ANALYSIS OF METABOLISM DURING LIVER REGENERATION

Abstract

The liver maintains hepatic metabolic homeostasis by regulating the balance between energy supply, expenditure, and storage. An important association between cellular division and metabolism has been suggested since metabolic disorders are known to impair liver regeneration due to reduced cellular division. However, the cross-talk between metabolism and cellular division in the liver and during response to injury has not been investigated. Using integrative analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data in combination with advanced molecular imaging, I uncovered that during liver regeneration with reduced cellular division there is a shift from carbohydrates to amino acid metabolism. This is accompanied by a profound remodeling of the pyruvate flux resulting in increased activity of the alanine transaminase (ALT). These results indicate that cellular division is required to oxidative metabolic homeostasis. However, in the absence of division, the liver can remodel metabolic pathways to fuel energy and anabolism.