Global Deletion of Glutathione S-Transferase A4 Exacerbates Developmental Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

We established a mouse model of developmental nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by feeding a high polyunsaturated fat liquid diet to female glutathione-S-transferase 4-4 (Gsta4-/-)/peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (Ppara-/-) double knockout 129/SvJ mice for 12 weeks from weaning. We used it to probe the importance of lipid peroxidation in progression of NASH beyond simple steatosis. Feeding Gsta4-/-/Ppara-/- double-knockout (dKO) mice liquid diets containing corn oil resulted in a percentage fat-dependent increase in steatosis and necroinflammatory injury (P < 0.05). Increasing fat to 70% from 35% resulted in increases in formation of 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts accompanied by evidence of stellate cell activation, matrix remodeling, and fibrosis (P < 0.05). Comparison of dKO mice with wild-type (Wt) and single knockout mice revealed additive effects of Gsta4-/- and Ppara-/- silencing on steatosis, 4-hydroxynonenal adduct formation, oxidative stress, serum alanine amino transferase, expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha, Il6, interferon mRNA, and liver pathology (P < 0.05). Induction of Cyp2e1 protein by high-fat diet was suppressed in Gsta4-/- and dKO groups (P < 0.05). The dKO mice had similar levels of markers of stellate cell activation and matrix remodeling as Ppara-/- single KO mice. These data suggest that lipid peroxidation products play a role in progression of liver injury to steatohepatitis in NASH produced by high-fat feeding during development but appear less important in development of fibrosis.

Increased 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts in male GSTA4-4/PPAR-α double knockout mice enhance injury during early stages of alcoholic liver disease.

To test the significance of lipid peroxidation in the development of alcoholic liver injury, an ethanol (EtOH) liquid diet was fed to male 129/SvJ mice (wild-type, WT) and glutathione S-transferase A4-4-null (GSTA4-/-) mice for 40 days. GSTA4-/- mice were crossed with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α-null mice (PPAR-α-/-), and the effects of EtOH in the resulting double knockout (dKO) mice were compared with the other strains. EtOH increased lipid peroxidation in all except WT mice (P < 0.05). Increased steatosis and mRNA expression of the inflammatory markers CXCL2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were observed in EtOH GSTA4-/- compared with EtOH WT mice (P < 0.05). EtOH PPAR-α-/- mice had increased steatosis, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and hepatic CD3+ T cell populations and elevated mRNA encoding CD14, CXCL2, TNF-α, IL-6, CD138, transforming growth factor-ß, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-ß (PDGFR-ß), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, MMP-13, α-SMA, and collagen type 1 compared with EtOH WT mice. EtOH-fed dKO mice displayed elevation of periportal hepatic 4-hydroxynonenal adducts and serum antibodies against malondialdehyde adducts compared with EtOH feeding of GSTA4-/-, PPAR-α-/-, and WT mice (P < 0.05). ALT was higher in EtOH dKO mice compared with all other groups (P < 0.001). EtOH-fed dKO mice displayed elevated mRNAs for TNF-α and CD14, histological evidence of fibrosis, and increased PDGFR, MMP-9, and MMP-13 mRNAs compared with the EtOH GSTA4-/- or EtOH PPAR-α-/- genotype (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the central role lipid peroxidation plays in mediating progression of alcohol-induced necroinflammatory liver injury, stellate cell activation, matrix remodeling, and fibrosis.

Deletion of GSTA4-4 results in increased mitochondrial post-translational modification of proteins by reactive aldehydes following chronic ethanol consumption in mice.

Chronic alcohol consumption induces hepatic oxidative stress resulting in production of highly reactive electrophilic α/ß-unsaturated aldehydes that have the potential to modify proteins. A primary mechanism of reactive aldehyde detoxification by hepatocytes is through GSTA4-driven enzymatic conjugation with GSH. Given reports that oxidative stress initiates GSTA4 translocation to the mitochondria, we hypothesized that increased hepatocellular damage in ethanol (EtOH)-fed GSTA4(-/-) mice is due to enhanced mitochondrial protein modification by reactive aldehydes. Chronic ingestion of EtOH increased hepatic protein carbonylation in GSTA4(-/-) mice as evidenced by increased 4-HNE and MDA immunostaining in the hepatic periportal region. Using mass spectrometric analysis of biotin hydrazide conjugated carbonylated proteins, a total of 829 proteins were identified in microsomal, cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions. Of these, 417 were novel to EtOH models. Focusing on mitochondrial fractions, 1.61-fold more carbonylated proteins were identified in EtOH-fed GSTA4(-)(/-) mice compared to their respective WT mice ingesting EtOH. Bioinformatic KEGG pathway analysis of carbonylated proteins from the mitochondrial fractions revealed an increased propensity for modification of proteins regulating oxidative phosphorylation, glucose, fatty acid, glutathione and amino acid metabolic processes in GSTA4(-/-) mice. Additional analysis revealed sites of reactive aldehyde protein modification on 26 novel peptides/proteins isolated from either SV/GSTA4(-/-) PF or EtOH fed mice. Among the peptides/proteins identified, ACSL, ACOX2, MTP, and THIKB contribute to regulation of fatty acid metabolism and ARG1, ARLY, and OAT, which regulate nitrogen and ammonia metabolism having direct relevance to ethanol-induced liver injury. These data define a role for GSTA4-4 in buffering hepatic oxidative stress associated with chronic alcohol consumption and that this GST isoform plays an important role in protecting against carbonylation of mitochondrial proteins.