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Miyauchi J. The hematopoietic microenvironment of the fetal liver and transient abnormal myelopoiesis associated with Down syndrome: A review. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 199:104382. [PMID: 38723838 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) in neonates with Down syndrome is a distinct form of leukemia or preleukemia that mirrors the hematological features of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. However, it typically resolves spontaneously in the early stages. TAM originates from fetal liver (FL) hematopoietic precursor cells and emerges due to somatic mutations in GATA1 in utero. In TAM, progenitor cells proliferate and differentiate into mature megakaryocytes and granulocytes. This process occurs both in vitro, aided by hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) produced in the FL, and in vivo, particularly in specific anatomical sites like the FL and blood vessels. The FL's hematopoietic microenvironment plays a crucial role in TAM's pathogenesis and may contribute to its spontaneous regression. This review presents an overview of current knowledge regarding the unique features of TAM in relation to the FL hematopoietic microenvironment, focusing on the functions of HGFs and the pathological features of TAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Miyauchi
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Saitama City Hospital, Saitama, Saitama-ken, Japan.
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2
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Younis MA, Harashima H. Understanding Gene Involvement in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Implications for Gene Therapy and Personalized Medicine. Pharmgenomics Pers Med 2024; 17:193-213. [PMID: 38737776 PMCID: PMC11088404 DOI: 10.2147/pgpm.s431346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the dominant type of liver cancers and is one of the deadliest health threats globally. The conventional therapeutic options for HCC are hampered by low efficiency and intolerable side effects. Gene therapy, however, now offers hope for the treatment of many disorders previously considered incurable, and gene therapy is beginning to address many of the shortcomings of conventional therapies. Herein, we summarize the involvement of genes in the pathogenesis and prognosis of HCC, with a special focus on dysregulated signaling pathways, genes involved in immune evasion, and non-coding RNAs as novel two-edged players, which collectively offer potential targets for the gene therapy of HCC. Herein, the opportunities and challenges of HCC gene therapy are discussed. These include innovative therapies such as genome editing and cell therapies. Moreover, advanced gene delivery technologies that recruit nanomedicines for use in gene therapy for HCC are highlighted. Finally, suggestions are offered for improved clinical translation and future directions in this area of endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud A Younis
- Laboratory of Innovative Nanomedicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
- Department of Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt
| | - Hideyoshi Harashima
- Laboratory of Innovative Nanomedicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
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3
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Pessino G, Scotti C, Maggi M, Immuno-Hub Consortium. Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Old and Emerging Therapeutic Targets. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:901. [PMID: 38473265 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16050901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer, predominantly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), globally ranks sixth in incidence and third in cancer-related deaths. HCC risk factors include non-viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, environmental exposures, and genetic factors. No specific genetic alterations are unequivocally linked to HCC tumorigenesis. Current standard therapies include surgical options, systemic chemotherapy, and kinase inhibitors, like sorafenib and regorafenib. Immunotherapy, targeting immune checkpoints, represents a promising avenue. FDA-approved checkpoint inhibitors, such as atezolizumab and pembrolizumab, show efficacy, and combination therapies enhance clinical responses. Despite this, the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a challenge, as the complex tumor ecosystem and the immunosuppressive microenvironment associated with it hamper the efficacy of the available therapeutic approaches. This review explores current and advanced approaches to treat HCC, considering both known and new potential targets, especially derived from proteomic analysis, which is today considered as the most promising approach. Exploring novel strategies, this review discusses antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T), and engineered antibodies. It then reports a systematic analysis of the main ligand/receptor pairs and molecular pathways reported to be overexpressed in tumor cells, highlighting their potential and limitations. Finally, it discusses TGFβ, one of the most promising targets of the HCC microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Pessino
- Unit of Immunology and General Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Scotti
- Unit of Immunology and General Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Maristella Maggi
- Unit of Immunology and General Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Immuno-Hub Consortium
- Unit of Immunology and General Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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4
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Porto E, De Backer J, Thuy LTT, Kawada N, Hankeln T. Transcriptomics of a cytoglobin knockout mouse: Insights from hepatic stellate cells and brain. J Inorg Biochem 2024; 250:112405. [PMID: 37977965 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2023.112405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate respiratory protein cytoglobin (Cygb) is thought to exert multiple cellular functions. Here we studied the phenotypic effects of a Cygb knockout (KO) in mouse on the transcriptome level. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed for the first time on sites of major endogenous Cygb expression, i.e. quiescent and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and two brain regions, hippocampus and hypothalamus. The data recapitulated the up-regulation of Cygb during HSC activation and its expression in the brain. Differential gene expression analyses suggested a role of Cygb in the response to inflammation in HSCs and its involvement in retinoid metabolism, retinoid X receptor (RXR) activation-induced xenobiotics metabolism, and RXR activation-induced lipid metabolism and signaling in activated cells. Unexpectedly, only minor effects of the Cygb KO were detected in the transcriptional profiles in hippocampus and hypothalamus, precluding any enrichment analyses. Furthermore, the transcriptome data pointed at a previously undescribed potential of the Cygb- knockout allele to produce cis-acting effects, necessitating future verification studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Porto
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Molecular Genetics & Genome Analysis Group, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, J. J. Becher-Weg 30A, Mainz D-55128, Germany
| | - Joey De Backer
- Research Group PPES, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp 1610, Belgium
| | - Le Thi Thanh Thuy
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
| | - Norifumi Kawada
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
| | - Thomas Hankeln
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Molecular Genetics & Genome Analysis Group, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, J. J. Becher-Weg 30A, Mainz D-55128, Germany.
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5
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Medina Pizaño MY, Loera Arias MDJ, Montes de Oca Luna R, Saucedo Cárdenas O, Ventura Juárez J, Muñoz Ortega MH. Neuroimmunomodulation of adrenoblockers during liver cirrhosis: modulation of hepatic stellate cell activity. Ann Med 2023; 55:543-557. [PMID: 36826975 PMCID: PMC9970206 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2164047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The sympathetic nervous system and the immune system are responsible for producing neurotransmitters and cytokines that interact by binding to receptors; due to this, there is communication between these systems. Liver immune cells and nerve fibres are systematically distributed in the liver, and the partial overlap of both patterns may favour interactions between certain elements. Dendritic cells are attached to fibroblasts, and nerve fibres are connected via the dendritic cell-fibroblast complex. Receptors for most neuroactive substances, such as catecholamines, have been discovered on dendritic cells. The sympathetic nervous system regulates hepatic fibrosis through sympathetic fibres and adrenaline from the adrenal glands through the blood. When there is liver damage, the sympathetic nervous system is activated locally and systemically through proinflammatory cytokines that induce the production of epinephrine and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters bind to cells through α-adrenergic receptors, triggering a cellular response that secretes inflammatory factors that stimulate and activate hepatic stellate cells. Hepatic stellate cells are key in the fibrotic process. They initiate the overproduction of extracellular matrix components in an active state that progresses from fibrosis to liver cirrhosis. It has also been shown that they can be directly activated by norepinephrine. Alpha and beta adrenoblockers, such as carvedilol, prazosin, and doxazosin, have recently been used to reverse CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis in rodent and murine models.KEY MESSAGESNeurotransmitters from the sympathetic nervous system activate and increase the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells.Hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis treatment might depend on neurotransmitter and hepatic nervous system regulation.Strategies to reduce hepatic stellate cell activation and fibrosis are based on experimentation with α-adrenoblockers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Odila Saucedo Cárdenas
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, México
| | - Javier Ventura Juárez
- Department of Morphology, Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México
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6
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Payne LB, Abdelazim H, Hoque M, Barnes A, Mironovova Z, Willi CE, Darden J, Houk C, Sedovy MW, Johnstone SR, Chappell JC. A Soluble Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor-β Originates via Pre-mRNA Splicing in the Healthy Brain and Is Upregulated during Hypoxia and Aging. Biomolecules 2023; 13:711. [PMID: 37189457 PMCID: PMC10136073 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) pathway provides critical regulation of cerebrovascular pericytes, orchestrating their investment and retention within the brain microcirculation. Dysregulated PDGF Receptor-beta (PDGFRβ) signaling can lead to pericyte defects that compromise blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and cerebral perfusion, impairing neuronal activity and viability, which fuels cognitive and memory deficits. Receptor tyrosine kinases such as PDGF-BB and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) are often modulated by soluble isoforms of cognate receptors that establish signaling activity within a physiological range. Soluble PDGFRβ (sPDGFRβ) isoforms have been reported to form by enzymatic cleavage from cerebrovascular mural cells, and pericytes in particular, largely under pathological conditions. However, pre-mRNA alternative splicing has not been widely explored as a possible mechanism for generating sPDGFRβ variants, and specifically during tissue homeostasis. Here, we found sPDGFRβ protein in the murine brain and other tissues under normal, physiological conditions. Utilizing brain samples for follow-on analysis, we identified mRNA sequences corresponding to sPDGFRβ isoforms, which facilitated construction of predicted protein structures and related amino acid sequences. Human cell lines yielded comparable sequences and protein model predictions. Retention of ligand binding capacity was confirmed for sPDGFRβ by co-immunoprecipitation. Visualizing fluorescently labeled sPDGFRβ transcripts revealed a spatial distribution corresponding to murine brain pericytes alongside cerebrovascular endothelium. Soluble PDGFRβ protein was detected throughout the brain parenchyma in distinct regions, such as along the lateral ventricles, with signals also found more broadly adjacent to cerebral microvessels consistent with pericyte labeling. To better understand how sPDGFRβ variants might be regulated, we found elevated transcript and protein levels in the murine brain with age, and acute hypoxia increased sPDGFRβ variant transcripts in a cell-based model of intact vessels. Our findings indicate that soluble isoforms of PDGFRβ likely arise from pre-mRNA alternative splicing, in addition to enzymatic cleavage mechanisms, and these variants exist under normal physiological conditions. Follow-on studies will be needed to establish potential roles for sPDGFRβ in regulating PDGF-BB signaling to maintain pericyte quiescence, BBB integrity, and cerebral perfusion-critical processes underlying neuronal health and function, and in turn, memory and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Beth Payne
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Hanaa Abdelazim
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Maruf Hoque
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Audra Barnes
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Zuzana Mironovova
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Caroline E. Willi
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Jordan Darden
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Clifton Houk
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Meghan W. Sedovy
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
| | - Scott R. Johnstone
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - John C. Chappell
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech-Carilion (VTC), Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- FBRI Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
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7
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The Active Role of Pericytes During Neuroinflammation in the Adult Brain. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023; 43:525-541. [PMID: 35195811 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-022-01208-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Microvessels in the central nervous system (CNS) have one of the highest populations of pericytes, indicating their crucial role in maintaining homeostasis. Pericytes are heterogeneous cells located around brain microvessels; they present three different morphologies along the CNS vascular tree: ensheathing, mesh, and thin-strand pericytes. At the arteriole-capillary transition ensheathing pericytes are found, while mesh and thin-strand pericytes are located at capillary beds. Brain pericytes are essential for the establishment and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier, which restricts the passage of soluble and potentially toxic molecules from the circulatory system to the brain parenchyma. Pericytes play a key role in regulating local inflammation at the CNS. Pericytes can respond differentially, depending on the degree of inflammation, by secreting a set of neurotrophic factors to promote cell survival and regeneration, or by potentiating inflammation through the release of inflammatory mediators (e.g., cytokines and chemokines), and the overexpression of cell adhesion molecules. Under inflammatory conditions, pericytes may regulate immune cell trafficking to the CNS and play a role in perpetuating local inflammation. In this review, we describe pericyte responses during acute and chronic neuroinflammation.
