Transcriptional regulation of alcohol induced liver fibrosis in a translational porcine hepatocellular carcinoma model

Total flavonoids of litchi Seed alleviates schistosomiasis liver fibrosis in mice by suppressing hepatic stellate cells activation and modulating the gut microbiomes

Infection with Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) is an important zoonotic parasitic disease that causes liver fibrosis in both human and domestic animals. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is a crucial phase in the development of liver fibrosis, and inhibiting their activation can alleviate this progression. Total flavonoids of litchi seed (TFL) is a naturally extracted drug, and modern pharmacological studies have shown its anti-fibrotic and liver-protective effects. However, the role of TFL in schistosomiasis liver fibrosis is still unclear. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of TFL on liver fibrosis in S. japonicum infected mice and explored its potential mechanisms. Animal study results showed that TFL significantly reduced the levels of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), Interleukin-4 (IL-4), and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the serum of S. japonicum infected mice. TFL reduced the spleen index of mice and markedly improved the pathological changes in liver tissues induced by S. japonicum infection, decreasing the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Collagen I and Collagen III protein in liver tissues. In vitro studies indicated that TFL also inhibited the activation of HCSs induced by Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and reduced the levels of α-SMA. Gut microbes metagenomics study revealed that the composition, abundance, and functions of the mice gut microbiomes changed significantly after S. japonicum infection, and TLF treatment reversed these changes. Therefore, our study indicated that TFL alleviated granulomatous lesions and improved S. japonicum induced liver fibrosis in mice by inhibiting the activation of HSCs and by improving the gut microbiomes.

Natural Compounds for Preventing Age-Related Diseases and Cancers

Aging is a multifaceted process influenced by hereditary factors, lifestyle, and environmental elements. As time progresses, the human body experiences degenerative changes in major functions. The external and internal signs of aging manifest in various ways, including skin dryness, wrinkles, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. Additionally, cancer, like aging, is a complex disease that arises from the accumulation of various genetic and epigenetic alterations. Circadian clock dysregulation has recently been identified as an important risk factor for aging and cancer development. Natural compounds and herbal medicines have gained significant attention for their potential in preventing age-related diseases and inhibiting cancer progression. These compounds demonstrate antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic, and anti-angiogenic effects as well as circadian clock regulation. This review explores age-related diseases, cancers, and the potential of specific natural compounds in targeting the key features of these conditions.

Mechanisms of the TGF-β1/Smad3-signaling pathway in gender differences in alcoholic liver fibrosis

The TGF-β1/Smad3-signaling pathway and gender differences were investigated in alcoholic liver fibrosis. Mice were divided into female normal, female model, male normal, and male model groups. Liver injury and fibrosis were assessed using histopathology and serology. Western blotting was performed to analyze the expression of relevant factors. HSC-T6 cells were divided into estradiol + saline, estradiol + ethanol, testosterone + saline, and testosterone + ethanol groups, and similar assessments were conducted in vitro. Compared with the female model group, the male model group exhibited significantly increased GPT, GOT, TNF-α, IL-6, and testosterone levels, fibrosis rate, and TGF-β1, Smad3, and PCNA expression, and significantly decreased estradiol levels and Caspase-3 expression. The apoptosis rate was higher in the estradiol + ethanol group than in the testosterone + ethanol group, although the testosterone + ethanol group exhibited significantly increased TNF-α, IL-6, Collagen-I, α-SMA, TGF-β1, Smad3, and PCNA expression, and significantly decreased Caspase-3 expression. Alcoholic liver fibrosis showed significant gender differences associated with the TGF-β1/Smad3-signaling pathway.

MiRNAs in Alcohol-Related Liver Diseases and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Step toward New Therapeutic Approaches?

