Multi-layered metabolic effects of trehalose on the liver proteome in apoE-knockout mice model of liver steatosis

TL;DR

This study shows that trehalose, a disaccharide, can significantly alter liver proteins in mice with fatty liver disease, potentially offering new treatment strategies.

Contribution

The study is the first to demonstrate trehalose's proteome-wide effects in liver steatosis, focusing on lipid metabolism and peroxisomal β-oxidation.

Findings

Trehalose administration significantly regulated 129 protein groups in apoE-/- mice livers.

Trehalose induced proteins related to lipid metabolism and peroxisomal β-oxidation.

The results suggest trehalose's pleiotropic activity may help mitigate liver steatosis.

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease has been well documented as a key independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. A growing body of evidence suggests that due to its numerous favorable molecular effects, trehalose may exert beneficial effects in counteracting liver steatosis. In our previous study, we described the antiatherosclerotic and antisteatotic properties of trehalose, which we attributed to the induction of autophagy. Considering the pleiotropic activities of trehalose, our present study aimed to extend our preliminary results with the comprehensive examination of proteome-wide changes in the livers of high-fat-fed apoE-/- mice.

Thus, we applied modern, next-generation proteomic methodology to comprehensively analyze the effects of trehalose on the alterations of liver proteins in apoE-/- mice.

Our proteomic analysis showed that the administration of trehalose elicited profound changes in the liver proteome of apoE-/- mice. The collected data allowed the identification and quantitation of 3 681 protein groups of which 129 were significantly regulated in the livers of trehalose-treated apoE-/- mice.

The presented results are the first to highlight the effects of disaccharide on the induction of proteins mainly related to the metabolism and elimination of lipids, especially by peroxisomal β-oxidation. Our study provides evidence for the pleiotropic activity of trehalose, extending our initial observations of its potential mechanisms responsible for mitigating of liver steatosis, which paves the way for new pharmacological strategies in fatty liver disease.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43440-024-00615-3.

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