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8
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Payne LB, Abdelazim H, Hoque M, Barnes A, Mironovova Z, Willi CE, Darden J, Jenkins-Houk C, Sedovy MW, Johnstone SR, Chappell JC. A Soluble Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor-β Originates via Pre-mRNA Splicing in the Healthy Brain and is Differentially Regulated during Hypoxia and Aging. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.03.527005. [PMID: 36778261 PMCID: PMC9915746 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.03.527005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) pathway provides critical regulation of cerebrovascular pericytes, orchestrating their investment and retention within the brain microcirculation. Dysregulated PDGF Receptor-beta (PDGFRβ) signaling can lead to pericyte defects that compromise blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and cerebral perfusion, impairing neuronal activity and viability, which fuels cognitive and memory deficits. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) like PDGF-BB and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) are often modulated by soluble isoforms of cognate receptors that establish signaling activity within a physiological range. Soluble PDGFRβ (sPDGFRβ) isoforms have been reported to form by enzymatic cleavage from cerebrovascular mural cells, and pericytes in particular, largely under pathological conditions. However, pre-mRNA alternative splicing has not been widely explored as a possible mechanism for generating sPDGFRβ variants, and specifically during tissue homeostasis. Here, we found sPDGFRβ protein in the murine brain and other tissues under normal, physiological conditions. Utilizing brain samples for follow-on analysis, we identified mRNA sequences corresponding to sPDGFRβ isoforms, which facilitated construction of predicted protein structures and related amino acid sequences. Human cell lines yielded comparable sequences and protein model predictions. Retention of ligand binding capacity was confirmed for sPDGFRβ by co-immunoprecipitation. Visualizing fluorescently labeled sPDGFRβ transcripts revealed a spatial distribution corresponding to murine brain pericytes alongside cerebrovascular endothelium. Soluble PDGFRβ protein was detected throughout the brain parenchyma in distinct regions such as along the lateral ventricles, with signals also found more broadly adjacent to cerebral microvessels consistent with pericyte labeling. To better understand how sPDGFRβ variants might be regulated, we found elevated transcript and protein levels in the murine brain with age, and acute hypoxia increased sPDGFRβ variant transcripts in a cell-based model of intact vessels. Our findings indicate that soluble isoforms of PDGFRβ likely arise from pre-mRNA alternative splicing, in addition to enzymatic cleavage mechanisms, and these variants exist under normal physiological conditions. Follow-on studies will be needed to establish potential roles for sPDGFRβ in regulating PDGF-BB signaling to maintain pericyte quiescence, BBB integrity, and cerebral perfusion - critical processes underlying neuronal health and function, and in turn memory and cognition.
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9
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Sahu R, Goswami S, Narahari Sastry G, Rawal RK. The Preventive and Therapeutic Potential of the Flavonoids in Liver Cirrhosis: Current and Future Perspectives. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202201029. [PMID: 36703592 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202201029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may vary from moderately mild non-alcohol fatty liver (NAFL) towards the malignant variant known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is marked by fatty liver inflammation and may progress to liver cirrhosis (LC), liver cancer, fibrosis, or liver failure. Flavonoids can protect the liver from toxins through their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and antifibrogenic pharmacological activities. Furthermore, flavonoids protect against LC by regulation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) trans-differentiation, inhibiting growth factors like TGF-β and platelets-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF), viral infections like hepatitis-B, C and D viruses (HBV, HCV & HDV), autoimmune-induced, alcohol-induced, metabolic disorder-induced, causing by apoptosis, and regulating MAPK pathways. These flavonoids may be explored in the future as a therapeutic solution for hepatic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Sahu
- Natural Product Chemistry Group, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, 785006, Assam, India
| | - Sourav Goswami
- Natural Product Chemistry Group, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, 785006, Assam, India
| | - G Narahari Sastry
- Natural Product Chemistry Group, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, 785006, Assam, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201 002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ravindra K Rawal
- Natural Product Chemistry Group, Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, 785006, Assam, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201 002, Uttar Pradesh, India
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10
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Perramón M, Carvajal S, Reichenbach V, Fernández‐Varo G, Boix L, Macias‐Muñoz L, Melgar‐Lesmes P, Bruix J, Melmed S, Lamas S, Jiménez W. The pituitary tumour-transforming gene 1/delta-like homologue 1 pathway plays a key role in liver fibrogenesis. Liver Int 2022; 42:651-662. [PMID: 35050550 PMCID: PMC9303549 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS PTTG1 is almost undetectable in adult livers but is highly expressed in hepatocarcinoma. While little is known about its involvement in liver fibrosis, PTTG1 expression is associated with DLK1. We assessed the role of the PTTG1/DLK1 pathway in fibrosis progression and the potential therapeutic effect of PTTG1 silencing in fibrosis. METHODS Pttg1 and Dlk1 were studied in liver and isolated cell populations of control and fibrotic rats and in human liver biopsies. The fibrotic molecular signature was analysed in Pttg1-/- and Pttg1+/+ fibrotic mice. Finally, Pttg1 silencing was evaluated in rats as a novel antifibrotic therapy. RESULTS Pttg1 and Dlk1 mRNA selectively increased in fibrotic rats paralleling fibrosis progression. Serum DLK1 concentrations correlated with hepatic collagen content and systemic and portal haemodynamics. Human cirrhotic livers showed greater PTTG1 and DLK1 transcript abundance than non-cirrhotic, and reduced collagen was observed in Pttg1 Pttg1-/- mice. The liver fibrotic molecular signature revealed lower expression of genes related to extracellular matrix remodelling including Mmp8 and 9 and Timp4 and greater eotaxin and Mmp13 than fibrotic Pttg1+/+ mice. Finally, interfering Pttg1 resulted in reduced liver fibrotic area, lower α-Sma and decreased portal pressure than fibrotic animals. Furthermore, Pttg1 silencing decreased the transcription of Dlk1, collagens I and III, Pdgfrβ, Tgfrβ, Timp1, Timp2 and Mmp2. CONCLUSIONS Pttg1/Dlk1 are selectively overexpressed in the cirrhotic liver and participate in ECM turnover regulation. Pttg1 disruption decreases Dlk1 transcription and attenuates collagen deposition. PTTG1/DLK1 signalling is a novel pathway for targeting the progression of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Perramón
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics ServiceHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Silvia Carvajal
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics ServiceHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Vedrana Reichenbach
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics ServiceHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Guillermo Fernández‐Varo
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics ServiceHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Loreto Boix
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain,Department of MedicineUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain,Barcelona‐Clínic Liver Cancer GroupHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain
| | - Laura Macias‐Muñoz
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics ServiceHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Pedro Melgar‐Lesmes
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics ServiceHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain,Department of BiomedicineUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain,Institute for Medical Engineering and ScienceMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - Jordi Bruix
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain,Department of MedicineUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain,Barcelona‐Clínic Liver Cancer GroupHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain
| | - Shlomo Melmed
- Department of Medicine, Cedars‐Sinai Research InstituteUniversity of California School of MedicineLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Santiago Lamas
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC‐UAM)MadridSpain
| | - Wladimiro Jiménez
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics ServiceHospital Clínic UniversitariBarcelonaSpain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEReHD)BarcelonaSpain,Department of BiomedicineUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
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11
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Zhou L, Li Y, Liang Q, Liu J, Liu Y. Combination therapy based on targeted nano drug co-delivery systems for liver fibrosis treatment: A review. J Drug Target 2022; 30:577-588. [PMID: 35179094 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2022.2044485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is the hallmark of liver disease and occurs prior to the stages of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Any type of liver damage or inflammation can result in fibrosis. Fibrosis does not develop overnight, but rather as a result of the long-term action of injury factors. At present, however, there are no good treatment methods or specific drugs other than removing the pathogenic factors. Drug application is still limited, which means that drugs with good performance in vitro cannot achieve good therapeutic effects in vivo, owing to various factors such as poor drug targeting, large side effects, and strong hydrophobicity. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are the primary effector cells in liver fibrosis. The nano-drug delivery system is a new and safe drug delivery system that has many advantages which are widely used in the field of liver fibrosis. Drug resistance and side effects can be reduced when two or more drugs are used in combination drug delivery. Combination therapy of drugs with different targets has emerged as a novel approach to treating liver fibrosis, and the nano co-delivery system enhances the benefits of combination therapy. While nano co-delivery systems can maximize benefits while avoiding drug side effects, this is precisely the advantage of the nano co-delivery system. This review briefly described the pathogenesis and current treatment strategies, the different co-delivery systems of combination drugs in the nano delivery system, and targeting strategies for nano delivery systems on liver fibrosis therapy. Because of their superior performance, nano delivery systems and targeting drug delivery systems have received a lot of attention in the new drug delivery system. The new delivery systems offer a new pathway in the treatment of liver fibrosis, and it is believed that it can be a new treatment for fibrosis in the future. Nano co-delivery system of combination drugs and targeting strategies has proven the effectiveness of anti-fibrosis at the experimental level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyue Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yifan Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qiangwei Liang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jinxia Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yanhua Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Hui Ethnic Medicine Modernization, Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
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12
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Liu T, Chen S, Xie X, Liu H, Wang Y, Qi S, Shi L, Zhou X, Zhang J, Wang S, Wang Y, Chen S, Dou S, Jiang X, Cui R, Jiang H. Soluble TREM-1, as a new ligand for the membrane receptor Robo2, promotes hepatic stellate cells activation and liver fibrosis. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:11113-11127. [PMID: 34750987 PMCID: PMC8650037 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells‐1 (TREM‐1) exists in two forms: a transmembrane form and a soluble form (sTREM‐1). The levels of sTREM‐1 are elevated in supernatants of activated HSCs. However, the role of sTREM‐1 in HSC activation and liver fibrosis remains undefined. Previous studies have primarily focused on the transmembrane form of TREM‐1; we innovatively observed the function of sTREM‐1 as a ligand in liver fibrosis and screened its receptor. Here, recombinant sTREM‐1 was used as a stimulator which induced HSC activation and further aggravated liver fibrosis. Then, screening for sTREM‐1 interacting membrane receptors was performed using pull‐down assay followed by mass spectrometry, and the membrane receptor roundabout guidance receptor 2 (Robo2) was identified as a candidate receptor for sTREM‐1. The interaction between sTREM‐1 and Robo2 was verified by pull‐down and immunofluorescence. The role of Robo2 on sTREM‐1‐induced HSC activation and its downstream signal pathways was assessed by knockdown of Robo2 in LX‐2 cells. Furthermore, HSC‐specific knockdown of Robo2 was achieved in a mouse model of liver fibrosis by using a recombinant adeno‐associated virus (AAV) vector to confirm the role of the receptor, and we proved that Robo2 knockdown inhibited the activation of HSC and liver fibrosis, which also led to the inactivation of Smad2/3 and PI3K/Akt pathways in sTREM‐1‐induced HSC activation and liver fibrosis. In conclusion, sTREM‐1 acts as a new ligand of Robo2; the binding of sTREM‐1 to Robo2 initiates the activation of the downstream Smad2/3 and PI3K/Akt signalling pathways, thereby promoting HSC activation and liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shujia Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, Shijiazhuang People's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Xiaoli Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Hongqun Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yongjuan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shengbin Qi
- Department of General Surgery, Shijiazhuang People's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Linping Shi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Xue Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Jiuna Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shuling Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yijun Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shengxiong Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shiying Dou
- Department of infectious diseases, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Xiaoyu Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Ruolin Cui
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Huiqing Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology, Hebei Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
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Yamaguchi M, Dohi N, Ooka A, Saito SY, Ishikawa T. Caffeine-induced inversion of prostaglandin E 2 effects on hepatic stellate cell activation. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 142:111989. [PMID: 34388524 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Liver inflammation leads to the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), resulting in the development of liver fibrosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which is biosynthesized by Kupffer cells, hepatocytes, and HSCs during inflammation, on HSC activation, including its combinatory effect with caffeine. METHODS HSCs isolated from mice were activated by culturing in a medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum for 7 days on plastic plates. The activation of HSCs was evaluated by immunofluorescence of α-smooth muscle actin in HSCs. Comprehensive gene expression analysis was performed using mRNA-sequencing to compare HSCs cultured for 1 or 7 days, with or without PGE2, caffeine, or both. RESULTS PGE2 (1 μM) facilitated the activation of HSCs but inhibited the HSC activation in the presence of caffeine (3 mM). Comprehensive gene expression analysis revealed that HSCs treated with PGE2 in the presence of caffeine were classified in the same class as HSCs cultured for 1 day, i.e., quiescent HSCs. In contrast, PGE2 did not exhibit an inhibitory effect on HSC activation when co-treated with any isoform-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Although the adenylate cyclase inhibitor 2',5'-dideoxyadenosine suppressed the elevation of intracellular cAMP level induced by PGE2 in the presence of caffeine, it had no effect on the inhibition of HSC activation by PGE2 plus caffeine. CONCLUSION The effect of PGE2 on HSC activation is changed from facilitatory to inhibitory when combined with caffeine, suggesting that caffeine may effectively suppress liver fibrosis during inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momoka Yamaguchi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
| | - Naoki Dohi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Akira Ooka
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Shin-Ya Saito
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Okayama University of Science, 1-3 Ikoinooka, Imabari City, Ehime 794-8555, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Ishikawa
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
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14
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Wang J, You J, Gong D, Xu Y, Yang B, Jiang C. PDGF-BB induces conversion, proliferation, migration, and collagen synthesis of oral mucosal fibroblasts through PDGFR-β/PI3K/ AKT signaling pathway. Cancer Biomark 2021; 30:407-415. [PMID: 33492283 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-201681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the pathogenesis of oral submucosal fibrosis (OSF) by analyzing the impact of Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF)-BB on oral mucosal fibroblasts (FB) and PDGFR-β/Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine protein kinase (AKT) signaling pathway. METHODS The isolated and purified oral mucosal fibroblasts were divided into four groups: the control group (CON, 10% FBS DMEM), the PDGF-BB group (40 ng/ml PDGF-BB), the PDGF-BB+IMA group (40 ng/ml PDGF-BB and 60 μmol/L IMA), and the PDGF-BB+LY294002 group (40 ng/ml PDGF-BB and 48 μmol/L LY294002). Primary human FB cells were isolated and cultured for detecting the effects of PDGF-BB on α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) by indirect immunofluorescence. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide, Thiazolyl Blue Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT) method and scratch test were used to detect the proliferation and migration of FB. Western blots were used to detect the synthesis of type I collagen (Col I) and the expression of PDGFR-β/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-related proteins. The effects of PDGFR-β inhibitor and PI3K inhibitor were observed. RESULTS Compared with group CON, group IMA, and group LY294002, α-SMA was upregulated in group PDGF-BB (p< 0.05), with higher OD490 nm value (p< 0.05), narrower average scratch width, and higher relative cell migration rate (p< 0.05). The expression levels of Col I, p-PDGFR-β, p-PI3K, and p-AKT were higher in group PDGF-BB (p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS PDGF-BB induces FB to transform into myofibroblasts (MFB) through the PDGFR-β/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and promotes the proliferation, migration, and collagen synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Department of Immunology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jialing You
- Department of Immunology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ding Gong
- Department of Immunology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Immunology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Immunology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Canhua Jiang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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15
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Barry AE, Baldeosingh R, Lamm R, Patel K, Zhang K, Dominguez DA, Kirton KJ, Shah AP, Dang H. Hepatic Stellate Cells and Hepatocarcinogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:709. [PMID: 32850829 PMCID: PMC7419619 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are a significant component of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor microenvironment (TME). Activated HSCs transform into myofibroblast-like cells to promote fibrosis in response to liver injury or chronic inflammation, leading to cirrhosis and HCC. The hepatic TME is comprised of cellular components, including activated HSCs, tumor-associated macrophages, endothelial cells, immune cells, and non-cellular components, such as growth factors, proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors, and other extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Interactions between HCC cells and their microenvironment have become topics under active investigation. These interactions within the hepatic TME have the potential to drive carcinogenesis and create challenges in generating effective therapies. Current studies reveal potential mechanisms through which activated HSCs drive hepatocarcinogenesis utilizing matricellular proteins and paracrine crosstalk within the TME. Since activated HSCs are primary secretors of ECM proteins during liver injury and inflammation, they help promote fibrogenesis, infiltrate the HCC stroma, and contribute to HCC development. In this review, we examine several recent studies revealing the roles of HSCs and their clinical implications in the development of fibrosis and cirrhosis within the hepatic TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Barry
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rajkumar Baldeosingh
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ryan Lamm
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Keyur Patel
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Dana A Dominguez
- Department of General Surgery, UCSF East Bay, Oakland, CA, United States
| | - Kayla J Kirton
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ashesh P Shah
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Hien Dang
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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16
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Yu Gan Long Ameliorates Hepatic Fibrosis by Inhibiting PI3K/AKT, Ras/ERK and JAK1/STAT3 Signaling Pathways in CCl 4-induced Liver Fibrosis Rats. Curr Med Sci 2020; 40:539-547. [PMID: 32681257 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-020-2211-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Yu Gan Long (YGL) is a Chinese traditional herbal formula which has been reported to attenuate liver fibrosis for many years and we have explored its anti-fibrotic mechanism through blocking transforming growth factor (TGF-β) in the previous study. But the mechanisms associated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB remain obscure. In this study, we further investigated the mechanism of YGL reducing carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats. Our results showed that YGL suppressed CCl4-induced upregulation of collagen IV (Col IV), type HI precollagen (PCHI), hyaluronuc acid (HA) and laminin (LN), which are implicated in liver fibrosis. Also, YGL reduced the α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, which acts as the indicator of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, YGL decreased the serum levels of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) mitogen PDGF-BB and inflammation cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6. Markers involved in liver fibrosis, such as Ras, p-Raf-1, p-ERK1/2, p-JNK, p-P38, p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-JAKl, p-STAT3 were downregulated significantly after treatment with YGL. Our results indicated that YGL ameliorated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis by reducing inflammation cytokines production, and suppressing Ras/ERK, PI3K/AKT, and JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathways, which provided further evidence towards elucidation of the anti-fibrotic mechanism of YGL.
