Anti-Inflammatory and Therapeutic Effects of a Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitor of Inflammation in a Male C57BL/6J Mouse Model of Obesity-Induced NAFLD/MAFLD

Kelly D McCall; Debra Walter; Ashley Patton; Jean R Thuma; Maria C Courreges; Grzegorz Palczewski; Douglas J Goetz; Stephen Bergmeier; Frank L Schwartz

doi:10.2147/JIR.S413565

Anti-Inflammatory and Therapeutic Effects of a Novel Small-Molecule Inhibitor of Inflammation in a Male C57BL/6J Mouse Model of Obesity-Induced NAFLD/MAFLD

J Inflamm Res. 2023 Nov 16:16:5339-5366. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S413565. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Kelly D McCall^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Debra Walter^{1

2}, Ashley Patton^{1

2}, Jean R Thuma³, Maria C Courreges³, Grzegorz Palczewski⁷, Douglas J Goetz^{1

6

8}, Stephen Bergmeier^{1

6

9}, Frank L Schwartz^{3

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University College of Arts & Sciences, Athens, OH, USA.
² Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University College of Arts & Sciences, Athens, OH, USA.
³ Department of Specialty Medicine, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH, USA.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH, USA.
⁵ Diabetes Institute, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH, USA.
⁶ Biomedical Engineering Program, Ohio University Russ College of Engineering and Technology, Athens, OH, USA.
⁷ Metabolon Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
⁸ Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Ohio University Russ College of Engineering and Technology, Athens, OH, USA.
⁹ Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ohio University College of Arts & Sciences, Athens, OH, USA.

Abstract

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), recently renamed metabolic (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), is the most common chronic liver disease in the United States. Presently, there is an intense and ongoing effort to identify and develop novel therapeutics for this disease. In this study, we explored the anti-inflammatory activity of a new compound, termed IOI-214, and its therapeutic potential to ameliorate NAFLD/MAFLD in male C57BL/6J mice fed a high fat (HF) diet.

Methods: Murine macrophages and hepatocytes in culture were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ± IOI-214 or DMSO (vehicle), and RT-qPCR analyses of inflammatory cytokine gene expression were used to assess IOI-214's anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. Male C57BL/6J mice were also placed on a HF diet and treated once daily with IOI-214 or DMSO for 16 weeks. Tissues were collected and analyzed to determine the effects of IOI-214 on HF diet-induced NAFL D/MAFLD. Measurements such as weight, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, liver/serum triglyceride, insulin, and glucose tolerance tests, ELISAs, metabolomics, Western blots, histology, gut microbiome, and serum LPS binding protein analyses were conducted.

Results: IOI-214 inhibited LPS-induced inflammation in macrophages and hepatocytes in culture and abrogated HF diet-induced mesenteric fat accumulation, hepatic inflammation and steatosis/hepatocellular ballooning, as well as fasting hyperglycemia without affecting insulin resistance or fasting insulin, cholesterol or TG levels despite overall obesity in vivo in male C57BL/6J mice. IOI-214 also decreased systemic inflammation in vivo and improved gut microbiota dysbiosis and leaky gut.

Conclusion: Combined, these data indicate that IOI-214 works at multiple levels in parallel to inhibit the inflammation that drives HF diet-induced NAFLD/MAFLD, suggesting that it may have therapeutic potential for NAFLD/MAFLD.

Keywords: IOI-214; gut microbiome; high fat diet; lipopolysaccharide; metabolomics; toll-like receptor 4.

Grants and funding

U24 DK092993/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States