The N-terminal domain of gasdermin D induces liver fibrosis by reprogrammed lipid metabolism

Background: The increasing prevalence of chronic liver disease has become a significant global health concern. Pyroptosis leads to cell rupture, releasing large amounts of pro-inflammatory cellular contents and promoting the progression of liver fibrosis. Therefore, targeting pyroptosis may serve as a new strategy for the treatment of chronic liver diseases. Methods: We constructed GSDMD-NTki/wt & Alb-creki/wt mice using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology and induced conditional cell death by doxycycline to construct a mouse model of liver fibrosis. We analyzed differentially expressed genes by RNA sequencing and explored their biological functions. Obeticholic acid was used to assess the modeling effects of fibrosis. Results: Doxycycline-treated GSDMD-NTki/wt & Alb-creki/wt mice showed severe liver damage, vacuolation of hepatocytes, increased collagen fibers, accumulation of lipid droplets, and much stronger expression of genes involved in liver fibrosis development in the liver compared with untreated mice. RNA-sequencing showed that upregulated differentially expressed genes in the GSDMD-NTki/wt & Alb-creki/wt doxycycline-treated group were involved in inflammatory responses, cell activation, and metabolic processes. Obeticholic acid was used to assess the modeling effects of fibrosis. Obeticholic acid treatment of GSDMD-NTki/wt & Alb-creki/wt mice reduced ALT and AST levels, and enhanced anti-fibrotic effects were observed. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that we successfully constructed a mouse model of liver fibrosis, and GSDMD-NT induced fibrosis by mediating lipid metabolism.