CXCL6 promotes the progression of NAFLD through regulation of PPARα

Abstract

An increasing number of studies have shown that Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is strongly associated with obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension and metabolic syndrome, but its specific pathogenesis remains unclear. By analyzing GEO database, we found CXCL6 was upregulated in liver tissues of patients with NAFLD. We also confirmed with qPCR that CXCL6 is highly expressed in serum of patients with NAFLD. To identify the underlying impact of CXCL6 on NAFLD, we established animal and cell models of NAFLD. Similarly, we confirmed by qPCR and Western blot that CXCL6 was upregulated in the NAFLD model in vitro and vivo. After transfecting NAFLD cells with siRNA targeting CXCL6 (si-CXCL6), a series of functional experiments were carried out, and these data indicated that the inhibition of CXCL6 reduced intracellular lipid deposition, decreased AST, ALT and TG level, facilitate cell proliferation and suppress their apoptosis. Furthermore, western blot and qPCR analyses displayed that the suppression of CXCL6 could raise the PPARα expression, but PPAR α inhibitor, GW6471 could partially counteract this effect. What’s more, Oil Red O staining, biochemical analyzer and TG detection kit revealed that GW6471 could reverse the inhibitory effect of si-CXCL6 on NAFLD. In summary, we provide convincing evidence that CXCL6 is markedly elevated in NAFLD, and the CXCL6/PPARα regulatory network mediates disease progression of NAFLD.