Mechanism of triiodothyronine alleviating acute alcoholic liver injury and delaying alcoholic liver fibrosis progression

IntroductionAlcoholic liver disease poses a severe threat to human health. The thyroid hormone Triiodothyronine (T3) is closely related to liver metabolism. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of T3 in alcoholic liver injury.MethodsAcute alcoholic liver injury model was established in mice by alcohol administration. Alcoholic liver fibrosis models were established in vivo and in vitro using hepatic stellate cells (HSC)-T6 cells and mice. The role and regulatory mechanism of T3 in the occurrence and progression of alcoholic acute liver injury and fibrosis were analyzed by evaluating key factors involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and autophagy using histopathological staining.ResultsThe results showed that T3 at low and medium concentrations reduced inflammation and oxidative damage in acute alcoholic liver injury and inhibited HSC activation and delayed the onset and progression of alcoholic liver fibrosis in mice. T3 inhibited the PI3K/AKT and NF-κB signal pathway, increased Nrf2 expression levels, and restored liver autophagy. However, high T3 concentrations had the opposite effect.DiscussionOptimal T3 concentrations protects the liver from alcoholic liver injury by inhibiting inflammatory response and oxidative stress injury and by restoring hepatocyte proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy.