Featured Publications
Digoxin improves steatohepatitis with differential involvement of liver cell subsets in mice through inhibition of PKM2 transactivation
Zhao P, Han SN, Arumugam S, Yousaf MN, Qin Y, Jiang JX, Torok NJ, Chen Y, Mankash MS, Liu J, Li J, Iwakiri Y, Ouyang X. Digoxin improves steatohepatitis with differential involvement of liver cell subsets in mice through inhibition of PKM2 transactivation. AJP Gastrointestinal And Liver Physiology 2019, 317: g387-g397. PMID: 31411894, PMCID: PMC6842989, DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00054.2019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHigh-fat dietSignificant clinical applicabilityHuman nonalcoholic steatohepatitisNonalcoholic steatohepatitisOral digoxinLiver injuryCell subsetsPathway activationMouse modelHigh-fat diet mouse modelLiver injury mouse modelHepatocyte mitochondrial dysfunctionClinical applicabilityDiet mouse modelInjury mouse modelDifferential involvementLarge clinical experienceNLRP3 inflammasome activationSignificant protective effectHIF-1α transactivationHepatic oxidative stress responseHypoxia-inducible factorLiver inflammationHFD miceWide dosage range
2024
Complement protein signatures in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis
Taiwo M, Huang E, Pathak V, Bellar A, Welch N, Dasarathy J, Streem D, McClain C, Mitchell M, Barton B, Szabo G, Dasarathy S, Consortium A, Schaefer E, Luther J, Day L, Ouyang X, Suyavaran A, Mehal W, Jacobs J, Goodman R, Rotroff D, Nagy L. Complement protein signatures in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis. JCI Insight 2024, 9: e174127. PMID: 38573776, PMCID: PMC11141929, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.174127.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAlcohol-associated hepatitisSevere AHAlcohol use disorderAlcoholic cirrhosisHealthy controlsPredicting 90-day mortalityComplement proteinsSerum proteome of patientsEthanol-induced liver injurySerum proteomeDevelopment of effective therapiesProteome of patientsAssociated with pro-inflammatory cytokinesProtein signaturesPro-inflammatory cytokinesCoagulation factors IINon-invasive biomarkersDiagnostic challengeSerine protease 1Murine modelEffective therapyLiver injuryPrognostic biomarkerHepatic inflammationC1q binding protein
2019
Inflammasome Is Activated in the Liver of Cholestatic Patients and Aggravates Hepatic Injury in Bile Duct–Ligated Mouse
Cai SY, Ge M, Mennone A, Hoque R, Ouyang X, Boyer JL. Inflammasome Is Activated in the Liver of Cholestatic Patients and Aggravates Hepatic Injury in Bile Duct–Ligated Mouse. Cellular And Molecular Gastroenterology And Hepatology 2019, 9: 679-688. PMID: 31887435, PMCID: PMC7160576, DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2019.12.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsWT BDL miceCholestatic liver injuryBDL liversBDL miceBile duct ligationBile acidsLiver injuryCholestatic patientsIL-1βM2 anti-inflammatory macrophagesPrimary sclerosing cholangitisPlasma IL-1βLiver hydroxyproline contentLiver of patientsPrimary biliary cholangitisHealthy control subjectsCD206-positive cellsAnti-inflammatory macrophagesIL-1β inductionEndogenous bile acidsCaspase-1 cleavageProcaspase-1 cleavageMouse hepatocytesSclerosing cholangitisLiver histologyThe SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin attenuates the activity of ROS-NLRP3 inflammasome axis in steatohepatitis with diabetes mellitus.
Leng W, Wu M, Pan H, Lei X, Chen L, Wu Q, Ouyang X, Liang Z. The SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin attenuates the activity of ROS-NLRP3 inflammasome axis in steatohepatitis with diabetes mellitus. Annals Of Translational Medicine 2019, 7: 429. PMID: 31700865, PMCID: PMC6803170, DOI: 10.21037/atm.2019.09.03.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHFD/streptozotocinHigh-fat dietDiabetes mellitusExperimental steatohepatitisHepatic damageNOD-like receptor family pyrin domainSodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitorsGlucose cotransporter 2 inhibitorsDiabetic liver injuryEfficacy of dapagliflozinROS-NLRP3 inflammasomeSGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozinHepatic reactive oxygen speciesCotransporter 2 inhibitorsReactive oxygen speciesFamily pyrin domainHepatic lipid accumulationSterile inflammatory responseMajor clinical consequencesDAPA treatmentDM patientsInhibitor dapagliflozinLiver injuryLiver diseaseLiver steatosis
2018
β-Hydroxybutyrate protects from alcohol-induced liver injury via a Hcar2-cAMP dependent pathway
