Pregnane X receptor promotes ehtanol-induced hepatosteatosis in female mice

The pregane X receptor (PXR), a xenobiotioc-sensing nuclear receptor has been implicated in alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). The role of PXR signaling in potentiating ethanol (EtOH)-induced hepatotoxicty in male wild-type (WT) mice was reported previously, however, how PXR signaling modulated EtOH-induced hepatotoxicty in female is still unknown. Several mRNAs that are involved in retinol and steroid hormone biosynthesis, chemical carcinogeneiss, and arachidonic acid metabolism were increased by EtOH in a PXR-dependent manner. Overall, female PXR-null mice are resistant against chronic EtOH-induced hepatotoxicity than their WT counterparts. The female WT and PXR-null mice were fed a 5% EtOH-containing diets or a paired-fed control diets for 8 weeks followed by gene expression (Affymetrix microarray)