Lipophagy and epigenetic alterations are related to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease progression in an experimental model

Figure 1 Study design. Animals received a standard or high-fat and choline-deficient diet, together with water (ad libitum) during the 16 weeks of the experiment. All animals were euthanized at the end. HFCD: High-fat and choline-deficient.

Figure 2 Gene expression of circulating microRNAs. A: Micro (mi)R-34a; B: MiR-21; C: MiR-375; D: MiR-26b; E: MiR-155 (P = 0.688). Mann-Whitney U test, ^aP < 0.05 considered significant. Variables are described as median (25^th-75^th percentiles).

Figure 3 Hepatic gene expression of lipophagy markers. A: Sirtuin-1; B: Lysosome-associated membrane protein-2; C: P62/sequestosome-1; D: Transcription factor EB; E: Rubicon; F: Cd36; G: Perilipin 2 (Plin2); H: Plin3; I: Plin5. ^aP < 0.05 considered significant, Mann-Whitney U test. Variables are described as median (25^th-75^th percentiles). Lamp2: Lysosome-associated membrane protein-2; Plin: Perilipin; p62/Sqstm1: P62/sequestosome-1; Sirt1: Sirtuin-1; Tfeb: Transcription factor EB.

Figure 4 Inflammation, fibrosis, and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease status. A: Results after dividing the intervention group in two halves according to their inflammation status; B: Results after dividing the intervention group in two halves according to their fibrosis status; C: Results after dividing the intervention group in two halves according to their metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease status. Plin: Perilipin; Tfeb: Transcription factor EB; NAFLD: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Figure 5 Correlations between circulating microRNAs and gene expression. A: Correlation between Sirtuin-1 (Sirt1) and p62/sequestosome-1; B: Correlation between Sirt1 and rubicon; C: Correlation between micro (mi)R26b and miR-21. P62/Sqstm1: Sequestosome-1; Sirt1: Sirtuin-1.