Bcl2 is a critical regulator of bile acid homeostasis by dictating Shp and lncRNA H19 function

Bile acid (BA) metabolism is tightly controlled by nuclear receptor signaling to coordinate regulation of BA synthetic enzymes and transporters. Here we reveal a molecular cascade consisting of the antiapoptotic protein BCL2, nuclear receptor Shp, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 to maintain BA homeostasis. Bcl2 was overexpressed in liver of C57BL/6J mice using adenovirus mediated gene delivery for two weeks. Hepatic overexpression of Bcl2 caused drastic accumulation of serum BA and bilirubin levels and dysregulated BA synthetic enzymes and transporters. Bcl2 reactivation triggered severe liver injury, fibrosis and inflammation, which were accompanied by a significant induction of H19. Bcl2 induced rapid SHP protein degradation via the activation of caspase-8 pathway. The induction of H19 in Bcl2 overexpressed mice was contributed by a direct loss of Shp transcriptional repression. H19 knockdown or Shp re-expression largely rescued Bcl2-induced liver injury. Strikingly different than Shp, the expression of Bcl2 and H19 was hardly detectable in adult liver but was markedly increased in fibrotic/cirrhotic human and mouse liver. We demonstrated for the first time a detrimental effect of Bcl2 and H19 associated with cholestatic liver fibrosis and an indispensable role of Shp to maintain normal liver function.