Hypercholesterolemia induces splenic T cell-mediated nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

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Presentation Time: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
Poster Board Number: B813
Abstract ID: 4870

Presenting Author:
Ram H Pokhrel , PhD Student at Yeungnam University

Abstract:

The consumption of cholesterol-rich diets has been a subject of interest globally due to its implications for several liver-related complications. However, the role of immune cells in dietary cholesterol induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been poorly studied. This study investigates the effects of a cholesterol-rich diet on C57BL/6J mice, aiming to understand the role of immune cells in the progression from the state of healthy liver to steatosis and fibrosis.

Mice subjected to the high-cholesterol diet exhibited a marked upregulation of CD44+ effector T cells in both spleen and liver, as well as marked upregulation of Th1 and Th17 in the liver suggesting a systemic immune response corroborated by observed liver inflammation. mRNA analysis of liver tissues by qRT-PCR revealed heightened expression of fibrosis-related genes, indicating a potential link between cholesterol intake and NASH.

Furthermore, the experiment on RAG^-/- mice suggests the crucial involvement of immune cells in the progression of liver steatosis to fibrosis. Interestingly, splenectomized mice fed with the high cholesterol diet displayed attenuated fibrosis, suggesting a potential role of the splenic T cells in mediating NASH.

Our study underscores the role of splenic T cells in cholesterol induced NASH. Such insights could pave the way for targeted therapeutic strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of excessive cholesterol consumption on liver health.