Liver single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the transcriptomic landscape and gene regulation of hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells in healthy and NAFLD mouse liver

This study identified unanticipated aspects of the cellular and molecular basis of mouse NAFLD at the single-cell level and advanced our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in NAFLD livers. In order to capture the progression of NAFLD pathogenesis, mice were fed a chow diet, a HFHFD diet for 15 weeks, and a HFHFD diet for 30 weeks. Consistent with previous studies, HFHFD-induced liver injury observed by 15 weeks, from hereon referred to as NAFL mice, and severe fibrosis and inflammation by 30 weeks, from hereon referred to as NASH mice.

本研究在单细胞水平解析了小鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease）细胞与分子机制中未被探明的维度，深化了对NAFLD肝脏内细胞异质性的认知。为追踪NAFLD发病进程的动态变化，实验小鼠分别被饲喂普通饲料饮食、HFHFD饮食15周，以及HFHFD饮食30周。与既往研究一致，饲喂15周HFHFD的小鼠可观察到高脂饮食诱导的肝损伤，本研究中将此类小鼠命名为NAFL小鼠；饲喂30周HFHFD的小鼠则出现严重肝纤维化与炎症，本研究中将其命名为非酒精性脂肪性肝炎（NASH, Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis）小鼠。