Macrophage-derived thrombospondin 1 promotes obesity-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background & Aims: Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) is a multifunctional matricellular protein. We previously showed that TSP1 has an important role in obesity-associated metabolic complications, including inflammation, insulin resistance, cardiovascular, and renal disease. However, its contribution to obesity-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NAFLD or NASH) remains largely unknown; thus, we aimed to determine its role. Methods: High-fat diet or AMLN (amylin liver NASH) diet-induced obese and insulin-resistant NAFLD/NASH mouse models were utilised, in addition to tissue-specific Tsp1-knockout mice, to determine the contribution of different cellular sources of obesity-induced TSP1 to NAFLD/NASH development. Results: Liver TSP1 levels were increased in experimental obese and insulin-resistant NAFLD/NASH mouse models as well as in obese patients with NASH. Moreover, TSP1 deletion in adipocytes did not protect mice from diet-induced NAFLD/NASH. However, myeloid/macrophage-specific TSP1 deletion protected mice against obesity-associated liver injury, accompanied by reduced liver inflammation and fibrosis. Importantly, this protection was independent of the levels of obesity and hepatic steatosis. Mechanistically, through an autocrine effect, macrophage-derived TSP1 suppressed Smpdl3b expression in liver, which amplified liver proinflammatory signalling (Toll-like receptor 4 signal pathway) and promoted NAFLD progression. Conclusions: Macrophage-derived TSP1 is a significant contributor to obesity-associated NAFLD/NASH development and progression and could serve as a therapeutic target for this disease. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).