Knockdown of PPARγ can ameliorate benzbromarone-induced obesity-specific drug-induced liver injury

Objective: Benzbromarone (BBR) is an effective uric acid-lowering drug. However, it can induce severe liver damage in some patients. Studies have shown that BBR specifically exacerbates hepatic steatosis in obese individuals, leading to aggravated liver injury. The exact mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unclear. Methods: db/db mice were divided into four groups: Control, BBR administration (BBR), Pparg knockdown (Pparg-KD), and BBR administration with Pparg knockdown (BBR + Pparg-KD). One week after AAV8-shRNA-Pparg virus injection, mice were orally administered BBR for four weeks, and changes in blood glucose and body weight were measured. Subsequently, samples were collected, and plasma lipid levels, hepatic lipid content, and liver function parameters were determined. RNA-seq was performed to assess changes in the hepatic gene expression profile and analyze the protective effect of PPARγ knockdown on BBR-induced drug-induced liver injury. Results: Mice in the BBR group exhibited more severe levels of plasma lipids, hepatic lipids, and liver function parameters compared to the Control group. However, mice in the BBR + Pparg-KD group showed significant improvements in these indicators compared to the BBR group. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that BBR administration upregulated the expression of various lipid synthesis-related genes, primarily associated with the PPAR signaling pathway. Furthermore, PPARγ knockdown reversed the increased expression of these lipid synthesis genes. This suggests that PPARγ knockdown has a significant protective effect against BBR-induced drug-induced liver injury. Conclusion: Hepatocyte-specific knockdown of PPARγ can protect against BBR-induced exacerbation of hepatic steatosis and liver injury by inhibiting the promotion of lipid synthesis through PPARγ activation.