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Liang YJ, Luo J, Lu Q, Zhou Y, Wu HW, Zheng D, Ren YY, Sun KY, Wang Y, Zhang ZS. Gene profile of chemokines on hepatic stellate cells of schistosome-infected mice and antifibrotic roles of CXCL9/10 on liver non-parenchymal cells. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42490. [PMID: 22905138 PMCID: PMC3414521 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a key role in the development of liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis. Chemokines were widely expressed and involved in cellular activation, proliferation and migration in inflammatory and infectious diseases. However, little is known about the expressions of chemokines on HSCs in the schistosoma infection. In addition, the roles of chemokines in pathogenesis of liver fibrosis are not totally clear. In our study, we used microarray to analyze the temporal gene expressions of primary HSCs isolated from mice with both acute and chronic schistosomiasis. Our microarray data showed that most of the chemokines expressed on HSCs were upregulated at 3 weeks post-infection (p.i) when the egg granulomatous response was not obviously evoked in the liver. However, some of them like CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 were subsequently decreased at 6 weeks p.i when the granulomatous response reached the peak. In the chronic stage, most of the differentially expressed chemokines maintained persistent high-abundances. Furthermore, several chemokines including CCR2, CCR5, CCR7, CXCR3, CXCR4, CCL2, CCL5, CCL21, CXCL9 and CXCL10 were expressed by HCSs and the abundances of them were changed following the praziquantel treatment in the chronic stage, indicating that chemokines were possibly necessary for the persistence of the chronic stage. In vitro experiments, hepatic non-parenchymal cells, primary HSCs and human HSCs line LX-2 were stimulated by chemokines. The results showed that CXCL9 and CXCL10, but not CXCL11 or CXCL4, significantly inhibited the gene expressions of Col1α1, Col3α1 and α-SMA, indicating the potential anti-fibrosis effect of CXCL9 and CXCL10 in schistosomiasis. More interestingly, soluble egg antigen (SEA) of Schistosoma japonicum was able to inhibit transcriptional expressions of some chemokines by LX-2 cells, suggesting that SEA was capable of regulating the expression pattern of chemokine family and modulating the hepatic immune microenvironment in schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue-jin Liang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Luo
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiao Lu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hai-wei Wu
- Center for International Health Research, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Dan Zheng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yong-ya Ren
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ke-yi Sun
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Zhao-song Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Liang YJ, Luo J, Yuan Q, Zheng D, Liu YP, Shi L, Zhou Y, Chen AL, Ren YY, Sun KY, Sun Y, Wang Y, Zhang ZS. New insight into the antifibrotic effects of praziquantel on mice in infection with Schistosoma japonicum. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20247. [PMID: 21629648 PMCID: PMC3101229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2010] [Accepted: 04/28/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease infecting more than 200 million people in the world. Although chemotherapy targeting on killing schistosomes is one of the main strategies in the disease control, there are few effective ways of dealing with liver fibrosis caused by the parasite infection in the chronic and advanced stages of schistosomiasis. For this reason, new strategies and prospective drugs, which exert antifibrotic effects, are urgently required. METHODS AND FINDINGS The antifibrotic effects of praziquantel were assessed in the murine models of schistosomiasis japonica. Murine fibrosis models were established by cutaneous infection with 14 ± 2 Schistosoma japonicum cercariae. Then, the mice of both chronic (8 weeks post-infection) and advanced (15 weeks post-infection) schistosomiasis were treated by gavage of praziquantel (250 mg/kg, once daily for 3 days) to eliminate worms, and followed by praziquantel anti-fibrosis treatment (300 mg/kg, twice daily for 30 days). The fibrosis-related parameters assessed were areas of collagen deposition, content of hydroxyproline and mRNA expressions of Col1α1, Col3α1, α-SMA, TGF-β, MMP9, TIMP1, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13 and IFN-γ of liver. Spleen weight index, alanine aminotransferase activity and liver portal venous pressure were also measured. The results showed that anti-fibrosis treatment improved liver fibrosis, splenomegaly, hepatic function, as well as liver portal hypertension. In order to confirm the anti-fibrotic properties of praziquantel, we established a CCL(4)-induced model and revealed that CCL(4)-induced liver fibrosis was inhibited by PZQ treatment for 30 days. Furthermore, we analyzed the effects of praziquantel on mouse primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). It is indicated that mRNA expressions of Col1α1, Col3α1, α-SMA, TGF-β, MMP9 and TIMP1 of HSCs were all inhibited after praziquantel anti-parasite treatments. CONCLUSIONS The significant amelioration of hepatic fibrosis by praziquantel treatment validates it as a promising drug of anti-fibrosis and offers potential of a new chemotherapy for hepatic fibrosis resulting from schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Jin Liang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Luo
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Quan Yuan
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan Zheng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ya-Ping Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ai-Ling Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yong-Ya Ren
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ke-Yi Sun
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhao-Song Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Isbrucker RA, Peterson TC. Platelet-derived growth factor and pentoxifylline modulation of collagen synthesis in myofibroblasts. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1998; 149:120-6. [PMID: 9512734 DOI: 10.1006/taap.1997.8357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix accumulation are two major events occurring in fibrosis. Hepatic stellate cells are the major collagen-producing cells of the liver and are transformed into proliferative myofibroblasts following activation. Whether proliferation and extracellular matrix production are regulated by the same cytokines is not known. Monocyte-conditioned medium obtained from pigs with yellow phosphorus-induced hepatic fibrosis increased the collagen production by cultured procine myofibroblasts. Liver biopsies from these same fibrotic animals had increased levels of collagen alpha 1(I) and alpha 1(III) mRNA compared to control animals. Preincubation with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) B/B antibody significantly reduced the collagen-stimulating ability of the monocyte-conditioned medium. Recombinant PDGF stimulated proliferation in nonconfluent myofibroblasts and stimulated collagen production in confluent cultures of myofibroblasts without increasing cell number, suggesting that these events can occur independent of each other. Pentoxifylline and one of its active metabolites (metabolite-1) inhibited PDGF-stimulated collagen production in cultured porcine myofibroblasts. These results demonstrate the importance of PDGF in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and provide evidence that pentoxifylline interferes with PDGF-mediated events during experimental liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Isbrucker
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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