Role of L-Arginine in the Gut-Liver Axis of Female Mice: Mediating Ethanol's Alterations in Hepatic Steatosis and Oxidative Stress.

Ethanol exposure causes microbial imbalance, damages the gut barrier, and increases oxidative stress along the gut-liver axis, leading to the development and progression of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid that may play a key role in maintaining redox homeostasis and mediating host-microbiota crosstalk. We hypothesized that supplemental arginine provided during chronic ethanol exposure in mice would mitigate oxidative damage via the gut-liver axis. Our findings suggest that arginine supplementation mediated hepatic steatosis, preserved body weight and fat, and reduced oxidative stress in the gut-liver axis. These changes were associated with alterations in gut microbiota composition and function. These data support a potential role for arginine supplementation in mitigating ethanol-induced oxidative damage via the gut-liver axis.