Abstract: Objective To investigate the mechanism of liraglutide ameliorates hepatic steatosis by
regulation silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) / adenosine monophosphate-activated protein
kinase (AMPK) pathway in mice. Methods Twenty-four healthy 6-week-old C57BL/6J male
mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, model + liraglutide group, model +
SIRT1 group, model + SIRT1 + liraglutide group and model + SIRT1-NC group, 4 mice in each
group. Mice in control group were fed with regular feed and received subcutaneous injection
of equal volume physiological saline. Mice in model group were fed with high-fat diet for
12 weeks to establish a metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) model,
followed by tail vein injection of SIRT1 interference lentivirus and liraglutide for 3 weeks. The
levels of serum triglycerides and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of mice in each group were
detected. HE staining and oil red O staining were used to observe liver tissue pathology. Realtime
fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect the gene expression levels of AMPK,
SIRT1, liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c).
Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels. Results Liraglutide could reduce
body mass, liver wet weight, serum triglycerides and ALT level of C57BL/6J mice with high-fat
diet, and oil red O staining showed a decrease in hepatic lipid droplets. Compared with model
group, SIRT1 (0.212 ± 0.110 vs. 0.076 ± 0.010), AMPK (0.518 ± 0.051 vs. 0.248 ± 0.023), LKB1
(1.023 ± 0.039 vs. 0.576 ± 0.029) gene expression levels and AMPK (0.212 ± 0.026 vs. 0.100 ±
0.006), LKB1 (0.413 ± 0.016 vs. 0.221 ± 0.015) protein expression levels were upregulated of
mice in the model + liraglutide group, while SREBP-1c gene (0.727 ± 0.249 vs. 9.007 ± 1.530)
and protein (0.187 ± 0.008 vs. 0.824 ± 0.114) expression levels were downregulated (all P <
0.05). Compared with model group, gene expression levels of SIRT1 (0.029 ± 0.003 vs 0.076 ±
0.010), AMPK (0.105 ± 0.013 vs 0.248 ± 0.023) and LKB1 (0.333 ± 0.106 vs 0.576 ± 0.029)
were all downregulated in the model + SIRT1 group (all P < 0.05). Compared with model +
SIRT1 group, LKB1 (0.945 ± 0.110 vs. 0.333 ± 0.106; 0.380 ± 0.004 vs. 0.145 ± 0.014) and
AMPK (0.319 ± 0.051 vs. 0.105 ± 0.013; 0.181 ± 0.039 vs. 0.051 ± 0.012) gene expression
and protein expression in model + SIRT1 + liraglutide group were upregulated, while
SREBP-1c gene expression was downregulated (4.239 ± 0.554 vs. 12.740 ± 0.976) (all P <
0.05). Conclusions Liraglutide may improve liver lipid toxicity in C57BL/6J mice by directly
upregulating the gene and protein expression levels of SIRT1/AMPK signaling molecules, or
indirectly activating LKB1 and enhancing AMPK gene and protein expression, antagonizing
SREBP-1c gene and protein expression, thereby reducing lipid synthesis related molecular
levels. Interference with SIRT1 expression weakens the effect of liraglutide upregulating the
SIRT1/AMPK pathway on improving liver steatosis.
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