Angiotensinogen inhibition concurrently mitigates alcohol-associated hepatic and muscle injury

Aims

The organ communication mechanisms driven by alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) remain inadequately understood. This study explores the endocrine roles of the hepatokine angiotensinogen (AGT) and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in ALD.

Methods and results

Hepatokine screening tests revealed that chronic-binge ethanol consumption upregulates hepatic AGT production, triggering downstream RAS activation. Hepatocyte-specific knockout of Agt (AGT^ΔHep) significantly alleviated ALD-induced liver injury. In organ screening between AGT^flox/flox (AGT^f/f) and AGT^ΔHep mice, skeletal muscle exhibited the most pronounced improvement in alcoholic myopathy (AM)-related phenotypes, including reduced muscle mass, enhanced oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction post-ethanol administration. Mechanistically, the renin-angiotensin axis transmits damaging signals from AGT to their membrane receptor AGTR1 in both hepatocytes and myocytes. Pharmacological inhibition of AGT, renin, and angiotensin-converting enzyme, as well as specific knockdown of Agtr1 in hepatocytes or myocytes, effectively attenuated both conditions. Activation of the counteractive axis of the RAS-AGTR1 pathway, involving Ang (1–7) and its membrane receptor MAS1, ameliorated the alcoholic injury of both the liver and muscle. Conversely, specific knockdown of Mas1 in hepatocytes and myocytes exacerbated these injuries.

Conclusions

Our work demonstrates that hepatokine AGT promotes ALD and AM through the activation of the RAS-AGTR1 axis and the inhibition of the Ang(1–7)-MAS1 axis, offering a foundation for concurrent therapeutic strategies for both diseases.