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17
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Chen C, Li X, Wang L. Thymosinβ4 alleviates cholestatic liver fibrosis in mice through downregulating PDGF/PDGFR and TGFβ/Smad pathways. Dig Liver Dis 2020; 52:324-330. [PMID: 31542221 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2019.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is an important health problem without adequate and effective therapeutics. In this study, effects of thymosinβ4 (Tβ4) on hepatic fibrogenesis and the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored in bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced mice cholestatic liver fibrosis model. Results showed exogenous Tβ4 significantly reduced the mortality and liver/body weight ratio in BDL mice. Histological examinations and biochemical analyses demonstrated that BDL induced evident portal fibrosis and a significant increase in hepatic collagen contents. However, these changes were significantly attenuated by exogenous Tβ4. Quantitative real-time PCR assays showed that Tβ4 suppressed BDL-induced increases in many fibrotic genes expression including α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, III and fibronectin, TGFβ1, TGFβR II, Smad2, Smad3, and PDGFRβ. Results from immunohistochemistry and Western blots also showed that Tβ4 reduced TGFβ1 and PDGFRβ protein levels in the liver tissues of BDL mice. In vitro studies using LX-2 cells demonstrated that Tβ4 could decrease PDGFRβ and TGFβR II levels in hepatic stellate cells. Taken together, findings in our present studies suggested that exogenous Tβ4 alleviated BDL-induced cholestatic liver fibrosis through downregulating PDGF/PDGFR and TGFβ/Smad pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai Chen
- Teaching and Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Xinyang Vocational and Technical College, Xinyang, China
| | - Xiankui Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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18
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Hepatocarcinoma-intestine-pancreas/pancreatitis-associated protein (HIP/PAP) confers protection against hepatic fibrosis through downregulation of transforming growth factor β receptor II. J Transl Med 2020; 100:466-482. [PMID: 31641222 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-019-0314-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocarcinoma-intestine-pancreas/pancreatitis-associated protein (HIP/PAP) has antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, mitogenic, and antiapoptotic effects and thus exerts important functions in the maintenance of integrity and homeostasis of several organs, such as the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and liver. Although the potent hepatoprotective effect of HIP/PAP has been validated, its impact on liver fibrosis has not been reported. In this study, we evaluated the role of HIP/PAP on hepatic fibrosis and explored the possible underlying mechanisms. We found that the expression of HIP/PAP and its mouse counterpart, Reg3B, was markedly upregulated in fibrotic human or mouse livers. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) interleukin (IL)-10, IL-6, and TNF-α but not TGF-β1 significantly induced hepatic overexpression of Reg3B in mice. In both CCl4 and BDL liver fibrosis models, adenovirus-mediated ectopic expression of HIP/PAP markedly alleviated liver injury, inflammation, collagen deposition, hepatic stellate cell activation, and the overexpression of profibrotic cytokines, including transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A, B, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), in mice. In vitro experiments demonstrated that, in addition to suppressing hepatic stellate cell proliferation and accelerating hepatocyte proliferation, HIP/PAP mitigated TGF-β1-induced hepatic stellate cell activation, hepatocyte epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and upregulated expression of profibrotic cytokines in both hepatic stellate cells and hepatocytes. Moreover, HIP/PAP attenuated the overexpression of TGF-β receptor II (TGF-βRII) in fibrotic mouse livers and decreased the basal expression of TGF-βRII in nonfibrotic mouse livers as well as in cultured hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells, which is at least partly attributable to the TGF-β1-antagonizing function of HIP/PAP. This study indicates that increased expression of hepatic HIP/PAP serves as a countermeasure against liver injury and fibrosis. Exogenous supplementation of HIP/PAP might be a promising therapeutic agent for hepatic fibrosis as well as liver injury.
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19
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Sundaram B, Behnke K, Belancic A, Al-Salihi MA, Thabet Y, Polz R, Pellegrino R, Zhuang Y, Shinde PV, Xu HC, Vasilevska J, Longerich T, Herebian D, Mayatepek E, Bock HH, May P, Kordes C, Aghaeepour N, Mak TW, Keitel V, Häussinger D, Scheller J, Pandyra AA, Lang KS, Lang PA. iRhom2 inhibits bile duct obstruction-induced liver fibrosis. Sci Signal 2019; 12:12/605/eaax1194. [PMID: 31662486 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aax1194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chronic liver disease can induce prolonged activation of hepatic stellate cells, which may result in liver fibrosis. Inactive rhomboid protein 2 (iRhom2) is required for the maturation of A disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17, also called TACE), which is responsible for the cleavage of membrane-bound tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and its receptors (TNFRs). Here, using the murine bile duct ligation (BDL) model, we showed that the abundance of iRhom2 and activation of ADAM17 increased during liver fibrosis. Consistent with this, concentrations of ADAM17 substrates were increased in plasma samples from mice after BDL and in patients suffering from liver cirrhosis. We observed increased liver fibrosis, accelerated disease progression, and an increase in activated stellate cells after BDL in mice lacking iRhom2 (Rhbdf2-/- ) compared to that in controls. In vitro primary mouse hepatic stellate cells exhibited iRhom2-dependent shedding of the ADAM17 substrates TNFR1 and TNFR2. In vivo TNFR shedding after BDL also depended on iRhom2. Treatment of Rhbdf2-/- mice with the TNF-α inhibitor etanercept reduced the presence of activated stellate cells and alleviated liver fibrosis after BDL. Together, these data suggest that iRhom2-mediated inhibition of TNFR signaling protects against liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balamurugan Sundaram
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kristina Behnke
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andrea Belancic
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mazin A Al-Salihi
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Yasser Thabet
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Robin Polz
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rossella Pellegrino
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yuan Zhuang
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Prashant V Shinde
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Haifeng C Xu
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jelena Vasilevska
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Longerich
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 224, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Diran Herebian
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ertan Mayatepek
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hans H Bock
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Petra May
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claus Kordes
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute for Experimental Regenerative Hepatology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nima Aghaeepour
- Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Grant S280, Stanford, CA 94305-5117, USA
| | - Tak W Mak
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 1 King's Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Pathology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Verena Keitel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dieter Häussinger
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute for Experimental Regenerative Hepatology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jürgen Scheller
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Aleksandra A Pandyra
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.,Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karl S Lang
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Philipp A Lang
- Department of Molecular Medicine II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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20
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Yin F, Wang WY, Jiang WH. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo: From biological characteristics to therapeutic mechanisms. World J Stem Cells 2019; 11:548-564. [PMID: 31523373 PMCID: PMC6716089 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v11.i8.548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a wound-healing response to chronic injuries, characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix or scar tissue within the liver; in addition, its formation is associated with multiple cytokines as well as several cell types and a variety of signaling pathways. When liver fibrosis is not well controlled, it can progress to liver cirrhosis, but it is reversible in principle. Thus far, no efficient therapy is available for treatment of liver fibrosis. Although liver transplantation is the preferred strategy, there are many challenges remaining in this approach, such as shortage of donor organs, immunological rejection, and surgical complications. Hence, there is a great need for an alternative therapeutic strategy. Currently, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is considered a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis; advantageously, the characteristics of MSCs are continuous self-renewal, proliferation, multipotent differentiation, and immunomodulatory activities. The human umbilical cord-derived (hUC)-MSCs possess not only the common attributes of MSCs but also more stable biological characteristics, relatively easy accessibility, abundant source, and no ethical issues (e.g., bone marrow being the adult source), making hUC-MSCs a good choice for treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we summarize the biological characteristics of hUC-MSCs and their paracrine effects, exerted by secretion of various cytokines, which ultimately promote liver repair through several signaling pathways. Additionally, we discuss the capacity of hUC-MSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells for compensating the function of existing hepatocytes, which may aid in amelioration of liver fibrosis. Finally, we discuss the current status of the research field and its future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yin
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Wen-Ying Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
| | - Wen-Hua Jiang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
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21
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ERK Pathway in Activated, Myofibroblast-Like, Hepatic Stellate Cells: A Critical Signaling Crossroad Sustaining Liver Fibrosis. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20112700. [PMID: 31159366 PMCID: PMC6600376 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrogenic progression of chronic liver disease, whatever the etiology, is characterized by persistent chronic parenchymal injury, chronic activation of inflammatory response, and sustained activation of liver fibrogenesis, and of pathological wound healing response. A critical role in liver fibrogenesis is played by hepatic myofibroblasts (MFs), a heterogeneous population of α smooth-muscle actin—positive cells that originate from various precursor cells through a process of activation and transdifferentiation. In this review, we focus the attention on the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway as a critical one in modulating selected profibrogenic phenotypic responses operated by liver MFs. We will also analyze major therapeutic antifibrotic strategies developed in the last two decades in preclinical studies, some translated to clinical conditions, designed to interfere directly or indirectly with the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway in activated hepatic MFs, but that also significantly increased our knowledge on the biology and pathobiology of these fascinating profibrogenic cells.
