Dysregulation of Farnesoid X Receptor on Neutrophil Homeostasis Exacerbates Intestinal Inflammation via the mTORC1‐Glycolysis Signaling Pathway

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Authors: Dengfeng Kang, Ai Q. Li, Xiangqi Xie, Han Liu, Liang Chen, Zhongsheng Feng, Xiang Gao, Han Gao, Xiaohan Wu, Huiying Lu, Xiaoyu Li, Xiaoyu Li
+6 more Jinghan Hua, Long Ju, Xue Li, Xue Li, Xue Li, Zhanju Liu
Cited by: 2
References: 56

Abstract

ABSTRACT Neutrophils significantly accumulate within the inflamed intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), where the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is typically downregulated. However, the mechanisms by which FXR modulates neutrophil‐mediated mucosal inflammation in IBD remain elusive. Here, we demonstrated that FXR expression is markedly decreased in neutrophils from patients with active IBD. Fxr −/− mice exhibited exacerbated colitis following DSS insults or Citrobacter rodentium infection, evidenced by heightened neutrophil‐driven immune responses including increased neutrophil infiltration and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. Adoptive transfer of Fxr −/− neutrophils into WT recipients exacerbated DSS‐induced intestinal inflammation, indicating that FXR suppresses the pathogenic activity of neutrophils in a neutrophil‐intrinsic manner. An ex vivo functional assay revealed that Fxr −/− neutrophils display elevated ROS production, NET formation, and migratory capacity upon inflammatory challenge. Mechanistically, RNA‐sequencing and functional assays revealed enhanced mTORC1 signaling and glycolysis in Fxr −/− neutrophils. Consistently, pharmacological activation of FXR with INT‐747 significantly restrained the mTORC1‐glycolysis‐mediated proinflammatory responses in neutrophils from IBD patients. Our findings identify FXR as a critical regulator of neutrophil‐mediated mucosal inflammation via the mTORC1‐glycolysis pathway, highlighting its therapeutic potential in IBD.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Neutrophil Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms Cell Adhesion Molecules Research Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Publication details

Journal / source
MedComm
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
7
Issue
2
Pages
e70637–e70637
Publication date
1 February 2026
Language
EN