REV-ERBα Activates C/EBP Homologous Protein to Control Small Heterodimer Partner-Mediated Oscillation of Alcoholic Fatty Liver

The small heterodimer partner (SHP) nuclear receptor is an important regulator of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, little is known about the role of SHP in alcoholic fatty liver. In this study, we used a modified chronic ethanol-binge model to examine cyclic alterations of lipid metabolism in wild-type (WT) and Shp−/− mice over a 24-hour period after binge. The serum and hepatic lipid profiles, as well as the expression of lipid synthesis genes and markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress, exhibited distinct variations in WT and Shp−/− mice in response to ethanol diet plus ethanol binge (ED+E) and control diet plus maltose binge. ED+E induced steatosis in WT mice, which correlated with a marked up-regulation of activating transcription factor 4 protein (ATF4) but down-regulation of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1c protein (SREBP-1c). On the contrary, the control diet plus maltose binge caused lipid accumulation in Shp−/− mice, which was accompanied by a sharp elevation of CHOP, SREBP-1c, and REV-ERBα proteins but a diminished ATF4. REV-ERBα activated CHOP promoter activity and gene transcription, which were inhibited by SHP. Knockdown Rev-Erbα in Shp−/− mice prevented steatosis induced by ED+E. Our study revealed a critical role of SHP and REV-ERBα in controlling rhythmic CHOP expression in alcoholic fatty liver.