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22
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Peng Y, Li L, Zhang X, Xie M, Yang C, Tu S, Shen H, Hu G, Tao L, Yang H. Fluorofenidone affects hepatic stellate cell activation in hepatic fibrosis by targeting the TGF-β1/Smad and MAPK signaling pathways. Exp Ther Med 2019; 18:41-48. [PMID: 31258636 PMCID: PMC6566051 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2019.7548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present research was to study the therapeutic impacts of fluorofenidone (AKF-PD) on pig serum (PS)-induced liver fibrosis in rats and the complex molecular mechanisms of its effects on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control, PS and PS/AKF-PD treatment groups. The activated human HSC LX-2 cell line was also treated with AKF-PD. The expression of collagen I and III, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was determined by immunohistochemical staining and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Western blotting and/or RT-qPCR analyses were used to determine the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, α-SMA, collagen I, mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad)-3, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). AKF-PD attenuated the degree of hepatic fibrosis and liver injury in vivo, which was associated with the downregulation of collagen I and III, and α-SMA at the mRNA and protein levels. In vitro, AKF-PD treatment significantly reduced the TGF-β1-induced activation of HSCs, as determined by the reduction in collagen I and α-SMA protein expression. The TGF-β1-induced upregulation of the phosphorylation of Smad 3, ERK1/2, p38 and JNK was attenuated by AKF-PD treatment. These findings suggested that AKF-PD attenuated the progression of hepatic fibrosis by suppressing HSCs activation via the TGF-β1/Smad and MAPK signaling pathways, and therefore that AKF-PD may be suitable for use as a novel therapeutic agent against liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First People's Hospital of Changde City, Changde, Hunan 415000, P.R. China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of General Practice, The First People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222000, P.R. China
| | - Mingyan Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First People's Hospital of Changde City, Changde, Hunan 415000, P.R. China
| | - Congying Yang
- Department of Endoscopy Center, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, P.R. China
| | - Sha Tu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Hong Shen
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, P.R. China
| | - Gaoyun Hu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, P.R. China
| | - Lijian Tao
- Department of Nephropathy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Huixiang Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
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23
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Gracia-Sancho J, Marrone G, Fernández-Iglesias A. Hepatic microcirculation and mechanisms of portal hypertension. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 16:221-234. [PMID: 30568278 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-018-0097-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The liver microcirculatory milieu, mainly composed of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and hepatic macrophages, has an essential role in liver homeostasis, including in preserving hepatocyte function, regulating the vascular tone and controlling inflammation. Liver microcirculatory dysfunction is one of the key mechanisms that promotes the progression of chronic liver disease (also termed cirrhosis) and the development of its major clinical complication, portal hypertension. In the present Review, we describe the current knowledge of liver microcirculatory dysfunction in cirrhotic portal hypertension and appraise the preclinical models used to study the liver circulation. We also provide a comprehensive summary of the promising therapeutic options to target the liver microvasculature in cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Gracia-Sancho
- Liver Vascular Biology Research Group, Barcelona Hepatic Hemodynamic Laboratory, IDIBAPS Biomedical Research Institute, CIBEREHD, Barcelona, Spain. .,Hepatology, Department of Biomedical Research, Inselspital, Bern University, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Giusi Marrone
- Liver Vascular Biology Research Group, Barcelona Hepatic Hemodynamic Laboratory, IDIBAPS Biomedical Research Institute, CIBEREHD, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anabel Fernández-Iglesias
- Liver Vascular Biology Research Group, Barcelona Hepatic Hemodynamic Laboratory, IDIBAPS Biomedical Research Institute, CIBEREHD, Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Liu M, Hu Y, Yuan Y, Tian Z, Zhang C. γδT Cells Suppress Liver Fibrosis via Strong Cytolysis and Enhanced NK Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity Against Hepatic Stellate Cells. Front Immunol 2019; 10:477. [PMID: 30930903 PMCID: PMC6428727 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, resulting from maladaptive wound healing responses to chronic liver injury. γδT cells are important in chronic liver injury pathogenesis and subsequent liver fibrosis; however, their role and underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The present study aims to assess whether γδT cells contribute to liver fibrosis regression. Using a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced murine model of liver fibrosis in wild-type (WT) and γδT cell deficient (TCRδ−/−) mice, we demonstrated that γδT cells protected against liver fibrosis and exhibited strong cytotoxicity against activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Further study show that chronic liver inflammation promoted hepatic γδT cells to express NKp46, which contribute to the direct killing of activated HSCs by γδT cells. Moreover, we identified that an IFNγ-producing γδT cell subset (γδT1) cells exhibited stronger cytotoxicity against activated HSCs than the IL-17-producing subset (γδT17) cells upon chronic liver injury. In addition, γδT cells promoted the anti-fibrotic ability of conventional natural killer (cNK) cells and liver-resident NK (lrNK) cells by enhancing their cytotoxicity against activated HSCs. The cell crosstalk between γδT and NK cells was shown to depend partly on co-stimulatory receptor 4-1BB (CD137) engagement. In conclusion, our data confirmed the protective effects of γδT cells, especially the γδT1 subset, by directly killing activated HSCs and increasing NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity against activated HSCs in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis, which suggest valuable therapeutic targets to treat liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meifang Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Immunopharmacology and Immunotherapy, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuan Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Immunopharmacology and Immunotherapy, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yi Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Immunopharmacology and Immunotherapy, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhigang Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Cai Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Immunopharmacology and Immunotherapy, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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25
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Shah R, Reyes-Gordillo K, Rojkind M. Thymosin β4 inhibits PDGF-BB induced activation, proliferation, and migration of human hepatic stellate cells via its actin-binding domain. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2019; 18:177-184. [PMID: 30063851 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2018.1478961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) trans-differentiation is central to the development of liver fibrosis, marked by the expression of pro-fibrogenic genes and the proliferation and migration of activated HSC. Therefore, preventing and/or reverting the activation, proliferation, and migration of HSC may lead to new therapies for treating fibrosis/cirrhosis. Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) inhibits PDGF-BB-induced fibrogenesis, proliferation and migration of HSC by blocking Akt phosphorylation. Here, we utilized Tβ4-derived peptides: amino-terminal-Ac-SDKPDMAEIEKFDKS (1-15aa) and actin-binding-LKKTETQ (17-23aa) to investigate the molecular mechanisms in the anti-fibrogenic actions of Tβ4. METHODS We used RT-PCR, Western blot, and proliferation and migration assays in early passages of human HSC cultures treated with PDGF-BB and/or Tβ4 peptides. RESULTS We showed that 17-23aa but not 1-15aa inhibited PDGF-BB-dependent up-regulation of PDGFβ receptor, α-SMA, and collagen 1. It also blunted the phosphorylation of Akt at T 308 and S473, resulting in the inhibition of phosphorylation of PRAS40, and HSC proliferation and migration. Interestingly, 1-15aa blocked Akt phosphorylation at S473, but not T308 by inhibiting mTOR phosphorylation, thus, it did not have any effect on HSC proliferation and migration. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that while 1-15aa has a minor effect on Akt phosphorylation, the anti-fibrogenic actions of Tβ4 are exerted via 17-23aa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Shah
- a Lipid Research Laboratory , VA Medical Center , Washington , DC , USA.,b Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine , The George Washington University Medical Center , Washington , DC , USA
| | - Karina Reyes-Gordillo
- a Lipid Research Laboratory , VA Medical Center , Washington , DC , USA.,b Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine , The George Washington University Medical Center , Washington , DC , USA
| | - Marcos Rojkind
- b Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine , The George Washington University Medical Center , Washington , DC , USA
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26
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O’Rourke JM, Sagar VM, Shah T, Shetty S. Carcinogenesis on the background of liver fibrosis: Implications for the management of hepatocellular cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2018; 24:4436-4447. [PMID: 30357021 PMCID: PMC6196335 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i39.4436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is now the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally and many patients have incurable disease. HCC predominantly occurs in the setting of liver cirrhosis and is a paradigm for inflammation-induced cancer. The causes of chronic liver disease promote the development of transformed or premalignant hepatocytes and predisposes to the development of HCC. For HCC to grow and progress it is now clear that it requires an immunosuppressive niche within the fibrogenic microenvironment of cirrhosis. The rationale for targeting this immunosuppression is supported by responses seen in recent trials with checkpoint inhibitors. With the impact of immunotherapy, HCC progression may be delayed and long term durable responses may be seen. This makes the management of the underlying liver cirrhosis in HCC even more crucial as studies demonstrate that measures of liver function are a major prognostic factor in HCC. In this review, we discuss the development of cancer in the setting of liver inflammation and fibrosis, reviewing the microenvironment that leads to this tumourigenic climate and the implications this has for patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Marie O’Rourke
- Centre for Liver Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Vandana Mridhu Sagar
- Centre for Liver Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Tahir Shah
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Shishir Shetty
- Centre for Liver Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
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27
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Ma Z, Liu X, Dong H, Xia D, Wang L, Chen Y, Xiong Y. Sorafenib and praziquantel synergistically attenuate Schistosoma japonicum-induced liver fibrosis in mice. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:2831-2839. [PMID: 29946766 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5972-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is an important process that occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases and often results in the end stage of liver diseases, such as cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Sorafenib, a multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been shown to inhibit liver fibrosis in multiple experimental fibrosis mouse and rat models. The aim of this study was to test the therapeutic effect of sorafenib on liver fibrosis induced by infection with a parasite, Schistosoma japonicum, in mice. Mice were percutaneously infected through the abdomen with Schistosoma cercariae to develop a schistosomula liver fibrosis model. Eight weeks after infection, infected mice were treated with the anti-parasitic agent praziquantel for 2 days and sorafenib for 2 weeks. Hepatic histopathological changes were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson's trichome staining. The hepatic expression levels of collagen I, collagen III, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and PDGF receptor-beta (PDGFR-β) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Praziquantel administration alone but not sorafenib reduced liver fibrosis, and the combination of praziquantel and sorafenib significantly attenuated liver fibrosis in S. japonicum-infected mice. Moreover, sorafenib plus praziquantel markedly decreased the hepatic deposition of collagen and expression of fibrogenic genes in these mice. In conclusion, the use of sorafenib following praziquantel treatment may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for liver fibrosis induced by S. japonicum in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Ma
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Donghu Road 169, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Donghu Road 169, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Huifen Dong
- Department of Human Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Dong Xia
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Lixia Wang
- Hubei Provincial Academy of Preventive Medicine, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Centre, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yong Xiong
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Donghu Road 169, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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29
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Wahid B, Ali A, Rafique S, Saleem K, Waqar M, Wasim M, Idrees M. Role of altered immune cells in liver diseases: a review. GASTROENTEROLOGIA Y HEPATOLOGIA 2018; 41:377-388. [PMID: 29605453 DOI: 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2018.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Immune cells play an important role in controlling liver tumorigenesis, viral hepatitis, liver fibrosis and contribute to pathogenesis of liver inflammation and injury. Accumulating evidence suggests the effectiveness of natural killer (NK) cells and Kupffer cells (KCs) against viral hepatitis, hepatocellular damage, liver fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. Activation of natural killer cells provides a novel therapeutic strategy to cure liver related diseases. This review discusses the emerging roles of immune cells in liver disorders and it will provide baseline data to scientists to design better therapies for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braira Wahid
- Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan; Genome Centre for Molecular Based Diagnostics and Research, Al-Sudais Plaza Abdalian Cooperative Society, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Amjad Ali
- Genome Centre for Molecular Based Diagnostics and Research, Al-Sudais Plaza Abdalian Cooperative Society, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Shazia Rafique
- Genome Centre for Molecular Based Diagnostics and Research, Al-Sudais Plaza Abdalian Cooperative Society, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Komal Saleem
- Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan; Genome Centre for Molecular Based Diagnostics and Research, Al-Sudais Plaza Abdalian Cooperative Society, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Waqar
- Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan; Genome Centre for Molecular Based Diagnostics and Research, Al-Sudais Plaza Abdalian Cooperative Society, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Wasim
- Department of Medicine, Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar KPK, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Idrees
- Centre for Applied Molecular Biology (CAMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan; Genome Centre for Molecular Based Diagnostics and Research, Al-Sudais Plaza Abdalian Cooperative Society, Lahore, Pakistan; Department of Medicine, Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar KPK, Pakistan; Division of Molecular Virology and Diagnostics Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan; Vice Chancellor Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan.
