Hepatocyte CYR61 polarizes profibrotic macrophages to orchestrate NASH fibrosis

Sci Transl Med. 2023 Sep 27;15(715):eade3157. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.ade3157. Epub 2023 Sep 27.

Abstract

Obesity is increasing worldwide and leads to a multitude of metabolic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61) is associated with the progression of NASH, but it has been described to have anti- and proinflammatory properties. We sought to examine the role of liver CYR61 in NASH progression. CYR61 liver-specific knockout mice on a NASH diet showed improved glucose tolerance, decreased liver inflammation, and reduced fibrosis. CYR61 polarized infiltrating monocytes promoting a proinflammatory/profibrotic phenotype through an IRAK4/SYK/NF-κB signaling cascade. In vitro, CYR61 activated a profibrotic program, including PDGFa/PDGFb expression in macrophages, in an IRAK4/SYK/NF-κB-dependent manner. Furthermore, targeted-antibody blockade reduced CYR61-driven signaling in macrophages in vitro and in vivo, reducing fibrotic development. This study demonstrates that CYR61 is a key driver of liver inflammation and fibrosis in NASH.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fibrosis
  • Hepatocytes / metabolism
  • Interleukin-1 Receptor-Associated Kinases / metabolism
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / pathology

Substances

  • Interleukin-1 Receptor-Associated Kinases
  • NF-kappa B