Increased Number of Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells Is Associated with the Inhibition of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in High Fat Diet–Fed Mice

Haruka Kishi, Isao Usui*, Teruo Jojima, Shiho Fujisaka, Sho Wakamatsu, Yuiko Mizunuma-Inoue, Takafumi Niitani, Shintaro Sakurai, Toshie Iijima, Takuya Tomaru, Kazuyuki Tobe, Yoshimasa Aso

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging worldwide health concern. The disease may involve immune cells including T cells, but little is known about the role(s) of the innate-like T cells in the liver. Furthermore, the most abundant innate-like T cells in the human liver are mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, but the involvement of MAIT cells in NAFLD remains largely unexplored because of their paucity in mice. In this study, we used a novel mouse line, Vα19, in which the number of MAIT cells is equivalent to or greater than that in humans. Compared with the control mice, Vα19 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) exhibited a reduction in lipid accumulation, NAFLD activity score, and transcripts relevant to lipogenesis. In addition, serum triglyceride and non-esterified fatty acids were lower in Vα19 mice fed normal chow or HFD. In contrast, the Vα19 mice showed little or no change in glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, inflammation in adipose tissues, or intestinal permeability compared with the controls, irrespective of diet. These results suggest that the presence of MAIT cells is associated with reduced lipogenesis and lipid accumulation in the liver; however, further studies are needed to clarify the role of MAIT cells in hepatic lipid metabolism.

Original languageEnglish
Article number15309
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume23
Issue number23
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022/12

Keywords

  • MAIT cells
  • NAFLD
  • dyslipidemia
  • innate-like T lymphocyte
  • lipogenesis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • Molecular Biology
  • Spectroscopy
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry

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