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30
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Zhang LT, Peng XB, Fang XQ, Li JF, Chen H, Mao XR. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells inhibit proliferation of hepatic stellate cells in vitro. Int J Mol Med 2018; 41:2545-2552. [PMID: 29484382 PMCID: PMC5846650 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2018.3500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) on the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of action of hUC-MSCs on the proliferation of HSCs in vitro. The upper and lower double-cell co-culture system was established between hUC-MSCs and HSCs in the experimental group. HSCs were cultured alone as a negative control group. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Cell supernatants were harvested to determine the concentration of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) by ELISA. mRNA and protein of TGF-β1, Smad3 and Smad7 in HSCs were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. In the co-culture group, the proliferation of HSCs was significantly inhibited compared with the negative control group at 24 and 48 h (p<0.05). Apoptosis of HSCs in the co-culture group increased compared with that in the negative control group, which was more obvious at 48 h (p<0.05). The concentration of TGF-β1 in the co-culture group was significantly lower than in the HSCs cultured alone (p<0.05). After HSCs were co-cultured with hUC-MSCs for 48 h, expression of TGF-β1 and Smad3 mRNA and protein was reduced and expression of Smad7 mRNA and protein was increased compared with the negative control group (p<0.05). hUC-MSCs inhibited proliferation of HSCs, possibly through inhibiting TGF-β1 and Smad3 expression and increasing Smad7 protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ting Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Bin Peng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Qin Fang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Central Hospital of Baoji, Baoji, Shannxi 721008, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Feng Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Rong Mao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
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31
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Jia Z, Gong Y, Pi Y, Liu X, Gao L, Kang L, Wang J, Yang F, Tang J, Lu W, Li Q, Zhang W, Yan Z, Yu L. pPB Peptide-Mediated siRNA-Loaded Stable Nucleic Acid Lipid Nanoparticles on Targeting Therapy of Hepatic Fibrosis. Mol Pharm 2017; 15:53-62. [PMID: 29148802 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.7b00709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Hepatic fibrosis is a necessary process in the development of liver diseases such as hepatic cirrhosis and its complications, which has become a serious threat to human health. Currently, antifibrotic drug treatment is ineffective, and one reason should be the lack of liver targeting ability. In this report, polypeptide pPB-modified stable nucleic acid lipid nanoparticles (pPB-SNALPs) were prepared to selectively deliver siRNAs against heat shock protein 47 to the liver for targeted therapy of hepatic fibrosis. First, siRNA sequences with high silencing efficiency were screened based on siRNA transfection efficacy. Then, pPB-SNALPs were prepared, which showed a narrow size distribution with a diameter in the range of 110-130 nm and a neutral z-potential of 0 mV. As evidenced by the in vitro and in vivo targeting study, compared with unmodified SNALP, pPB-SNALP showed increased uptake by LX-2 cells and primary hepatic stellate cells (HSC) of mice in vitro and showed increased liver distribution and HSC uptake in vivo. In addition, pPB-SNALP also exhibited an enhanced inhibitory effect on TAA-induced hepatic fibrosis mice with high gp46 mRNA expression in vivo. In summary, our results demonstrated that pPB-SNALP is an effective liver-targeted delivery system. This study could lay a good foundation for the targeted gene therapy of hepatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongxiang Jia
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Yan Gong
- Department of Geriatrics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University , Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
| | - Yufang Pi
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Xueying Liu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Lipeng Gao
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Liqing Kang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Jing Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Fan Yang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Jie Tang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Weiyue Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Fudan University, Ministry of Education , Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Qinghua Li
- Department of Hepatology and Pancreatology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University , Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Science, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Zhiqiang Yan
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
| | - Lei Yu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University , Shanghai 200062, P.R. China
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Abstract
Fibrosis is part of a tissue repair response to injury, defined as increased deposition of extracellular matrix. In some instances, fibrosis is beneficial; however, in the majority of diseases fibrosis is detrimental. Virtually all chronic progressive diseases are associated with fibrosis, representing a huge number of patients worldwide. Fibrosis occurs in all organs and tissues, becomes irreversible with time and further drives loss of tissue function. Various cells types initiate and perpetuate pathological fibrosis by paracrine activation of the principal cellular executors of fibrosis, i.e. stromal mesenchymal cells like fibroblasts, pericytes and myofibroblasts. Multiple pathways are involved in fibrosis, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-signaling being one of the central mediators. Stromal mesenchymal cells express both PDGF receptors (PDGFR) α and β, activation of which drives proliferation, migration and production of extracellular matrix, i.e. the principal processes of fibrosis. Here, we review the role of PDGF signaling in organ fibrosis, with particular focus on the more recently described ligands PDGF-C and -D. We discuss the potential challenges, opportunities and open questions in using PDGF as a potential target for anti-fibrotic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jürgen Floege
- Division of Nephrology, RWTH University of Aachen, Germany
| | - Peter Boor
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH University of Aachen, Germany; Division of Nephrology, RWTH University of Aachen, Germany.
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Cannito S, Novo E, Parola M. Therapeutic pro-fibrogenic signaling pathways in fibroblasts. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2017; 121:57-84. [PMID: 28578015 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2017.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Myofibroblasts (MFs) play a critical role in the progression of chronic inflammatory and fibroproliferative diseases in different tissues/organs, whatever the etiology. Fibrosis is preceded and sustained by persistent injury and inflammatory response in a profibrogenic scenario involving mutual interactions, operated by several mediators and pathways, of MFs and related precursor cells with innate immunity cells and virtually any cell type in a defined tissue. These interactions, mediators and related signaling pathways are critical in initiating and perpetuating the differentiation of precursor cells into MFs that in different tissues share peculiar traits and phenotypic responses, including the ability to proliferate, produce ECM components, migrate and contribute to the modulation of inflammatory response and tissue angiogenesis. Literature studies related to liver, lung and kidney fibrosis have outlined a number of MF-related core regulatory fibrogenic signaling pathways conserved across these different organs and potentially targetable in order to develop effective antifibrotic therapeutic strategies.
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Liu H, Chen Z, Jin W, Barve A, Wan YJY, Cheng K. Silencing of α-complex protein-2 reverses alcohol- and cytokine-induced fibrogenesis in hepatic stellate cells. LIVER RESEARCH 2017; 1:70-79. [PMID: 28966795 PMCID: PMC5613955 DOI: 10.1016/j.livres.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM α-complex protein-2 (αCP2) encoded by the poly (rC) binding protein 2(PCBP2) gene is responsible for the accumulation of type I collagen in fibrotic livers. In this study, we silenced the PCBP2 gene using a small interfering RNA (siRNA) to reverse alcohol-and cytokine-induced profibrogenic effects on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). METHODS Primary rat HSCs and the HSC-T6 cell line were used as fibrogenic models to mimic the initiation and perpetuation stages of fibrogenesis, respectively. We previously found that a PCBP2 siRNA, which efficiently silences expression of αCP2, reduces the stability of type I collagen mRNA. We investigated the effects of the PCBP2 siRNA on cell proliferation and migration. Expression of type I collagen in HSCs was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. In addition, we evaluated the effects of the PCBP2 siRNA on apoptosis and the cell cycle. RESULTS PCBP2 siRNA reversed multiple alcohol- and cytokine-induced profibrogenic effects on primary rat HSCs and HSC-T6 cells. The PCBP2 siRNA also reversed alcohol- and cytokine-induced accumulation of type I collagen as well as cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, the combination of LY2109761, a transforming growth factor-β1 inhibitor, and the PCBP2 siRNA exerted a synergistic inhibitive effect on the accumulation of type I collagen in HSCs. CONCLUSIONS Silencing of PCBP2 using siRNA could be a potential therapeutic strategy for alcoholic liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Zhijin Chen
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Wei Jin
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Ashutosh Barve
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Kun Cheng
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA,Corresponding author. Kun Cheng, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO, USA. (K. Cheng)
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Qin DM, Zhang Y, Li L. Progress in research of Chinese herbal medicines with anti-hepatic fibrosis activity. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2017; 25:958-965. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v25.i11.958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic fibrosis is a common pathological process for various kinds of chronic liver diseases to progress to cirrhosis and even liver cancer. Currently, many natural medicines have been reported and demonstrated to be effective in preventing and curing hepatic fibrosis with few side effects. In China, these medicines are easily available because of the wide raw material source here. These medicines exert anti-fibrosis effects via multiple targets at multiple levels. Therefore, they have their own advantages in healing hepatic fibrosis. This paper summarizes the mechanism of hepatic fibrosis and the progress in research of natural medicines and their active ingredients that have anti-hepatic fibrosis activity, with an aim to provide some clues to preventing and curing hepatic fibrosis with Chinese herbal medicines.
