Liver X receptor inverse agonist SR9243 attenuates rheumatoid arthritis via modulating glycolytic metabolism of macrophages

Liver X receptors (LXRs) which link lipid metabolism and inflammation, were overexpressed in experimental rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rats as observed in our previous studies, while suppression of LXRα by silybin ameliorates arthritis and abnormal lipid metabolism. However, the role of LXRs in RA remains undefined. In this study, we investigated the inhibition role of LXRs in the polarization and activation of M1 macrophage by using a special LXRs inverse agonist SR9243, which led to ameliorating the progression of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats. Mechanistically, SR9243 disrupted the LPS/IFN-γ-induced Warburg effect in M1 macrophages, while glycolysis inhibitor 2-DG attenuated the inhibition effect of SR9243 on M1 polarization and the cytokines expression of M1 macrophages including iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-6 in vitro. Furthermore, SR9243 downregulated key glycolytic enzymes, including LDH-A, HK2, G6PD, GLUT1, and HIF-1α in M1 macrophages, which is mediated by increased phosphorylation of AMPK (Thr172) and reduced downstream phosphorylation of mTOR (Ser2448). Importantly, gene silencing of LXRs compromises the inhibition effect of SR9243 on M1 macrophage polarization and activation. Collectively, for the first time, our findings suggest that the LXR inverse agonist SR9243 mitigates adjuvant-induced rheumatoid arthritis and protects against bone erosion by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization and activation through modulation of glycolytic metabolism via the AMPK/mTOR/HIF-1α pathway.