Low-dose galactose rebalances HBP-mTORC1-SREBP-1c signaling to suppress hepatic lipogenesis and protect against early-stage alcohol-related liver disease

Overactivation of hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) contributes to fatty liver disease. Although glucose and fructose strongly promote DNL, diary-rich galactose is only weakly lipogenic. However, whether and how it regulates hepatic DNL remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether low-dose galactose supplementation attenuates glucose- or fructose-induced DNL activation and protects against fatty liver diseases driven by DNL overactivation, such as alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). In this study, we used integrated hepatocyte and mouse models to assess hepatic DNL and related signaling under high-glucose or high-fructose conditions, with or without low-dose galactose. Pharmacological and genetic interventions targeting the Leloir and hexosamine biosynthetic pathways (HBP) defined underlying mechanisms. For in vivo validation, male C57BL/6 mice were fed an isocaloric control or ethanol-containing diet for 4 wk. We found that glucose engages the HBP-mTORC1-SREBP-1c axis to stimulate hepatic DNL, whereas fructose acts predominantly through carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP). Low-dose galactose selectively suppressed glucose-induced hepatic fat accumulation, concomitant with the inhibition of the HBP-mTORC1-SERBP-1c pathway. These effects required an intact Leloir pathway for galactose metabolism and were not observed with fructose. In alcohol-fed mice, hepatic HBP-mTORC1-SREBP-1c signaling was markedly upregulated, contributing to steatosis and liver injury. Replacing even a small fraction of dietary glucose with galactose normalized these alterations, attenuating hepatic lipid accumulation and injury without altering systemic glucose levels. In conclusion, glucose-induced hepatic lipogenesis involves the HBP-mTORC1-SREBP-1c pathway, which is also activated during chronic alcohol exposure. Low-dose galactose, obtainable from dairy sources, attenuates this pathway, thereby limiting excessive lipogenesis and protecting against early-stage ALD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study demonstrates that low-dose galactose, a dairy-derived monosaccharide, regulates hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) by selectively inhibiting glucose-induced DNL activation. Mechanistically, low-dose galactose suppresses hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) flux, protein O-GlcNAcylation, and mTORC1 signaling, thereby inhibiting SREBP-1c activation in a Leloir pathway-dependent manner. Notably, galactose supplementation prevented early-stage alcohol-related liver disease by attenuating hepatic HBP-O-GlcNAcylation-SREBP-1c signaling.

alcohol-related liver disease; galactose; hexosamine biosynthetic pathway; lipogenesis; mTORC1.