A metabolic effect of GPR39 peptide agonist for steatohepatitis

Abstract

Steatohepatitits is associated with liver disease such as fatty liver and hepatic inflammation. Active study about steatohepatitis is ongoing, but there are no FDA-approved drug yet. Because most drugs have serious side effects in clinical trials. In this study, GJ39A, a GPR39 peptide agonist developed in my lab, was used to investigate the effects of GJ39A on lipid accumulation and inflammation in steatohepatitis. As a result of in vitro and ex vivo experiments, GJ39A decreased the expression of de novo lipogenesis related factors in free fatty acid (FFA)-induced HepG2 and mouse primary liver cells. In addition, GJ39A decreased mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased mRNA expression levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced HepG2. The main onset mechanism of steatohepatitis is excessive lipid accumulation and inflammation. Therefore, this decreasing for lipid accumulation and inflammtion of GJ39A means that it can improve steatohepatitis and GJ39A has the potential to be developed as a drug for steatohepatitis.