Cited by 26Liver Diseases and ImmunityDrug Transport and Resistance MechanismsDrug-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Protection

Adjunct Fenofibrate Up‐regulates Bile Acid Glucuronidation and Improves Treatment Response For Patients With Cholestasis

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Gallucci, Gina M., Trottier, Jocelyn, Hemme, Christopher, Assis, David N., Boyer, James L., Barbier, Olivier, Ghonem, Nisanne S.·2021·Hepatology Communications

Abstract

Accumulation of cytotoxic bile acids (BAs) during cholestasis can result in liver failure. Glucuronidation, a phase II metabolism pathway responsible for BA detoxification, is regulated by peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor alpha (PPARα). This study investigates the efficacy of adjunct fenofibrate therapy to up‐regulate BA‐glucuronidation and reduce serum BA toxicity during cholestasis. Adult patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, n = 32) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC, n = 23), who experienced an incomplete response while receiving ursodiol monotherapy (13‐15 mg/kg/day), defined as serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≥ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal, received additional fenofibrate (145‐160 mg/day) as standard of care. Serum BA and BA‐glucuronide concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Combination therapy with fenofibrate significantly decreased elevated serum ALP (−76%, P < 0.001), aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin, total serum BAs (−54%), and increased serum BA‐glucuronides (+2.1‐fold, P < 0.01) versus ursodiol monotherapy. The major serum BA‐glucuronides that were favorably altered following adjunct fenofibrate include hyodeoxycholic acid–6G (+3.7‐fold, P < 0.01), hyocholic acid–6G (+2.6‐fold, P < 0.05), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA)–3G (−36%), and lithocholic acid (LCA)–3G (−42%) versus ursodiol monotherapy. Fenofibrate also up‐regulated the expression of uridine 5′‐diphospho‐glucuronosyltransferases and multidrug resistance–associated protein 3 messenger RNA in primary human hepatocytes. Pearson’s correlation coefficients identified strong associations between serum ALP and metabolic ratios of CDCA‐3G (r 2 = 0.62, P < 0.0001), deoxycholic acid (DCA)‐3G (r 2 = 0.48, P < 0.0001), and LCA‐3G (r 2 = 0.40, P < 0.001), in ursodiol monotherapy versus control. Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified serum BA‐glucuronides as measures of response to therapy. Conclusion: Fenofibrate favorably alters major serum BA‐glucuronides, which correlate with reduced serum ALP levels and improved outcomes. A PPARα‐mediated anti‐cholestatic mechanism is involved in detoxifying serum BAs in patients with PBC and PSC who have an incomplete response on ursodiol monotherapy and receive adjunct fenofibrate. Serum BA‐glucuronides may serve as a noninvasive measure of treatment response in PBC and PSC.

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Authors
Gallucci, G. M., Trottier, J., Hemme, C., Assis, D. N., Boyer, J. L., Barbier, O., & Ghonem, N. S.
Affiliations
  • University of Rhode Island (US)
  • Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval (CA)
  • Yale University (US)
  • Université Laval (CA)
Corresponding author
Ghonem, Nisanne S.
Venue
Hepatology Communications
Published
2021-08-27
Volume
5
Issue
12
Pages
2035-2051
ISSN
2471-254X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3197532225
Cited by
26
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6
FWCI
2.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Hepatology Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Journal of Media Literacy Education (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001863)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (P20GM103430)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30-34989, P30DK034989)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver Diseases and Immunity
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Protection
Keywords
fenofibrate, cholestasis, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, ursodeoxycholic acid, PPARα, bile acid detoxification, UGT enzymes, MRP3, serum alkaline phosphatase, chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, lithocholic acid, hyodeoxycholic acid
MeSH terms
Adult, Bile Acids and Salts, Cholestasis, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Humans, Liver, Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary, Liver Function Tests, Male, Middle Aged, Fenofibrate, Retrospective Studies, Ursodeoxycholic Acid, Cholangitis, Sclerosing, Up-Regulation, Treatment Outcome, Glucuronides, Hepatocytes, PPAR alpha, Young Adult

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