Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2026 Sep 24:112920. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2026.112920. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Clinical evidence suggests a complex link between inflammatory bowel disease and systemic glucose homeostasis, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report that chronic ileitis, induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) or IL10 deficiency under a high-fat diet(HFD), paradoxically ameliorates systemic glucose intolerance and preserves pancreatic β-cell mass in mice. Multi-omics analysis of ileal contents revealed a specific enrichment of Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK) and elevated levels of the metabolite 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB). Mechanistically, 3-HB activated HCAR2/CREB-associated signaling and increased NKX6.1 expression. NKX6.1 loss-of-function markedly attenuated 3-HB-induced insulin gene expression and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, establishing NKX6.1 as an important functional mediator of the β-cell response to 3-HB. Furthermore, exogenous administration of 3-HB recapitulated these protective effects in diabetic mice. This study identifies a novel gut-islet axis where microbiota-derived 3-HB preserves β-cell functional identity via HCAR2 dependent regulation of NKX6.1, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for type 2 diabetes.

PMID:42785509 | DOI:10.1016/j.mce.2026.112920

Commun Biol. 2026 Apr 11. doi: 10.1038/s42003-026-10033-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex disease without clear etiology or effective therapy. While DNA methylation has been implicated in IPF pathogenesis, the tissue-specific causal effects of the epigenetic factors on IPF remain undetermined. Here, we perform epigenome-wide Mendelian randomization using blood-based methylation quantitative trait loci of 420,509 CpG sites and genome-wide association study for IPF to elucidate the causal effects of the CpG sites on IPF. Totally, 452 CpG sites has shown putative causal effects on IPF risk after Bonferroni correction. Among them, 13 CpG sites have shown strong colocalization evidence with genetic factors associated with IPF. Specifically, DNA methylation at CpG sites within MAN2A2 and TRIM27 shows significant differences between IPF lungs and controls, correlating with altered mRNA expressions of these genes in lung tissues. The CpG site in MAN2A2 is a binding site of ZNF384 according to transcription factor databases. RNA sequencing in the TGFβ1-induced alveolar epithelia confirms significantly reduced expression of MAN2A2 and ZNF384 comparing to the controls. Collectively, our study suggests a putative causal link between DNA methylation within MAN2A2 and IPF risk, wherein lung-specific DNA methylation in MAN2A2 may perturb the interaction between ZNF384 and MAN2A2, revealing novel roles for these genes in IPF pathogenesis.

PMID:41965819 | DOI:10.1038/s42003-026-10033-1

Commun Biol. 2026 Apr 11. doi: 10.1038/s42003-026-10033-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex disease without clear etiology or effective therapy. While DNA methylation has been implicated in IPF pathogenesis, the tissue-specific causal effects of the epigenetic factors on IPF remain undetermined. Here, we perform epigenome-wide Mendelian randomization using blood-based methylation quantitative trait loci of 420,509 CpG sites and genome-wide association study for IPF to elucidate the causal effects of the CpG sites on IPF. Totally, 452 CpG sites has shown putative causal effects on IPF risk after Bonferroni correction. Among them, 13 CpG sites have shown strong colocalization evidence with genetic factors associated with IPF. Specifically, DNA methylation at CpG sites within MAN2A2 and TRIM27 shows significant differences between IPF lungs and controls, correlating with altered mRNA expressions of these genes in lung tissues. The CpG site in MAN2A2 is a binding site of ZNF384 according to transcription factor databases. RNA sequencing in the TGFβ1-induced alveolar epithelia confirms significantly reduced expression of MAN2A2 and ZNF384 comparing to the controls. Collectively, our study suggests a putative causal link between DNA methylation within MAN2A2 and IPF risk, wherein lung-specific DNA methylation in MAN2A2 may perturb the interaction between ZNF384 and MAN2A2, revealing novel roles for these genes in IPF pathogenesis.

PMID:41965819 | DOI:10.1038/s42003-026-10033-1