Normal metabolism requires a controlled balance between anabolism and catabolism. It is not completely known how this balance can be retained when the level of nutrient supply changes in the long term. We found that in murine liver anabolism, as represented by the phosphorylation of RPS6KB (ribosomal protein S6 kinase), was soon elevated while catabolism, as represented by TFEB (transcription factor EB)-directed gene transcription and lysosomal activities, was downregulated after the administration of a high-fat diet (HFD). Surprisingly, neither the alteration in RPS6KB phosphorylation nor that in TFEB functions was static over the long course of HFD feeding. Instead, the 2 signals exhibited dynamic alterations in opposite directions, which could be explained by the dependence of MTORC1 (MTOR complex 1) activation on TFEB-supported lysosome function and the feedback suppression of TFEB by MTORC1. Disruption of the dynamics by enforced expression of TFEB in HFD-fed mice at the peaks of MTORC1 activation restored lysosome function. Consistently, interference of MTORC1 activation with rapamycin or with a constitutively activated RRAGA mutant at the peak or nadir of MTORC1 oscillation enhanced or reduced the lysosome function, respectively. These treatments also improved or exacerbated hepatic steatosis and liver injury, respectively. Finally, there was a significant inverse correlation between TFEB activation and steatosis severity in the livers of patients with non-alcohol fatty liver diseases, supporting the clinical relevance of TFEB-regulated events. Thus, maintaining catabolic function through feedback mechanisms during enhanced anabolism, which is caused by nutrient oversupply, is important for reducing liver pathology.

Hepatic senescence, the good and the bad

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular degradative function that is important for liver homeostasis. Accumulating evidence suggests that autophagy is deregulated during the progression and development of alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases. Impaired autophagy prevents the clearance of excessive lipid droplets (LDs), damaged mitochondria, and toxic protein aggregates, which can be generated during the progression of various liver diseases, thus contributing to the development of steatosis, injury, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and tumors. In this review, we look at the status of hepatic autophagy during the pathogenesis of alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases. We also examine the mechanisms of defects in autophagy, and the hepato-protective roles of autophagy in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD), focusing mainly on steatosis and liver injury. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of autophagy modulating agents for the treatment of these two common liver diseases.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are widely used in many applications due to their unique physical and chemical characteristics. Because of the increasing prevalence of metabolic syndromes, including obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, concern has arisen about the roles of environmental pollutants in such diseases. Earlier epidemiologic studies showed a potential association between perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and glucose metabolism, but how PFOA influences glucose homeostasis is still unknown. Here, we report on the modulation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-serine/threonine protein kinase (PI3K-AKT) signaling pathway in the livers of mice after 28 d of exposure to PFOA. Compared with normal mice, PFOA exposure significantly decreased the expression of the phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) protein and affected the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in the liver. Tolerance tests further indicated that PFOA exposure induced higher insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in mice. Biochemical analysis revealed that PFOA exposure reduced hepatic glycogen synthesis, which might be attributed to gluconeogenesis inhibition. The levels of several circulating proteins were altered after PFOA exposure, including proteins potentially related to diabetes and liver disease. Our results suggest that PFOA affected glucose metabolism and induced insulin hypersensitivity in mice.

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a highly abundant DNA-binding protein that can relocate to the cytosol or undergo extracellular release during cellular stress or death. HMGB1 has a functional versatility depending on its cellular location. While intracellular HMGB1 is important for DNA structure maintenance, gene expression, and autophagy induction, extracellular HMGB1 acts as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecule to alert the host of damage by triggering immune responses. The biological function of HMGB1 is mediated by multiple receptors, including the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are expressed in different hepatic cells. Activation of HMGB1 and downstream signaling pathways are contributing factors in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and drug-induced liver injury (DILI), each of which involves sterile inflammation, liver fibrosis, ductular reaction, and hepatic tumorigenesis. In this review, we will discuss the critical role of HMGB1 in these pathogenic contexts and propose HMGB1 as a bona fide and targetable DAMP in the setting of common liver diseases.