Hepatic estrogen receptor α is required for stage-specific coupling of liver metabolism and proliferation during pregnancy

Background and Aims

Pregnancy requires dynamic, stage-specific adaptations in maternal liver metabolism and growth to sustain fetal development while preserving systemic homeostasis. Estrogen signaling, which significantly increases during pregnancy, is primarily mediated in hepatocytes by estrogen receptor α (ERα). Although hepatic ERα regulates female liver metabolism under non-pregnant conditions, its role in pregnancy-induced hepatic remodeling remains unclear.

Methods

We studied non-pregnant and pregnant control and liver-specific ERα knockout (LERKO) mice across gestational stages using longitudinal physiological measurements, liver transcriptomics, targeted metabolomics, histological assessment of cell proliferation, and metabolic phenotyping.

Results

In control mice, pregnancy elicited sequential hepatic remodeling characterized by early induction of cell-cycle programs, a mid-gestational peak in hepatocyte proliferation with transient suppression of selected metabolic pathways, and late reactivation of specific metabolic programs. Chronic hepatic ERα deficiency alters this temporal pattern. LERKO livers showed premature activation of proliferative and anabolic transcriptional programs, changes in amino acid- and fatty acid-related metabolic pathways, and altered temporal regulation of AKT-mTORC1-related signaling. At mid-gestation, LERKO mice displayed reduced hepatocyte proliferation, altered expression of metabolic and insulin-related genes, blunted gestational glucose adaptation without overt evidence of systemic insulin resistance, and changes in the light/dark-phase metabolic patterns.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that hepatic ERα is required for the appropriate stage-specific coupling of liver growth, metabolic remodeling, and insulin-responsive signaling during pregnancy. Its loss is associated with gestational hepatic maladaptation and systemic metabolic phenotypes, providing a framework for investigating estrogen-dependent mechanisms underlying pregnancy-associated metabolic and liver disorders.

Highlights

Hepatic ERα is required for stage-specific liver remodeling during pregnancy. Loss of hepatic ERα alters temporal coupling of liver growth and metabolism. LERKO mice show early changes in amino acid- and fatty acid-related pathways. Hepatic ERα loss reduces proliferation and alters gestational glucose adaptation.

Hepatic ERα loss is associated with altered light/dark-phase metabolic organization.