BRUCE liver-deficiency potentiates MASLD/MASH in PTEN liver-deficient background by impairment of mitochondrial metabolism in hepatocytes and activation of STAT3 signaling in hepatic stellate cells

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is currently the most common liver disease, affecting up to 25% of people worldwide, featuring excessive fat accumulation in hepatocytes. Its advanced form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), is a serious disease with hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, increasing the need for liver transplants. However, the pathogenic mechanism of MASLD and MASH is not fully understood. We reported that BRUCE ( BIRC6) is a liver cancer suppressor and is downregulated in MASLD/MASH patient liver specimens, though the functional role of BRUCE in MASLD/MASH remains to be elucidated. To this end, we generated liver-specific double KO (DKO) mice of BRUCE and PTEN, a major tumor suppressor and MASLD/MASH suppressor. By comparing liver histopathology among 2-3-month-old mice, there were no signs of MASLD or MASH in BRUCE liver-KO mice and only onset of steatosis in PTEN liver-KO mice. Interestingly, DKO mice had developed robust hepatic steatosis with inflammation and fibrosis. Further analysis of mitochondrial function with primary hepatocytes found moderate reduction of mitochondrial respiration, ATP production and fatty acid oxidation in BRUCE KO and the greatest reduction in DKO hepatocytes. Moreover, aberrant activation of pro-fibrotic STAT3 signaling was found in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in DKO mice which was prevented by administered STAT3-specific inhibitor (TTI-101). Collectively, the data demonstrates by maintaining mitochondrial metabolism BRUCE works in concert with PTEN to suppress the pro-fibrogenic STAT3 activation in HSCs and consequentially prevent MASLD/MASH. The findings highlight BRUCE being a new co-suppressor of MASLD/MASH.