A Critical Role for the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in Hepatic Stellate Cell ActivationSummary

Background & Aims: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are non-parenchymal cells of the liver that produce the extracellular matrix that forms fibrotic lesions in chronic liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) cata...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Habibi, Daniel Ferguson, Sophie J. Eichler, Mandy M. Chan, Christina Fu, Terri A. Pietka, Andrea L. Bredemeyer, Andrew LaPoint, Trevor M. Shew, Mai He, Kim H.H. Liss, Andrew J. Lutkewitte, Kevin Cho, Joel D. Schilling, Gary J. Patti, Brian N. Finck
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352345X2500058X
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author Mohammad Habibi
Daniel Ferguson
Sophie J. Eichler
Mandy M. Chan
Christina Fu
Terri A. Pietka
Andrea L. Bredemeyer
Andrew LaPoint
Trevor M. Shew
Mai He
Kim H.H. Liss
Andrew J. Lutkewitte
Kevin Cho
Joel D. Schilling
Gary J. Patti
Brian N. Finck
author_facet Mohammad Habibi
Daniel Ferguson
Sophie J. Eichler
Mandy M. Chan
Christina Fu
Terri A. Pietka
Andrea L. Bredemeyer
Andrew LaPoint
Trevor M. Shew
Mai He
Kim H.H. Liss
Andrew J. Lutkewitte
Kevin Cho
Joel D. Schilling
Gary J. Patti
Brian N. Finck
author_sort Mohammad Habibi
collection DOAJ
description Background & Aims: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are non-parenchymal cells of the liver that produce the extracellular matrix that forms fibrotic lesions in chronic liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) catalyzes the transport of pyruvate from the cytosol into the mitochondrial matrix, which is a critical step in pyruvate metabolism. An MPC inhibitor has shown promise as a novel therapeutic for MASH and HSC activation, but a mechanistic understanding of the direct effects of MPC inhibition on HSC activation is lacking. Methods: Stable lines of LX2 cells expressing short hairpin RNA against MPC2 were established and examined in a series of studies to assess HSC metabolism and activation. Mice with conditional, HSC-specific MPC2 deletion were generated and their phenotypes assessed in the context of diets that cause hepatic steatosis, injury, and early-stage fibrosis. Results: Genetic suppression of MPC activity markedly decreased expression of markers of HSC activation in vitro. MPC knockdown reduced the abundance of several intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and attenuated HSC activation by suppressing hypoxia inducible factor-1α signaling. Supplementing alpha-ketoglutarate to replenish the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates was sufficient to overcome the effects of MPC inhibition on hypoxia inducible factor-1α and HSC activation. On high-fat diets, mice with HSC-specific MPC deletion exhibited reduced circulating transaminases, numbers of HSCs, and hepatic expression of markers of HSC activation and inflammation compared with wild-type mice. Conclusions: These data suggest that MPC inhibition modulates HSC metabolism to attenuate activation and illuminate mechanisms by which MPC inhibitors could prove therapeutically beneficial for treating MASH.
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spelling doaj-art-5087d146ec45411c8ac3c3ce2ff3b9052025-08-20T03:55:22ZengElsevierCellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology2352-345X2025-01-0119810151710.1016/j.jcmgh.2025.101517A Critical Role for the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in Hepatic Stellate Cell ActivationSummaryMohammad Habibi0Daniel Ferguson1Sophie J. Eichler2Mandy M. Chan3Christina Fu4Terri A. Pietka5Andrea L. Bredemeyer6Andrew LaPoint7Trevor M. Shew8Mai He9Kim H.H. Liss10Andrew J. Lutkewitte11Kevin Cho12Joel D. Schilling13Gary J. Patti14Brian N. Finck15Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KansasDepartment of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Correspondence Address correspondence to: Brian N. Finck, PhD, MSC 8031-0014-01, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.Background & Aims: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are non-parenchymal cells of the liver that produce the extracellular matrix that forms fibrotic lesions in chronic liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) catalyzes the transport of pyruvate from the cytosol into the mitochondrial matrix, which is a critical step in pyruvate metabolism. An MPC inhibitor has shown promise as a novel therapeutic for MASH and HSC activation, but a mechanistic understanding of the direct effects of MPC inhibition on HSC activation is lacking. Methods: Stable lines of LX2 cells expressing short hairpin RNA against MPC2 were established and examined in a series of studies to assess HSC metabolism and activation. Mice with conditional, HSC-specific MPC2 deletion were generated and their phenotypes assessed in the context of diets that cause hepatic steatosis, injury, and early-stage fibrosis. Results: Genetic suppression of MPC activity markedly decreased expression of markers of HSC activation in vitro. MPC knockdown reduced the abundance of several intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and attenuated HSC activation by suppressing hypoxia inducible factor-1α signaling. Supplementing alpha-ketoglutarate to replenish the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates was sufficient to overcome the effects of MPC inhibition on hypoxia inducible factor-1α and HSC activation. On high-fat diets, mice with HSC-specific MPC deletion exhibited reduced circulating transaminases, numbers of HSCs, and hepatic expression of markers of HSC activation and inflammation compared with wild-type mice. Conclusions: These data suggest that MPC inhibition modulates HSC metabolism to attenuate activation and illuminate mechanisms by which MPC inhibitors could prove therapeutically beneficial for treating MASH.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352345X2500058XCollagenFibrosisHIF1alphaMASLDTCA Cycle
spellingShingle Mohammad Habibi
Daniel Ferguson
Sophie J. Eichler
Mandy M. Chan
Christina Fu
Terri A. Pietka
Andrea L. Bredemeyer
Andrew LaPoint
Trevor M. Shew
Mai He
Kim H.H. Liss
Andrew J. Lutkewitte
Kevin Cho
Joel D. Schilling
Gary J. Patti
Brian N. Finck
A Critical Role for the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in Hepatic Stellate Cell ActivationSummary
Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Collagen
Fibrosis
HIF1alpha
MASLD
TCA Cycle
title A Critical Role for the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in Hepatic Stellate Cell ActivationSummary
title_full A Critical Role for the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in Hepatic Stellate Cell ActivationSummary
title_fullStr A Critical Role for the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in Hepatic Stellate Cell ActivationSummary
title_full_unstemmed A Critical Role for the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in Hepatic Stellate Cell ActivationSummary
title_short A Critical Role for the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier in Hepatic Stellate Cell ActivationSummary
title_sort critical role for the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier in hepatic stellate cell activationsummary
topic Collagen
Fibrosis
HIF1alpha
MASLD
TCA Cycle
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352345X2500058X
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