Background and aims: The common characteristics of alcohol-associated liver injury (ALI) include abnormal liver function, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and generation of oxidative stress. The gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) is activated by its neuropeptide ligand, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP). GRP/GRPR appears to induce the production of cytokines in immune cells and promotes neutrophil migration. However, the effects of GRP/GRPR in ALI are unknown.
Approach and results: We found high GRPR expression in the liver of patients with alcohol-associated steatohepatitis and increased pro-GRP levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of these patients compared with that of the control. Increased expression of GRP may be associated with histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation induced by alcohol, which promotes the expression of GRP and then GRPR binding. Grpr-/- and Grprflox/floxLysMCre mice alleviated ethanol-induced liver injury with relieved steatosis, lower serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglycerides, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase levels, reduced neutrophil influx, and decreased expression and release of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Conversely, the overexpression of GRPR showed opposite effects. The pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress roles of GRPR might be dependent on IRF1-mediated Caspase-1 inflammasome and NOX2-dependent reactive oxygen species pathway, respectively. In addition, we verified the therapeutic and preventive effects of RH-1402, a novel GRPR antagonist, for ALI.
Conclusions: A knockout or antagonist of GRPR during excess alcohol intake could have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative roles, as well as provide a platform for histone modification-based therapy for ALI.
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