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Lambrecht J, Jan Poortmans P, Verhulst S, Reynaert H, Mannaerts I, van Grunsven LA. Circulating ECV-Associated miRNAs as Potential Clinical Biomarkers in Early Stage HBV and HCV Induced Liver Fibrosis. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:56. [PMID: 28232800 PMCID: PMC5298975 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus infection is associated with the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) toward a myofibroblastic phenotype, resulting in excessive deposition of extracellular matrix, the development of liver fibrosis, and its progression toward cirrhosis. The gold standard for the detection and staging of liver fibrosis remains the liver biopsy, which is, however, associated with some mild and severe drawbacks. Other non-invasive techniques evade these drawbacks, but lack inter-stage specificity and are unable to detect early stages of fibrosis. We investigated whether circulating vesicle-associated miRNAs can be used in the diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis in HBV and HCV patients. Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from 14 healthy individuals and 39 early stage fibrotic patients (F0–F2) with chronic HBV or HCV infection who underwent transient elastography (Fibroscan). Extracellular vesicles were extracted from the plasma and the level of miRNA-122, -150, -192, -21, -200b, and -92a was analyzed by qRT-PCR in total plasma and circulating vesicles. Finally, these same miRNAs were also quantified in vesicles extracted from in vitro activating primary HSCs. Results: In total plasma samples, only miRNA-200b (HBV: p = 0.0384; HCV: p = 0.0069) and miRNA-122 (HBV: p < 0.0001; HCV: p = 0.0007) were significantly up-regulated during early fibrosis. In circulating vesicles, miRNA-192 (HBV: p < 0.0001; HCV: p < 0.0001), -200b (HBV: p < 0.0001; HCV: p < 0.0001), -92a (HBV: p < 0.0001; HCV: p < 0.0001), and -150 (HBV: p = 0.0016; HCV: p = 0.004) displayed a significant down-regulation in both HBV and HCV patients. MiRNA expression profiles in vesicles isolated from in vitro activating primary mouse HSCs resembled the miRNA expression profile in circulating vesicles. Conclusion: Our analysis revealed a distinct miRNA expression pattern in total plasma and its circulating vesicles. The expression profile of miRNAs in circulating vesicles of fibrotic patients suggests the potential use of these vesicle-associated miRNAs as markers for early stages of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joeri Lambrecht
- Liver Cell Biology Lab, Department of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pieter Jan Poortmans
- Liver Cell Biology Lab, Department of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stefaan Verhulst
- Liver Cell Biology Lab, Department of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hendrik Reynaert
- Liver Cell Biology Lab, Department of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrussels, Belgium; Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Universitair Ziekenhuis BrusselBrussels, Belgium
| | - Inge Mannaerts
- Liver Cell Biology Lab, Department of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels, Belgium
| | - Leo A van Grunsven
- Liver Cell Biology Lab, Department of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels, Belgium
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Chen Q, Chen L, Kong D, Shao J, Wu L, Zheng S. Dihydroartemisinin alleviates bile duct ligation-induced liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cell activation by interfering with the PDGF-βR/ERK signaling pathway. Int Immunopharmacol 2016; 34:250-258. [PMID: 27038258 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2016.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis represents a frequent event following chronic insult to trigger wound healing responses in the liver. Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which is a pivotal event during liver fibrogenesis, is accompanied by enhanced expressions of a series of marker proteins and pro-fibrogenic signaling molecules. Artemisinin, a powerful antimalarial medicine, is extracted from the Chinese herb Artemisia annua L., and can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the major active metabolite of artemisinin, is able to attenuate lung injury and fibrosis. However, the effect of DHA on liver fibrosis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of DHA on bile duct ligation-induced injury and fibrosis in rats. DHA improved the liver histological architecture and attenuated collagen deposition in the fibrotic rat liver. Experiments in vitro showed that DHA inhibited the proliferation of HSCs and arrested the cell cycle at the S checkpoint by altering several cell-cycle regulatory proteins. Moreover, DHA reduced the protein expressions of a-SMA, α1 (I) collagen and fibronectin, being associated with interference of the platelet-derived growth factor β receptor (PDGF-βR)-mediated ERK pathway. These data collectively revealed that DHA relieved liver fibrosis possibly by targeting HSCs via the PDGF-βR/ERK pathway. DHA may be a therapeutic antifibrotic agent for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lianyun Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Desong Kong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China; Department of Science, Technology and Education, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210001, China
| | - Jiangjuan Shao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Li Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shizhong Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China; National First-Class Key Discipline for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Material Medical, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
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Loss of Raf kinase inhibitor protein is associated with malignant progression in hepatic fibrosis. Biomed Pharmacother 2016; 82:669-76. [PMID: 27470410 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP), besides regulating important intracellular signaling cascades, was described to be associated with progression, metastasis and prognosis in several human neoplasms. But its role in hepatic fibrogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, we found that the absence of RKIP expression significantly enhanced the proliferation of HSC-T6 cells. Reduced RKIP expression promoted the activation of HSCs and the accumulation of collagen, as evidenced by the increases in the levels of collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin. Moreover, down-regulating RKIP expression led to severe histopathological changes and collagen accumulation in hepatic tissues of rats with liver fibrosis. Furthermore, the absence of RKIP promoted the activation of ERK/MAPK pathway in vitro and in vivo. Our findings clearly demonstrate an inverse correlation between RKIP level and the degree of the liver injury and fibrosis. Loss of RKIP may be associated with malignant progression in hepatic fibrosis.
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Weiskirchen R. Hepatoprotective and Anti-fibrotic Agents: It's Time to Take the Next Step. Front Pharmacol 2016; 6:303. [PMID: 26779021 PMCID: PMC4703795 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis cause strong human suffering and necessitate a monetary burden worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of therapies. Pre-clinical animal models are indispensable in the drug discovery and development of new anti-fibrotic compounds and are immensely valuable for understanding and proofing the mode of their proposed action. In fibrosis research, inbreed mice and rats are by far the most used species for testing drug efficacy. During the last decades, several hundred or even a thousand different drugs that reproducibly evolve beneficial effects on liver health in respective disease models were identified. However, there are only a few compounds (e.g., GR-MD-02, GM-CT-01) that were translated from bench to bedside. In contrast, the large number of drugs successfully tested in animal studies is repeatedly tested over and over engender findings with similar or identical outcome. This circumstance undermines the 3R (Replacement, Refinement, Reduction) principle of Russell and Burch that was introduced to minimize the suffering of laboratory animals. This ethical framework, however, represents the basis of the new animal welfare regulations in the member states of the European Union. Consequently, the legal authorities in the different countries are halted to foreclose testing of drugs in animals that were successfully tested before. This review provides a synopsis on anti-fibrotic compounds that were tested in classical rodent models. Their mode of action, potential sources and the observed beneficial effects on liver health are discussed. This review attempts to provide a reference compilation for all those involved in the testing of drugs or in the design of new clinical trials targeting hepatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy, and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen Aachen, Germany
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40
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PDGF-Mediated Regulation of Liver Fibrosis. CURRENT PATHOBIOLOGY REPORTS 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40139-015-0096-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Tag CG, Weiskirchen S, Hittatiya K, Tacke F, Tolba RH, Weiskirchen R. Induction of experimental obstructive cholestasis in mice. Lab Anim 2015; 49:70-80. [PMID: 25835740 DOI: 10.1177/0023677214567748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The induction of experimental obstructive cholestasis is a reliable model for cholestatic liver diseases in rodents. Bile duct ligation (BDL) in mice provokes typical time-dependent morphological and structural changes in the liver, ranging from liver cell injury and elevated serum enzyme levels after several days, to a severe inflammatory response in the liver after 5-7 days, up to an advanced hepatic fibrosis as soon as three to four weeks after surgical ligation of the common biliary duct. Upon BDL induction, hepatic stellate cells become activated and transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts that produce extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen. In principle, the periportal fibrosis induced by BDL in rat livers is reversible. After the relief of a biliary obstruction, the liver has the capacity to revert to a nearly normal histological architecture and a fully normal biochemical function. When BDL surgery is performed by an experienced scientist, this model has very high reproducibility among all fibrotic models. All these factors corroborate the outstanding value of this model for basic and translational research in biomedicine and hepatology. Nevertheless, this model can result in significant variations when surgery is carried out by untrained personnel or when unconscious modifications are implemented that affect the quality of the intervention. A detailed protocol is provided here for the provision of reliable and reproducible BDL in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G Tag
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - S Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - K Hittatiya
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - F Tacke
- Department of Medicine III, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - R H Tolba
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science and Experimental Surgery, RWTH University Aachen, Aachen, Germany for the Transregional Collaborative Research Center 'Organ Fibrosis: From Mechanisms of Injury to Modulation of Disease' (SFB/TRR57)
| | - R Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
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Borkham-Kamphorst E, Weiskirchen R. The PDGF system and its antagonists in liver fibrosis. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2015; 28:53-61. [PMID: 26547628 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling plays an important role in activated hepatic stellate cells and portal fibroblast proliferation, chemotaxis, migration and cell survival. PDGF receptors and ligands are upregulated in experimental liver fibrotic models as well as in human liver fibrotic diseases. Blocking of PDGF signaling ameliorates experimental liver fibrogenesis. The plurality of molecular and cellular activities of PDGF and its involvement in initiation, progression and resolution of hepatic fibrogenesis offers an infinite number of therapeutic possibilities. These include the application of therapeutic antibodies (e.g. AbyD3263, MOR8457) which specifically sequester individual PDGF isoforms or the inhibition of PDGF isoforms by synthetic aptamers. In particular, the isolation of innovative slow off-rate modified aptamers (e.g., SOMAmer SL1 and SL5) that carry functional groups absent in natural nucleic acids by the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential (SELEX) enrichment technique offers the possibility to design high affinity aptamers that target PDGF isoforms for clinical purposes. Dominant-negative soluble PDGF receptors are also effective in attenuation of hepatic stellate cell proliferation and hepatic fibrogenesis. Moreover, some multikinase inhibitors targeting PDGF signaling have been intensively tested during the last decade and are on the way into advanced preclinical studies and clinical trials. This narrative review aims to gauge the recent progression of research into PDGF systems and liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erawan Borkham-Kamphorst
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
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Chrysin attenuates liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cell activation through TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Chem Biol Interact 2015; 240:94-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2015.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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PDGFRβ(+) cells in human and experimental neuro-vascular dysplasia and seizures. Neuroscience 2015; 306:18-27. [PMID: 26283024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuro-vascular rearrangement occurs in brain disorders, including epilepsy. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ) is used as a marker of perivascular pericytes. Whether PDGFRβ(+) cell reorganization occurs in regions of neuro-vascular dysplasia associated with seizures is unknown. METHODS We used brain specimens derived from epileptic subjects affected by intractable seizures associated with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) or temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS). Tissues from cryptogenic epilepsy, non-sclerotic hippocampi or peritumoral were used for comparison. An in vivo rat model of neuro-vascular dysplasia was obtained by pre-natal exposure to methyl-axozy methanoic acid (MAM). Status epilepticus (SE) was induced in adult MAM rats by intraperitoneal pilocarpine. MAM tissues were also used to establish organotypic hippocampal cultures (OHC) to further assess pericytes positioning at the dysplastic microvasculature. PDGFRβ and its colocalization with RECA-1 or CD34 were used to segregate perivascular pericytes. PDGFRβ and NG2 or IBA1 colocalization were performed. Rat cortices and hippocampi were used for PDGFRβ western blot analysis. RESULTS Human FCD displayed the highest perivascular PDGFRβ immunoreactivity, indicating pericytes, and presence of ramified PDGFRβ(+) cells in the parenchyma and proximal to microvessels. Tissues deriving from human cryptogenic epilepsy displayed a similar pattern of immunoreactivity, although to a lesser extent compared to FCD. In TLE-HS, CD34 vascular proliferation was paralleled by increased perivascular PDGFRβ(+) pericytes, as compared to non-HS. Parenchymal PDGFRβ immunoreactivity co-localized with NG2 but was distinct from IBA1(+) microglia. In MAM rats, we found pericyte-vascular changes in regions characterized by neuronal heterotopias. PDGFRβ immunoreactivity was differentially distributed in the heterotopic and adjacent normal CA1 region. The use of MAM OHC revealed microvascular-pericyte dysplasia at the capillary tree lining the dentate gyrus (DG) molecular layer as compared to control OHC. Severe SE induced PDGFRβ(+) immunoreactivity mostly in the CA1 region of MAM rats. CONCLUSION Our descriptive study points to microvascular-pericyte changes in the epileptic pathology. The possible link between PDGFRβ(+) cells, neuro-vascular dysplasia and remodeling during seizures is discussed.
