Barrett's esophagus (BE) is characterized by intestinal metaplasia with the differentiated epithelium replaced by another type of epithelium morphologically similar to normal intestinal epithelium. The metaplasia ...Barrett's esophagus (BE) is characterized by intestinal metaplasia with the differentiated epithelium replaced by another type of epithelium morphologically similar to normal intestinal epithelium. The metaplasia is preceded by bile and acid reflux into the esophagus. BE is a premalignant condition associated with increased risk of esophageal cancer, especially esophageal adenocarcinoma. The Caudal-related homeodomain transcription factors Caudal-related homeodomain transcription factor CDX1 and CDX2 are expressed exclusively in the small and large intestine, playing important roles in proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells. Ectopic expression of CDX1 and CDX2 occurs in BE. The apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) is expressed primarily in terminal ileum where it is a key factor for intestinal reabsorption of bile salts. In addition to upregulation of CDX1 and CDX2, ASBT expression is up-regulated in BE. Furthermore, both CDX1/CDX2 and ASBT expressions are down-regulated in high-grade esophageal dysplasia. The alteration of the above-mentioned factors calls for attention: what is the relationship between CDXs and ASBT aberrant expression in BE? In this commentary, we discuss this issue on basis of the recent study done by Ma et al .展开更多
Background and aims:Several bile acids-based monotherapies have been developed for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)treatment but clinical trial findings suggest that they do not satisfactorily improve NASH and live...Background and aims:Several bile acids-based monotherapies have been developed for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)treatment but clinical trial findings suggest that they do not satisfactorily improve NASH and liver fibrosis in many patients.Recently,we have shown that combining a gut-restricted apical sodium-bile acid transporter(ASBT)inhibitor GSK2330672(GSK)with adeno-associated virus(AAV)-mediated liver fibroblast growth factor 15(FGF15)overexpression provides significantly improved efficacy than either single treatment against NASH and liver fibrosis in a high fat,cholesterol,and fructose(HFCFr)diet-induced NASH mouse model.The beneficial effects of the com-bined treatment can be attributed to the markedly reduced bile acid pool that reduces liver bile acid burden and intestinal lipid absorption.The aim of this study is to further investigate if combining GSK treatment with the orally bioavailable obeticholic acid(OCA),which induces endogenous FGF15 and inhibits hepatic bile acid synthesis,can achieve similar anti-NASH effect as the GSKþAAV-FGF15 co-treatment in HFCFr-diet-fed mice.Materials and methods:Male C57BL/6J mice were fed HFCFr diet to induce NASH and liver fibrosis.The effect of GSK,OCA,and GSKþOCA treatments on NASH development was compared and contrasted among all groups.Results:Findings from this study showed that the GSKþOCA co-treatment did not cause persistent reduction of obesity over a 12-week treatment period.Neither single treatment nor the GSKþOCA co-treatment reduce hepatic steatosis,but all three treatments reduced hepatic inflammatory cytokines and fibrosis by a similar magnitude.The GSKþOCA co-treatment caused a higher degree of total bile acid pool reduction(~55%)than either GSK or OCA treatment alone.However,such bile acid pool reduction was insufficient to cause increased fecal lipid loss.The GSKþOCA co-treatment prevented GSK-mediated induction of hepatic cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase but failed to induce ileal FGF15 expression.GSK did not reduce gallbladder OCA amount in the GSKþOCA group compared to the OCA group,suggesting that ASBT inhibition does not reduce hepatic OCA distribution.Conclusions:Unlike the GSKþAAV-FGF15 co-treatment,the GSKþOCA co-treatment does not provide improved efficacy against NASH and liver fibrosis than either single treatment in mice.The lack of synergistic effect may be partly attributed to the moderate reduction of total bile acid pool and the lack of high level of FGF15 exposure as seen in the GSKþAAV-FGF15 co-treatment.展开更多
文摘Barrett's esophagus (BE) is characterized by intestinal metaplasia with the differentiated epithelium replaced by another type of epithelium morphologically similar to normal intestinal epithelium. The metaplasia is preceded by bile and acid reflux into the esophagus. BE is a premalignant condition associated with increased risk of esophageal cancer, especially esophageal adenocarcinoma. The Caudal-related homeodomain transcription factors Caudal-related homeodomain transcription factor CDX1 and CDX2 are expressed exclusively in the small and large intestine, playing important roles in proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells. Ectopic expression of CDX1 and CDX2 occurs in BE. The apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) is expressed primarily in terminal ileum where it is a key factor for intestinal reabsorption of bile salts. In addition to upregulation of CDX1 and CDX2, ASBT expression is up-regulated in BE. Furthermore, both CDX1/CDX2 and ASBT expressions are down-regulated in high-grade esophageal dysplasia. The alteration of the above-mentioned factors calls for attention: what is the relationship between CDXs and ASBT aberrant expression in BE? In this commentary, we discuss this issue on basis of the recent study done by Ma et al .
文摘Background and aims:Several bile acids-based monotherapies have been developed for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)treatment but clinical trial findings suggest that they do not satisfactorily improve NASH and liver fibrosis in many patients.Recently,we have shown that combining a gut-restricted apical sodium-bile acid transporter(ASBT)inhibitor GSK2330672(GSK)with adeno-associated virus(AAV)-mediated liver fibroblast growth factor 15(FGF15)overexpression provides significantly improved efficacy than either single treatment against NASH and liver fibrosis in a high fat,cholesterol,and fructose(HFCFr)diet-induced NASH mouse model.The beneficial effects of the com-bined treatment can be attributed to the markedly reduced bile acid pool that reduces liver bile acid burden and intestinal lipid absorption.The aim of this study is to further investigate if combining GSK treatment with the orally bioavailable obeticholic acid(OCA),which induces endogenous FGF15 and inhibits hepatic bile acid synthesis,can achieve similar anti-NASH effect as the GSKþAAV-FGF15 co-treatment in HFCFr-diet-fed mice.Materials and methods:Male C57BL/6J mice were fed HFCFr diet to induce NASH and liver fibrosis.The effect of GSK,OCA,and GSKþOCA treatments on NASH development was compared and contrasted among all groups.Results:Findings from this study showed that the GSKþOCA co-treatment did not cause persistent reduction of obesity over a 12-week treatment period.Neither single treatment nor the GSKþOCA co-treatment reduce hepatic steatosis,but all three treatments reduced hepatic inflammatory cytokines and fibrosis by a similar magnitude.The GSKþOCA co-treatment caused a higher degree of total bile acid pool reduction(~55%)than either GSK or OCA treatment alone.However,such bile acid pool reduction was insufficient to cause increased fecal lipid loss.The GSKþOCA co-treatment prevented GSK-mediated induction of hepatic cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase but failed to induce ileal FGF15 expression.GSK did not reduce gallbladder OCA amount in the GSKþOCA group compared to the OCA group,suggesting that ASBT inhibition does not reduce hepatic OCA distribution.Conclusions:Unlike the GSKþAAV-FGF15 co-treatment,the GSKþOCA co-treatment does not provide improved efficacy against NASH and liver fibrosis than either single treatment in mice.The lack of synergistic effect may be partly attributed to the moderate reduction of total bile acid pool and the lack of high level of FGF15 exposure as seen in the GSKþAAV-FGF15 co-treatment.