Sparcl1 promotes nonalcoholic steatohepatitis progression through upregulation of CCL2

1. White adipose tissues (WAT) are capable of secreting not only fatty acids but also a class of secretory proteins that modulate the homeostasis of distant organs, including the liver. To identify potential WAT-enriched secretory factors involved in NASH progression, C57BL/6 male mice were fed with a normal chow diet or HFHC diet for two different periods: 12 weeks and 28 weeks. Then, we compared the expression profile of epididymal WAT (eWAT) from mouse models of NAFL and NASH above mentioned by RNA-Sequencing analysis. 2. To investigate the contribution of Sparcl1 in the pathogenesis of NASH, male C57BL/6J mice were fed a HFHC diet for 12 weeks, and then intraperitoneal injected with saline or recombinant Sparcl1 protein (0.2mg/kg) every other day for 3 weeks. To elucidate the molecular basis of Sparcl1-mediated NASH progression, we conducted RNA-Sequencing analysis for differentially expressed genes using the livers of chronic recombinant Sparcl1 protein or saline- treated mice.