Deletion of Macrophage Mineralocorticoid Receptor Protects Hepatic Steatosis and Insulin Resistance Through ERα/HGF/Met Pathway.

Abstract

Although the importance of macrophages in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been recognized, how macrophages affect hepatocytes remains elusive. Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) has been implicated to play important roles in NAFLD and T2DM. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. We report that myeloid MR knockout (MRKO) improves glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis in obese mice. Estrogen signaling is sufficient and necessary for such improvements. Hepatic gene and protein expression suggests that MRKO reduces hepatic lipogenesis and lipid storage. In the presence of estrogen, MRKO in macrophages decreases lipid accumulation and increases insulin sensitivity of hepatocytes through hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/Met signaling. MR directly regulates estrogen receptor 1 (Esr1 [encoding ERα]) in macrophages. Knockdown of hepatic Met eliminates the beneficial effects of MRKO in female obese mice. These findings identify a novel MR/ERα/HGF/Met pathway that conveys metabolic signaling from macrophages to hepatocytes in hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance and provide potential new therapeutic strategies for NAFLD and T2DM.

• Authors: Yu-Yao Zhang, Chao Li, Gao-Feng Yao, Lin-Juan Du, Yuan Liu, Xiao-Jun Zheng, Shuai Yan, Jian-Yong Sun, Yan Liu, Ming-Zhu Liu, Xiaoran Zhang, Gang Wei, Wenxin Tong, Xiaobei Chen, Yong Wu, Shuyang Sun, Suling Liu, Qiurong Ding, Ying Yu, Huiyong Yin, Sheng-Zhong Duan
• Journal: Diabetes (Diabetes) Vol. 66 Issue 6 Pg. 1535-1547 (06 2017) ISSN: 1939-327X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28325853 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

Chemical References

• Estrogen Receptor alpha
• Fatty Acids, Nonesterified
• Insulin
• Receptors, Mineralocorticoid
• Triglycerides
• Hepatocyte Growth Factor
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met

Topics

• Animals
• Cells, Cultured
• Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 (metabolism)
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Estrogen Receptor alpha (genetics, metabolism)
• Fatty Acids, Nonesterified (metabolism)
• Female
• Gene Knockdown Techniques
• Glucose Tolerance Test
• Hepatocyte Growth Factor (metabolism)
• Hepatocytes (metabolism)
• Immunoblotting
• Insulin (metabolism)
• Insulin Resistance (genetics)
• Lipogenesis
• Macrophages (metabolism)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Knockout
• Mice, Obese (genetics, metabolism)
• Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (genetics, metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met (genetics, metabolism)
• RAW 264.7 Cells
• Receptors, Mineralocorticoid (genetics)
• Signal Transduction
• Triglycerides (metabolism)