Abstract:
Liver size is regulated by circadian clock and exhibits a diurnal rhythm. Pregnane X receptor (PXR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor
α (PPAR
α), members of nuclear receptor superfamily, are important regulators of liver size. We previously demonstrated that mPXR agonist pregnenolone 16
α-carbonitrile (PCN) and mPPAR
α agonist pirinixic acid (WY-14643) promoted liver enlargement and liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. However, whether PXR or PPAR
α activation-induced liver enlargement exhibits diurnal rhythm with normal liver diurnal oscillations remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the diurnal rhythm of PXR or PPAR
α activation-induced liver enlargement. Male C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with corn oil, PCN or WY-14643 for three days, and liver samples were weighed and collected at various time points for analysis. The animal experiment protocol was reviewed and approved by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Sun Yat-sen University (approval No. SYSU-IACUC-2023-001613, SYSU-IACUC-2023-001783). The results showed that PXR or PPAR
α activation at various time points significantly induced liver enlargement, and liver size maintained normal diurnal oscillations during PXR or PPAR
α activation-induced hepatomegaly, without significant effects on the expression of core clock genes. This study reveals PXR or PPAR
α activation-induced liver enlargement exhibits diurnal rhythm with normal liver diurnal oscillations, and provides novel data for nuclear receptor-induced liver enlargement and liver diurnal rhythm.