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Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is increasingly linked to disruptions of the gut/liver axis, yet the microbial mechanisms driving disease progression remain incompletely defined. Here, Qu et al. have identified ileal microbial ammonia production by Clostridium perfringens as a mechanistic driver of epithelial barrier dysfunction and hepatic CD8+ T cell remodeling in MASH. In nonhuman primate and mouse models of MASH, the authors demonstrated that the glycine-based tripeptide DT-109 restored gut barrier integrity and attenuated FosB-mediated CCL5 expression in CD8+ T cells via inhibition of bacterial nitrite reductase A–mediated microbial ammonia production. These findings position microbial nitrogen metabolism as a tractable therapeutic target and highlight metabolite-focused microbiome interventions as a potential MASH intervention.
Authors
Vanessa A. Leone, Arion Kennedy
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ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)