Monoacylglycerol Acyltransferase 1 Knockdown Exacerbates Hepatic Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Mice With Hepatic Steatosis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most common indication for liver transplantation. The growing prevalence of NAFLD not only increases the demand for liver transplantation, but it also limits the supply of available organs because steatosis predisposes grafts to ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) and many steatotic grafts are discarded. We have shown that monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) 1, an enzyme that converts monoacylglycerol to diacylglycerol, is highly induced in animal models and patients with NAFLD and is an important mediator in NAFLD-related insulin resistance. Herein, we sought to determine whether Mogat1 (the gene encoding MGAT1) knockdown in mice with hepatic steatosis would reduce liver injury and improve liver regeneration following experimental IRI. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) were used to knockdown the expression of Mogat1 in a mouse model of NAFLD. Mice then underwent surgery to induce IRI. We found that Mogat1 knockdown reduced hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation, but it unexpectedly exacerbated liver injury and mortality following experimental ischemia/reperfusion surgery in mice on a high-fat diet. The increased liver injury was associated with robust effects on the hepatic transcriptome following IRI including enhanced expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and suppression of enzymes involved in intermediary metabolism. These transcriptional changes were accompanied by increased signs of oxidative stress and an impaired regenerative response. We have shown that Mogat1 knockdown in a mouse model of NAFLD exacerbates IRI and inflammation and prolongs injury resolution, suggesting that Mogat1 may be necessary for liver regeneration following IRI and that targeting this metabolic enzyme will not be an effective treatment to reduce steatosis-associated graft dysfunction or failure.

Site-1 protease inhibits mitochondrial respiration by controlling the TGF-ß target gene Mss51.

The mitochondrial response to changes in cellular energy demand is necessary for cellular adaptation and organ function. Many genes are essential in orchestrating this response, including the transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 target gene Mss51, an inhibitor of skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration. Although Mss51 is implicated in the pathophysiology of obesity and musculoskeletal disease, how Mss51 is regulated is not entirely understood. Site-1 protease (S1P) is a key activator of several transcription factors required for cellular adaptation. However, the role of S1P in muscle is unknown. Here, we identify S1P as a negative regulator of muscle mass and mitochondrial respiration. S1P disruption in mouse skeletal muscle reduces Mss51 expression and increases muscle mass and mitochondrial respiration. The effects of S1P deficiency on mitochondrial activity are counteracted by overexpressing Mss51, suggesting that one way S1P inhibits respiration is by regulating Mss51. These discoveries expand our understanding of TGF-ß signaling and S1P function.