Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Isolation of Primary Mouse Hepatocytes for Nascent Protein Synthesis Analysis by Non-radioactive L-azidohomoalanine Labeling Method
08:04

Isolation of Primary Mouse Hepatocytes for Nascent Protein Synthesis Analysis by Non-radioactive L-azidohomoalanine Labeling Method

Published on: October 23, 2018

20.1K

AMPK activation prevents hepatocellular carcinoma development through inhibition of HNF4α activity

Zhen Sun, Bernard Linares, Cassidy Urdiales

    Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
    |June 6, 2025
    PubMed

    Insights

    Activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) significantly prevents hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development by regulating metabolism. This research highlights AMPK as a potential therapeutic target for metabolic disorders and cancer.

    Area of Science:

    • Metabolic regulation
    • Oncology
    • Molecular biology

    Background:

    • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality, often linked to metabolic disorders like obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.
    • AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates metabolism but its role in HCC is unclear, despite being downregulated in tumors.
    • AMPK activation is a proposed therapeutic strategy for metabolic diseases.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the role of AMPK activation in preventing HCC development and progression.
    • To elucidate the direct effects of AMPK activation on HCC using genetic and pharmacological approaches.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilized a constitutively active AMPK transgenic mouse model.
    • Employed pharmacological AMPK activators.
    • Used diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced and streptozotocin-induced (STAM) HCC mouse models.

    Main Results:

    • AMPK activation significantly reduced tumor formation in both DEN- and STAM-induced HCC models.
    • Findings implicate bile acid metabolism and HNF4α signaling in AMPK-mediated HCC prevention.

    Conclusions:

    • AMPK activation demonstrates a protective effect against HCC development.
    • Mechanistic insights suggest AMPK as a potential therapeutic target for HCC, especially in the context of metabolic dysregulation.

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