CD36 deficiency ameliorates drug-induced acute liver injury in mice

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose causes hepatotoxicity and even acute liver failure. Recent studies indicate that sterile inflammation and innate immune cells may play important roles in damage-induced hepatocytes regeneration and liver repair. The scavenger receptor CD36 has its crucial functions in sterile inflammation. However, the roles of CD36 in APAP induced acute liver injury remain unclear and warrant further investigation.

WT C57BL/6 J and CD36^-/- mice were intraperitoneally injected with APAP (300 mg/kg) after fasting for 16 h. Liver injury was evaluated by serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level and liver tissue hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Liver inflammatory factor expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The protein adducts forming from the metabolite of APAP and the metabolism enzyme cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) levels were measured by Western blot. Liver infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils were characterized by flow cytometry. RNA sequencing and Western blot were used to evaluate the effect of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) molecule high mobility group B1 (HMGB1) on WT and CD36^-/- macrophages. Moreover, PP2, a Src kinase inhibitor, blocking CD36 signaling, was applied in APAP model.

The expression of CD36 was increased in the liver of mice after APAP treatment. Compared with WT mice, APAP treated CD36^-/- mice show less liver injury. There was no significant difference in APAP protein adducts and CYP2E1 expression between these two strains. However, reduced pro-inflammatory factor mRNA expression and serum IL-1β level were observed in APAP treated CD36^-/- mice as well as infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils. Moreover, CD36 deficiency impaired the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) caused by APAP. Interestingly, the lack of CD36 reduced the activation of extracellular regulated protein kinases (Erk) and v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (Akt) induced by HMGB1. RNA transcription sequencing data indicated that HMGB1 has a different effect on WT and CD36^-/- macrophages. Furthermore, treatment with PP2 attenuated APAP induced mouse liver injury.

Our data demonstrated that CD36 deficiency ameliorated APAP-induced acute liver injury and inflammatory responses by decreasing JNK activation. CD36 might serve as a new target to reduce acute liver injury.