Hypoxia downregulates farnesoid X receptor via a hypoxia-inducible factor-independent but p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway

• Published in: The FEBS journal 2009-03, Vol.276 (5), p.1319-1332
• Main Authors: Fujino, Tomofumi, Murakami, Kaori, Ozawa, Issei, Minegishi, Yoshie, Kashimura, Ryo, Akita, Toshihiro, Saitou, Susumu, Atsumi, Takehisa, Sato, Takashi, Ando, Ken, Hara, Shuntaro, Kikugawa, Kiyomi, Hayakawa, Makio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Bile Acids and Salts - metabolism; Biochemistry; Cell Hypoxia; Cells, Cultured; cholestasis; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Down-Regulation; farnesoid X receptor; Genetics; Humans; Hypoxia; hypoxia-inducible factor; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - genetics; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - metabolism; ischemia; Kinases; mitogen-activated protein kinase; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - genetics; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - metabolism; Signal Transduction; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transfection
• ISSN: 1742-464X; 1742-4658
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.06867.x

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, has been shown to play pivotal roles in bile acid homeostasis by regulating the biosynthesis, conjugation, secretion and absorption of bile acids. Accumulating data suggest that FXR signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of liver and metabolic disorders. Here we show that FXR expression is significantly suppressed in HepG2 cells exposed to hypoxia. Concomitantly, the expression of the bile salt export pump, known as an FXR target gene product and responsible for the excretion of bile acids from the liver, is also decreased under hypoxia. Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α does not mimic the suppressive effect of hypoxia on FXR expression. Furthermore, simultaneous knockdown of HIF-1α, HIF-2α and HIF-3α fails to restore the FXR expression level under hypoxia, indicating that HIF is not involved in hypoxia-evoked FXR downregulation. Instead, we demonstrate that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase is an indispensable factor for FXR downregulation under hypoxia. Thus, we propose a novel liver disorder model in which two signaling molecules, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and FXR, may contribute to the linkage of two pathogenic conditions, i.e. ischemia, a condition accompanying hypoxia, and cholestasis, a condition with intrahepatic accumulation of cytotoxic bile acids.