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Gao Q, Li Y, Li M. The potential role of IL-33/ST2 signaling in fibrotic diseases. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 98:15-22. [PMID: 25881899 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.3ru0115-012r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
IL-33, a new member of the IL-1F, is widely expressed throughout the body and can be up-regulated by stimulation with proinflammatory factors. It has been identified as a functional ligand for the plasma membrane receptor complex that is a heterodimer consisting of membrane-bound ST2L, which is a member of the IL-1R family, and IL-1RAcP. IL-33 is crucial for the induction of Th2 immune responses. Additionally, under other circumstances, it can also act as an endogenous danger signal. Recently, many studies have demonstrated that IL-33 may be related to the development and progression of fibrotic diseases. It has proinflammatory effects in some fibrotic diseases but has anti-inflammatory effects in others. In this review, the biologic characteristics of IL-33 and the role of the IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway in various fibrotic diseases will be discussed. We hope this overview will provide new insights for the treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoyan Gao
- Department of Immunology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Immunology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, China
| | - Mingcai Li
- Department of Immunology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, China
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Ramani K, Donoyan S, Tomasi ML, Park S. Role of methionine adenosyltransferase α2 and β phosphorylation and stabilization in human hepatic stellate cell trans-differentiation. J Cell Physiol 2015; 230:1075-85. [PMID: 25294683 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Myofibroblastic trans-differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is an essential event in the development of liver fibrogenesis. These changes involve modulation of key regulators of the genome and the proteome. Methionine adenosyltransferases (MAT) catalyze the biosynthesis of the methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) from methionine. We have previously shown that two MAT genes, MAT2A and MAT2B (encoding MATα2 and MATβ proteins respectively), are required for HSC activation and loss of MAT2A transcriptional control favors its up-regulation during trans-differentiation. Hence MAT genes are intrinsically linked to the HSC machinery during activation. In the current study, we have identified for the first time, post-translational modifications in the MATα2 and MATβ proteins that stabilize them and favor human HSC trans-differentiation. Culture-activation of human HSCs induced the MATα2 and MATβ proteins. Using mass spectrometry, we identified phosphorylation sites in MATα2 and MATβ predicted to be phosphorylated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members (ERK1/2, V-Raf Murine Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog B1 [B-Raf], MEK). Phosphorylation of both proteins was enhanced during HSC activation. Blocking MEK activation lowered the phosphorylation and stability of MAT proteins without influencing their mRNA levels. Silencing ERK1/2 or B-Raf lowered the phosphorylation and stability of MATβ but not MATα2. Reversal of the activated human HSC cell line, LX2 to quiescence lowered phosphorylation and destabilized MAT proteins. Mutagenesis of MATα2 and MATβ phospho-sites destabilized them and prevented HSC trans-differentiation. The data reveal that phosphorylation of MAT proteins during HSC activation stabilizes them thereby positively regulating trans-differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komal Ramani
- Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, USC Research Center for Liver Diseases, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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Borkham-Kamphorst E, Meurer SK, Van de Leur E, Haas U, Tihaa L, Weiskirchen R. PDGF-D signaling in portal myofibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells proves identical to PDGF-B via both PDGF receptor type α and β. Cell Signal 2015; 27:1305-14. [PMID: 25819339 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2015.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Platelet-derived growth factor-D (PDGF-D) is one member of PDGF growth factors and known to signal by binding to and activating its cognate receptor type β (PDGFR-β). Beside PDGF-B, PDGF-D is a potent growth factor for stellate cell growth and proliferation and therefore potentiates the extracellular matrix deposition in liver fibrogenesis. We aimed to explore the signaling and molecular mechanisms of PDGF-D in liver fibrogenesis using the primary liver portal myofibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells. Unexpectedly we found PDGF-D to bind to PDGFR-α, thus inducing receptor endocytosis and decreasing the amount of PDGFR-α significantly. PDGF-D activates PDGFR-α specific tyrosine 754 and -1018 phosphorylation and CrkII, the adaptor protein that is specifically recruited by activated PDGFR-α. As a novel finding we could also demonstrate that recombinant PDGFR-α-Fc chimera homodimer is able to bind PDGF-D and thus prevent PDGF-D signaling. PDGF-D does induce individual PDGFR-β specific tyrosine phosphorylation similar to the PDGF-B. Additionally, PDGF-D enhances extracellular matrix accumulation comparable to the PDGF-B isoform. CONCLUSION PDGF-D signaling in pMF and HSC is identical to that of PDGF-B by binding to both PDGFR-α and -β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erawan Borkham-Kamphorst
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Germany.
| | - Steffen K Meurer
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Germany
| | - Eddy Van de Leur
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Germany
| | - Ute Haas
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Germany
| | - Lidia Tihaa
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Germany
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Germany.
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Xia JR, Chen TT, Li WD, Lu FL, Liu J, Cai XG, Lu Q, Yang CP. Inhibitory effect of receptor for advanced glycation end product‑specific small interfering RNAs on the development of hepatic fibrosis in primary rat hepatic stellate cells. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:569-74. [PMID: 25673150 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) inhibit the expression of RAGE, α-smooth muscle actin and type I collagen in the T6 hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), indicating that RAGE is important for the activation of HSCs and the expression of collagen. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of specific siRNAs targeting RAGE on the development of hepatic fibrosis (HF), using primary rat HSCs, which were isolated and cultured in vitro. The expression vectors for specific siRNAs targeting RAGE were constructed and transfected into primary rat HSCs. Untreated and nonspecific siRNA-transfected primary rat HSCs served as controls. The expression levels of RAGE, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), laminin (LN), hyaluronic acid (HA) and N-terminal procollagen III propeptide (PIIINP) in primary HSCs were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The mRNA and 42 kD protein expression of RAGE in the pAKD-GR126-transfected primary HSCs were significantly downregulated compared with those in the untreated and the pAKD-negative control (NC)-transfected controls. The mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β1, CTGF, LN, HA and PIIINP in the pAKD-GR126-transfected primary HSCs were also markedly downregulated compared with those in the untreated and pAKD-NC-transfected controls. Therefore, RAGE-specific siRNAs inhibited the expression of RAGE in primary rat HSCs and inhibited the development of HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Rong Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Ting-Ting Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Binzhou People's Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256610, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Dong Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Feng-Lin Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Juan Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Gang Cai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Qin Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Cui-Ping Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
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Tag CG, Sauer-Lehnen S, Weiskirchen S, Borkham-Kamphorst E, Tolba RH, Tacke F, Weiskirchen R. Bile duct ligation in mice: induction of inflammatory liver injury and fibrosis by obstructive cholestasis. J Vis Exp 2015. [PMID: 25741630 PMCID: PMC4354634 DOI: 10.3791/52438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In most vertebrates, the liver produces bile that is necessary to emulsify absorbed fats and enable the digestion of lipids in the small intestine as well as to excrete bilirubin and other metabolic products. In the liver, the experimental obstruction of the extrahepatic biliary system initiates a complex cascade of pathological events that leads to cholestasis and inflammation resulting in a strong fibrotic reaction originating from the periportal fields. Therefore, surgical ligation of the common bile duct has become the most commonly used model to induce obstructive cholestatic injury in rodents and to study the molecular and cellular events that underlie these pathophysiological mechanisms induced by inappropriate bile flow. In recent years, different surgical techniques have been described that either allow reconnection or reanastomosis after bile duct ligation (BDL), e.g., partial BDL, or other microsurgical methods for specific research questions. However, the most frequently used model is the complete obstruction of the common bile duct that induces a strong fibrotic response after 21 to 28 days. The mortality rate can be high due to infectious complications or technical inaccuracies. Here we provide a detailed surgical procedure for the BDL model in mice that induce a highly reproducible fibrotic response in accordance to the 3R rule for animal welfare postulated by Russel and Burch in 1959.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen G Tag
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University
| | - Sibille Sauer-Lehnen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University
| | - Sabine Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University
| | - Erawan Borkham-Kamphorst
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University
| | - René H Tolba
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Experimental Surgery, RWTH Aachen University
| | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Medicine III, RWTH Aachen University
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University;
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Nair DG, Weiskirchen R, Al-Musharafi SK. The use of marine-derived bioactive compounds as potential hepatoprotective agents. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2015; 36:158-70. [PMID: 25500871 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2014.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The marine environment may be explored as a rich source for novel drugs. A number of marine-derived compounds have been isolated and identified, and their therapeutic effects and pharmacological profiles are characterized. In the present review, we highlight the recent studies using marine compounds as potential hepatoprotective agents for the treatment of liver fibrotic diseases and discuss the proposed mechanisms of their activities. In addition, we discuss the significance of similar studies in Oman, where the rich marine life provides a potential for the isolation of novel natural, bioactive products that display therapeutic effects on liver diseases.
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