# The Role of TP-R on Adipose Tissue Browning: Therapeutic Implications in Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $152,996

## Abstract

Project Summary
This proposal is a new application for a multiple-PI R21. The goal of the application is to define a role for the
thromboxane-prostanoid receptor (TP-R, a G-protein coupled receptor involved in eicosanoid metabolism) on
the adipose-liver axis, specifically in the setting of alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD and
NAFLD). Of special interest to us is the examination of a link between TP-R function and its involvement in the
process of adipose tissue (AT) browning; AT browning promotes thermogenesis and alleviates some of the
detrimental pathologies seen in NAFLD and AFLD. While TP-Rs are known to play a role in the
pathophysiology of several chronic inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease and certain
autoimmune diseases, very little is known regarding their role in promoting obesity- and alcohol-related
disorders. In our proposed studies, we will be using animal models where we will induce liver injury using a
high-fat diet, an ethanol-containing diet, or a combination of both (ethanol administration in addition to high fat).
Both NAFLD and AFLD are characterized by impaired hepatic lipid metabolism, and it is now known that the
combination of obesity with heavy drinking exacerbates liver injury, with progression to steatohepatitis.
Preliminary data from our laboratories have examined NAFLD and its resultant pathologies in mice, focusing
on a link between TP-R and AT, and how functional TP-R contributes to liver injury. Our preliminary data in a
mouse model of global TP-R deficiency showed that the TP-R-/- mice gain less body weight, show increased
energy expenditure, and increased markers of AT browning, and an improvement in NAFLD. In the present
study, we hypothesize that mice lacking TP-R will be, at least partially, protected from AFLD and/or obesity due
to increased energy expenditure via altered AT function. Our novel findings support our central hypothesis that
blocking TP-R function will promote adipose browning and fatty acid oxidation in AT which, in turn, will
ameliorate ethanol and/or obesity-induced liver injury. We have proposed two specific aims; in Aim 1, we will
define the role of TP-R in modulating AT function and the crosstalk between AT and liver during ethanol-
and/or obesity-induced liver injury in mice. In Aim 2, we will examine a specific role of TP-R in adipose tissue
by studying adipocyte-specific TP-R, and its role in mediating ethanol and/or obesity-induced liver injury in
mice. The two principal investigators involved in this project have complementary strengths; one is a long-time
expert in alcohol-induced liver damage (Casey), and the other is a new investigator with expertise in adipose
tissue and metabolic diseases (Viswanathan). Overall, findings obtained from these studies will provide insight
into the mechanisms by which a combination of obesity and ethanol promotes liver injury and the impact of a
novel AT-targeted approach in ameliorating AFLD and NAFLD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9844056
- **Project number:** 5R21AA027367-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Carol A. Casey
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $152,996
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-02 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9844056

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9844056, The Role of TP-R on Adipose Tissue Browning: Therapeutic Implications in Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (5R21AA027367-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9844056. Licensed CC0.

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