GSE138666
TSPO ameliorated the liver fibrosis in  non-alcoholic fatty liver disease mice
The 18-kDa translocator protein TSPO is a conserved ubiquitous high affinity cholesterol binding protein localized in the outer mitochondrial membrane. It plays a critical role in the segregation and transport of cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane in steroidogenic cells. Imaging studies in humans, using specific TSPO ligands, showed that TSPO is highly expressed and accurately mirrors the histological picture of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the functions of TSPO in simple steatosis (SS) and NASH are unknown. In the present study, we examined the TSPO functions with in vivo NAFLD model. To induce NASH in vivo, we fed the WT and TSPO KO rat with MCD (methionine-choline deficient) diet. Loss of TSPO ameliorated the liver fibrosis through down regulation of bile acid synthesis by reduction of CYP7A1 and CYP27A1 and increase of farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Overall design: To induce NASH in vivo, we fed the WT and TSPO KO rat with MCD (methionine-choline deficient) diet.