Alcohol-related Liver Disease (ALD) is the primary cause of chronic liver disorders and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in developed countries and thus represents a major public health concern. Unfortunately, few therapeutic options are available for ALD and HCC, except liver transplantation or tumor resection for HCC. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of these diseases is therefore of major importance to identify early biomarkers and to design efficient therapeutic options. Increasing evidence indicate that epigenetic alterations play a central role in the development of ALD and HCC. Among them, microRNA importantly contribute to the development of this disease by controlling the expression of several genes involved in hepatic metabolism, inflammation, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis at the post-transcriptional level. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge about miRNAs' functions in the different stages of ALD and their role in the progression toward carcinogenesis. We highlight that each stage of ALD is associated with deregulated miRNAs involved in hepatic carcinogenesis, and thus represent HCC-priming miRNAs. By using in silico approaches, we have uncovered new miRNAs potentially involved in HCC. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting miRNAs for the treatment of these diseases.

Current progress of pig models for liver cancer research

Preclinical trials play critical roles in assessing the safety and efficiency of novel therapeutic strategies for human diseases including live cancer. However, most therapeutic strategies that were proved to be effective in preclinical cancer models failed in human clinical trials due to the lack of appropriate disease animal models. Therefore, it is of importance and urgent to develop a precise animal model for preclinical cancer research. Liver cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers with low 5-year survival rate. Recently, porcine attracted increasing attentions as animal model in biomedical research. Porcine liver cancer model may provide a promising platform for biomedical research due to their similarities to human being in body size, anatomical characteristics, physiology and pathophysiology. In this review, we comprehensively summarized and discussed the advantages and disadvantages, rationale, current status and progress of pig models for liver cancer research.

Macrophage-Derived MMP-9 and MMP-2 are Closely Related to the Rupture of the Fibrous Capsule of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Leading to Tumor Invasion

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive tumor with a poor clinical prognosis. Rupture of the fibrous capsule (FC) is a very important clinical phenomenon in the invasion and metastasis of HCC. FC is mainly composed of type I collagen (COL1A1). However, it is not clear what caused the FC rupture. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the rupture of FC in HCC patients was related to macrophage-derived MMP-9 and MMP-2, and their clinical diagnostic value for FC rupture.

RESULTS

By performing immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining of ruptured FC and intact FC, the results showed that the ruptured area of FC aggregated a large number of macrophages with MMP-9 and MMP-2. Western blot analysis and Quantitative real-time PCR were used to assess the expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2 in the ruptured and relatively intact area of FC in ruptured FC patients, and the results revealed a significantly different expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2. ELISA experiments show that we could discriminate effectively between ruptured FC and intact FC by MMP-9 and MMP-2.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, macrophage-derived MMP-9 and MMP-2 were closely related to the rupture of the FC of HCC and subsequently led to the migration and invasion of the tumor cells through the ruptured area of FC to the para cancer. It is suggested that when performing surgical resection, it is necessary to expand the range of tumor resection for patients with ruptured FC and hence reduce the possibility of recurrence and metastasis in HCC patients.

Current therapeutic modalities and chemopreventive role of natural products in liver cancer: Progress and promise

Liver cancer is a severe concern for public health officials since the clinical cases are increasing each year, with an estimated 5-year survival rate of 30%–35% after diagnosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes a significant subtype of liver cancer (approximate75%) and is considered primary liver cancer. Treatment for liver cancer mainly depends on the stage of its progression, where surgery including, hepatectomy and liver transplantation, and ablation and radiotherapy are the prime choice. For advanced liver cancer, various drugs and immunotherapy are used as first-line treatment, whereas second-line treatment includes chemotherapeutic drugs from natural and synthetic origins. Sorafenib and lenvatinib are first-line therapies, while regorafenib and ramucirumab are second-line therapy. Various metabolic and signaling pathways such as Notch, JAK/ STAT, Hippo, TGF-β, and Wnt have played a critical role during HCC progression. Dysbiosis has also been implicated in liver cancer. Drug-induced toxicity is a key obstacle in the treatment of liver cancer, necessitating the development of effective and safe medications, with natural compounds such as resveratrol, curcumin, diallyl sulfide, and others emerging as promising anticancer agents. This review highlights the current status of liver cancer research, signaling pathways, therapeutic targets, current treatment strategies and the chemopreventive role of various natural products in managing liver cancer.