Loss of hepatic carboxylesterase 3 prevents the development of MASLD in mice

Carboxylesterases (CESs) are essential for metabolizing compounds with ester, thioester, and amide bonds. While the roles of CES1 and CES2 in lipid metabolism have been well established, little is known about the role of CES3 in lipid metabolism or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Here, we report the localization and nutritional regulation of CES3 and its role in MASLD development in mice. CES3 is expressed exclusively in the liver and localizes to the ER. Hepatic CES3 is reduced in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and mice fed a Western diet. Unexpectedly, loss of CES3 alleviates Western diet-induced MASLD, whereas liver-specific overexpression of human CES3 worsens Western diet-induced MASLD. Mechanistically, loss of CES3 reduces de novo lipogenesis and promotes the secretion of VLDL-triglycerides. Thus, the current study has identified a novel role of CES3 in hepatic lipid metabolism and MASLD.