Chen Y, Ouyang X, Hoque R, Garcia-Martinez I, Yousaf MN, Tonack S, Offermanns S, Dubuquoy L, Louvet A, Mathurin P, Massey V, Schnabl B, Bataller R, Mehal WZ. β-Hydroxybutyrate protects from alcohol-induced liver injury via a Hcar2-cAMP dependent pathway. Journal Of Hepatology 2018, 69: 687-696. PMID: 29705237, PMCID: PMC6098974, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.04.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAlcohol-induced liver injuryAlcoholic hepatitisAlanine aminotransferase levelsLiver injuryNeutrophil influxAminotransferase levelsΒ-hydroxybutyrateDevelopment of AHPlasma alanine aminotransferase levelsGreater neutrophil influxExcess alcohol intakeAlcoholic liver diseaseLife-threatening conditionExcess alcohol consumptionDependent pathwayHigher plasma alanine aminotransferase levelsIntrahepatic macrophagesLiver inflammationLiver diseaseAlcohol intakeHepatoprotective roleReduced steatosisM2 phenotypeTherapeutic effectHepatitis
2017
An endoplasmic reticulum protein, Nogo‐B, facilitates alcoholic liver disease through regulation of kupffer cell polarization
Park J, Shao M, Kim MY, Baik SK, Cho MY, Utsumi T, Satoh A, Ouyang X, Chung C, Iwakiri Y. An endoplasmic reticulum protein, Nogo‐B, facilitates alcoholic liver disease through regulation of kupffer cell polarization. Hepatology 2017, 65: 1720-1734. PMID: 28090670, PMCID: PMC5397326, DOI: 10.1002/hep.29051.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAlcoholic liver diseasePositive Kupffer cellsKupffer cellsLiver injuryALD patientsLiver diseaseM1 polarizationKO miceM2 polarizationLieber-DeCarli ethanol liquid dietDisease severityM1/M2 polarizationKupffer cell polarizationEthanol liquid dietHepatic triglyceride levelsM2 macrophage polarizationHigher hepatic triglyceride levelsChronic ethanol feedingNew therapeutic targetsER stressAbsence of NogoM2 statusWT miceM1 activationTriglyceride levelsBile acids initiate cholestatic liver injury by triggering a hepatocyte-specific inflammatory response
Cai SY, Ouyang X, Chen Y, Soroka CJ, Wang J, Mennone A, Wang Y, Mehal WZ, Jain D, Boyer JL. Bile acids initiate cholestatic liver injury by triggering a hepatocyte-specific inflammatory response. JCI Insight 2017, 2: e90780. PMID: 28289714, PMCID: PMC5333973, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.90780.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLiver injuryInflammatory responseBile acid-induced liver injuryCholestatic liver injuryInflammatory liver injuryProinflammatory cytokine expressionCholestatic liver diseaseBile duct ligationVivo mouse modelHepatic infiltrationInflammatory injurySerum aminotransferasesLiver diseaseCholestatic patientsCytokine expressionChemokine inductionPathophysiologic concentrationsNeutrophil chemotaxisDuct ligationPathophysiologic levelsMouse modelNew therapiesInnate immunityInjuryPeriportal areas
2015
Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 knockout mice have an attenuated hepatic inflammatory response and are protected from cholestatic liver injury
Li M, Mennone A, Soroka CJ, Hagey LR, Ouyang X, Weinman EJ, Boyer JL. Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 knockout mice have an attenuated hepatic inflammatory response and are protected from cholestatic liver injury. Hepatology 2015, 62: 1227-1236. PMID: 26108984, PMCID: PMC4589453, DOI: 10.1002/hep.27956.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBile duct ligationLiver injuryInflammatory responseICAM-1BDL miceBDL-induced liver injuryNeutrophil-mediated liver injuryTotal bile acid concentrationTumor necrosis factor alphaIntercellular adhesion molecule-1Hepatic neutrophil accumulationAttenuated liver injuryCholestatic liver injuryHepatic inflammatory responseMouse liverSerum alanine aminotransferaseBile acid concentrationsHepatic inflammatory diseasesICAM-1 expressionNecrosis factor alphaAdhesion molecule-1Wild-type miceICAM-1 proteinNew therapeutic targetsMessenger RNA levels
2014
Activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor downregulates inflammasome activity and liver inflammation via a β-arrestin-2 pathway
Farooq A, Hoque R, Ouyang X, Farooq A, Ghani A, Ahsan K, Guerra M, Mehal WZ. Activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor downregulates inflammasome activity and liver inflammation via a β-arrestin-2 pathway. AJP Gastrointestinal And Liver Physiology 2014, 307: g732-g740. PMID: 25104498, PMCID: PMC4187065, DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00073.2014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAnti-Inflammatory AgentsArrestinsAspartic AcidBeta-Arrestin 2Beta-ArrestinsCarrier ProteinsCaspase 1Cell LineChemical and Drug Induced Liver InjuryDisease Models, AnimalExcitatory Amino Acid AgonistsHumansInflammasomesInterleukin-1betaLiverMacrophagesMaleMice, Inbred C57BLNLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 ProteinPancreatitisProtein PrecursorsReceptors, N-Methyl-D-AspartateSignal TransductionTime FactorsConceptsNMDA receptorsAcute hepatitisLiver inflammationInflammasome activityAcute inflammatory liver injuryNOD-like receptor familyN-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor familyChronic liver inflammationInflammatory liver injuryΒ-arrestinBrain NMDA receptorsReceptor familyNMDA receptor pathwayLigand-gated ion channelsLiver injuryNonalcoholic steatohepatitisImmune suppressionLimits injuryNF-kβImmune regulationInflammasome activationKupffer cellsInflammasome machineryPyrin domainNonneuronal cells