Hepatocyte FoxO1 depletion exacerbates hepatic inflammation in MASH
The transcription factor Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) is a well-established regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism, yet its role in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) pathogenesis remains debated. This study investigates hepatocyte-specific FoxO1 mechanisms driving hepatic inflammation in MASH. Using hepatocyte-specific FoxO1-knockout (KO) mice fed a methionine-choline-deficient diet and LPS-treated FoxO1-KO cells, we demonstrate that FoxO1 depletion exacerbates hepatic inflammation, ballooning degeneration, and upregulates TNF-alpha, CXCL8, and CXCL2 in vivo and in vitro. Transcriptomics linked FoxO1 deficiency to enriched pro-inflammatory pathways and suppressed cysteine/methionine metabolism.