THR-ß agonism improves disease activity and metabolism independent of
body weight in a mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and
fibrosis
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Activation of hepatic thyroid hormone receptor ß
(THR-ß) is associated with systemic lipid lowering, increased bile acid
synthesis and fat oxidation. In patients with non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH), treatment with THR-ß agonists led to reduction
in hepatic steatosis and circulating lipids, and resolution of NASH. We
chose resmetirom (MGL-3196), a liver-directed, selective THR-ß agonist,
as a prototype to investigate the effects of THR-ß agonism in mice with
diet-induced obesity (DIO) and biopsy-confirmed advanced NASH with
fibrosis. Experimental Approach: C57Bl/6J mice were fed a diet high in
fat, fructose and cholesterol for 34 weeks, and only biopsy-confirmed
DIO-NASH mice with fibrosis were included. Resmetirom was then
administered at a daily dose of 3 mg/kg p.o. over a period of eight
weeks. Systemic and hepatic metabolic parameters, histological NAFLD
activity and fibrosis scores, and liver RNA expression profiles were
determined to assess the effect of THR-ß agonism. Key Results: Treatment
with resmetirom did not influence body weight but led to significant
reduction in liver weight (-43 %, p<0.001), hepatic steatosis
(-53 %, p<0.001), plasma ALT activity (-49 %,
p<0.001), liver and plasma cholesterol (-27 % and -60 %,
respectively, p<0.001), and blood glucose (6.3 vs. 7.5 mmol/l,
p<0.001). These metabolic effects translated into significant
improvement in NAFLD activity score. Moreover, lower alpha-smooth muscle
actin content and down-regulation of genes involved in fibrogenesis
indicated a decrease in hepatic fibrosis. Conclusion and implications:
Our model robustly reflected clinical observations of body
weight-independent improvements in systemic and hepatic metabolism
including anti-steatotic activity.