Adiponectin prevents progression of steatohepatitis in mice by regulating oxidative stress and Kupffer cell phenotype polarization.
OBJECTIVE
We reported previously that hypoadiponectinemia enhances hepatic oxidative stress and accelerates progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in mice. However, the precise mechanism and preventive effects of adiponectin on NASH remain unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of adiponectin on steatohepatitis using adiponectin-knockout (KO) mice and adenovirus-mediated adiponectin expression system.


METHODS
We used male KO mice and C57BL6/J (WT) mice fed methionine choline-deficient (MCD)-diet as a steatohepatitis model. Liver histology, hepatic oxidative stress markers, and hepatic gene expression levels were investigated. In addition, Hepa 1-6 cells, a mouse liver cell line, were cultured with or without recombinant adiponectin, and gene expressions were investigated by real-time RT-PCR.


RESULTS
After 2-week feeding of MCD diet, hepatic steatosis was enhanced and plasma alanine aminotransferase elevated in KO mice than in WT mice. In KO mice liver, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances increased, glutathione levels decreased, and mRNA expression levels of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase-1) downregulated. Adenovirus-mediated adiponectin expression prevented these changes in KO mice. Moreover, Kupffer cell infiltration was enhanced and mRNA levels of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage markers (interleukin-10, arginase-1) were decreased in KO mice liver. In the in vitro study, adiponectin significantly increased catalase gene expression in Hepa 1-6 cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Lack of adiponectin enhanced, and adiponectin administration prevented steatohepatitis progression in mice. These changes were due to the anti-oxidative effects of adiponectin, and its effects on Kupffer cells recruitment and phenotype polarization. Augmentation of adiponectin effects could be a useful preventive approach for NASH progression.
Fukushima
Juichi
J
Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
Kamada
Yoshihiro
Y
Matsumoto
Hitoshi
H
Yoshida
Yuichi
Y
Ezaki
Hisao
H
Takemura
Takayo
T
Saji
Yukiko
Y
Igura
Takumi
T
Tsutsui
Shusaku
S
Kihara
Shinji
S
Funahashi
Tohru
T
Shimomura
Iichiro
I
Tamura
Shinji
S
Kiso
Shinichi
S
Hayashi
Norio
N