Highlights from AASLD 2023

At the AASLD 2023 in November, UofL Alcohol Research Center members presented a study which investigated the impact of chronic ethanol consumption in combination with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The goal of this pilot study was to examine the potential mechanistic interactions of ethanol and COVID-19 on the gut-liver axis in an experimental mouse model of alcohol-associated liver disease.

The data from this dose-response pilot study suggested that SARS-CoV-2 infection worsen liver injury duet to ethanol consumption, and that early mortality observed after high dose SARS-CoV-2 challenge could be due in part to hepatic and intestinal damage/dysfunction following chronic EtOH feeding.

Another presentation at the AASLD 2023 was from Dr. Ming Song, who discussed his findings related to the role of Intestinal HIF-1α in the gut-liver axis. RNA-seq analysis revealed that intestinal HIF-1α activation upregulates glycolysis leading to enhanced intestinal cell proliferation.

Dr. Song demonstrated that pharmacological or genetic activation of intestinal HIF-1α markedly ameliorate western diet-induced MAFLD and metabolic phenotypes in mice. Data from this study suggested that intestinal HIF-1α could be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of MAFLD and metabolic syndrome.