insulin resistance, inflammation, and hepatic steatosis based on various phenotypic examinations. Molecular mechanisms underlying TRAF1-regulated hepatic steatosis were further explored in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: TRAF1 expression was significantly upregulated in the livers of NAFLD patients and obese mice and in palmitate-treated hepatocytes. In response to HFD administration or in ob/ob mice, TRAF1 deficiency was hepatoprotective, whereas the overexpression of TRAF1 in hepatocytes contributed to the pathological development of insulin resistance, inflammatory response and hepatic steatosis. Mechanistically, hepatocyte TRAF1 promotes hepatic steatosis through enhancing the activation of ASK1-mediated P38/JNK cascades, as evidenced by the fact that ASK1 inhibition abolished the exacerbated effect of TRAF1 on insulin dysfunction, inflammation, and hepatic lipid accumulation. CONCLUSIONS: TRAF1 functions as a positive regulator of insulin resistance, inflammation, and hepatic steatosis dependent on the activation of ASK1-P38/JNK axis.
BACKGROUND & AIMS:Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 1 (TRAF1) is an important adapter protein that is largely implicated in molecular events regulating immunity/inflammation and cell death. Although inflammation is closely related to and forms a vicious circle with insulin dysfunction and hepatic lipid accumulation, the role of TRAF1 in hepatic steatosis and the related metabolic disorders remains unclear. METHODS: The participation of TRAF1 in the initiation and progression of hepatic steatosis was evaluated in high fat diet (HFD)-induced and genetic obesity. Mice with global TRAF1 knockout or liver-specific TRAF1 overexpression were employed to investigate the role of TRAF1 in insulin resistance, inflammation, and hepatic steatosis based on various phenotypic examinations. Molecular mechanisms underlying TRAF1-regulated hepatic steatosis were further explored in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS:TRAF1 expression was significantly upregulated in the livers of NAFLD patients and obesemice and in palmitate-treated hepatocytes. In response to HFD administration or in ob/ob mice, TRAF1 deficiency was hepatoprotective, whereas the overexpression of TRAF1 in hepatocytes contributed to the pathological development of insulin resistance, inflammatory response and hepatic steatosis. Mechanistically, hepatocyte TRAF1 promotes hepatic steatosis through enhancing the activation of ASK1-mediated P38/JNK cascades, as evidenced by the fact that ASK1 inhibition abolished the exacerbated effect of TRAF1 on insulin dysfunction, inflammation, and hepatic lipid accumulation. CONCLUSIONS:TRAF1 functions as a positive regulator of insulin resistance, inflammation, and hepatic steatosis dependent on the activation of ASK1-P38/JNK axis.
Authors: Susanne Schuster-Gaul; Lukas Jonathan Geisler; Matthew D McGeough; Casey D Johnson; Anna Zagorska; Li Li; Alexander Wree; Vivian Barry; Igor Mikaelian; Lily J Jih; Bettina G Papouchado; Grant Budas; Hal M Hoffman; Ariel E Feldstein Journal: JCI Insight Date: 2020-01-30