1
|
Lu Y, Mohammad NS, Lee J, Aranyos AM, Serban KA, Brantly ML. Berberine potentiates liver inflammation and fibrosis in the PI*Z hAAT transgenic murine model. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0310524. [PMID: 39298444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is an inherited disease, the common variant caused by a Pi*Z mutation in the SERPINA1 gene. Pi*Z AAT increases the risk of pulmonary emphysema and liver disease. Berberine (BBR) is a nature dietary supplement and herbal remedy. Emerging evidence revealed that BBR has remarkable liver-protective properties against various liver diseases. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and toxicities of BBR in Pi*Z hepatocytes and Pi*Z transgenic mice. METHODS Huh7.5 and Huh7.5Z (which carries the Pi*Z mutation) cells were treated with different concentrations of BBR for 48 hours. MTT was performed for cell viability assay. Intracellular AAT levels were evaluated by western blot. In vivo studies were carried out in wild type, native phenotype AAT (Pi*M), and Pi*Z AAT transgenic mice. Mice were treated with 50 mg/kg/day of BBR or solvent only by oral administration for 30 days. Western blot and liver histopathological examinations were performed to evaluate therapeutic benefits and liver toxicity of BBR. RESULTS BBR reduced intracellular AAT levels in Huh7.5Z cells, meanwhile, no Pi*Z-specific toxicity was observed. However, BBR did not reduce liver AAT load but significantly potentiated liver inflammation and fibrosis accompanying the activation of unfolded protein response and mTOR in Pi*Z mice, but not in wild type and Pi*M mice. CONCLUSIONS BBR exacerbated liver inflammation and fibrosis specifically in Pi*Z mice. This adverse effect may be associated with the activation of unfolded protein response and mTOR. This study implicates that BBR should be avoided by AATD patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanqing Lu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Naweed S Mohammad
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jungnam Lee
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Alek M Aranyos
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Karina A Serban
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mark L Brantly
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Li X, Li N, Zhang X, Zhang L, Jia G, Yu S. Low-Dose Hexavalent Chromium Exposure Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Apoptosis in Rat Liver. Biol Trace Elem Res 2024; 202:4136-4145. [PMID: 38064039 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-023-03995-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the toxic effects of low-dose hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) on rat liver. Male specific pathogen-free (SPF) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (4-5 weeks of age) were randomly divided into groups: saline, 0.05 mg/kg Cr(VI), and 0.25 mg/kg Cr(VI). The rats were subjected to intratracheal instillation of K2Cr2O7 suspensions or saline once weekly, for a total of five times. The results showed that the accumulation of Cr(VI) in the blood of the 0.25 mg/kg K2Cr2O7 group was significantly higher than that in the saline group. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that exposure to hexavalent chromium caused endoplasmic reticulum (ER) oedema and a disordered arrangement. The levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related proteins (ATF6, P-PERK, P-IRE1, Grp78, and CHOP) in the 0.25 mg/kg K2Cr2O7 group were significantly higher than those in the saline group. The expression of apoptosis-inhibitory protein Bcl-2 was significantly lower in the 0.25 mg/kg K2Cr2O7 group than that in the saline group, and the expression of apoptosis protein Bax was significantly higher in the 0.25 mg/kg K2Cr2O7 group than that in the saline group, indicating that Cr(VI) increased apoptosis. These findings revealed that Cr(VI) may be involved in rat liver injury by initiating ERS-mediated apoptosis. The expression of ATF6, P-PERK, P-IRE1, and Bax in the 0.05 mg/kg K2Cr2O7 group was not significantly different from that in the saline group, and the different effects produced by the two different dose groups provide a possible experimental basis for further study of occupational exposure limits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Li
- Department of Pathology, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Ningning Li
- Department of Pathology, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiuzhi Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Lixia Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guang Jia
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shanfa Yu
- School of Public Health, Henan Medical College, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dashti Z, Yousefi Z, Kiani P, Taghizadeh M, Maleki MH, Borji M, Vakili O, Shafiee SM. Autophagy and the unfolded protein response shape the non-alcoholic fatty liver landscape: decoding the labyrinth. Metabolism 2024; 154:155811. [PMID: 38309690 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is on the rise, mirroring a global surge in diabetes and metabolic syndrome, as its major leading causes. NAFLD represents a spectrum of liver disorders, ranging from nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can potentially progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mechanistically, we know the unfolded protein response (UPR) as a protective cellular mechanism, being triggered under circumstances of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The hepatic UPR is turned on in a broad spectrum of liver diseases, including NAFLD. Recent data also defines molecular mechanisms that may underlie the existing correlation between UPR activation and NAFLD. More interestingly, subsequent studies have demonstrated an additional mechanism, i.e. autophagy, to be involved in hepatic steatosis, and thus NAFLD pathogenesis, principally by regulating the insulin sensitivity, hepatocellular injury, innate immunity, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. All these findings suggest possible mechanistic roles for autophagy in the progression of NAFLD and its complications. Both UPR and autophagy are dynamic and interconnected fluxes that act as protective responses to minimize the harmful effects of hepatic lipid accumulation, as well as the ER stress during NAFLD. The functions of UPR and autophagy in the liver, together with findings of decreased hepatic autophagy in correlation with conditions that predispose to NAFLD, such as obesity and aging, suggest that autophagy and UPR, alone or combined, may be novel therapeutic targets against the disease. In this review, we discuss the current evidence on the interplay between autophagy and the UPR in connection to the NAFLD pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Dashti
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Zeynab Yousefi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pouria Kiani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Motahareh Taghizadeh
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hasan Maleki
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Borji
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Omid Vakili
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Autophagy Research Center, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Sayed Mohammad Shafiee
- Autophagy Research Center, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Maiers JL, Chakraborty S. The Cellular, Molecular, and Pathologic Consequences of Stress on the Liver. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 193:1353-1354. [PMID: 37544504 PMCID: PMC10548265 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Maiers
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
| | - Sanjukta Chakraborty
- Department of Medical Physiology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas.
| |
Collapse
|