Frontiers in Endocrinology (Dec 2022)

Sleeve gastrectomy improves lipid dysmetabolism by downregulating the USP20-HSPA2 axis in diet-induced obese mice

  • Wenjie Zhang,
  • Wenjie Zhang,
  • Bowen Shi,
  • Bowen Shi,
  • Shirui Li,
  • Shirui Li,
  • Zenglin Liu,
  • Zenglin Liu,
  • Songhan Li,
  • Songhan Li,
  • Shuohui Dong,
  • Shuohui Dong,
  • Yugang Cheng,
  • Jiankang Zhu,
  • Guangyong Zhang,
  • Mingwei Zhong,
  • Mingwei Zhong

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.1041027
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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IntroductionObesity is a metabolic disease accompanied by abnormalities in lipid metabolism that can cause hyperlipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and artery atherosclerosis. Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a type of bariatric surgery that can effectively treat obesity and improve lipid metabolism. However, its specific underlying mechanism remains elusive.MethodsWe performed SG, and sham surgery on two groups of diet-induced obese mice. Histology and lipid analysis were used to evaluate operation effect. Immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, real-time quantitative PCR, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and mass spectrometry were used to reveal the potential mechanisms of SG.ResultsCompared to the sham group, the SG group displayed a downregulation of deubiquitinase ubiquitin-specific peptidase 20 (USP20). Moreover, USP20 could promote lipid accumulation in vitro. Co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analyses showed that heat-shock protein family A member 2 (HSPA2) potentially acts as a substrate of USP20. HSPA2 was also downregulated in the SG group and could promote lipid accumulation in vitro. Further research showed that USP20 targeted and stabilized HSPA2 via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.ConclusionThe downregulation of the USP20-HSPA2 axis in diet-induced obese mice following SG improved lipid dysmetabolism, indicating that USP20-HSPA2 axis was a noninvasive therapeutic target to be investigated in the future.

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