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Mari YM, Fraix MP, Agrawal DK. Pulmonary Fibrosis and Diabetes Mellitus: Two coins with the same face. ARCHIVES OF INTERNAL MEDICINE RESEARCH 2024; 7:53-70. [PMID: 38576768 PMCID: PMC10994216 DOI: 10.26502/aimr.0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) constitutes a long-term disease with a complex pathophysiology composed of multiple molecular actors that lead to the deposition of extracellular matrix, the loss of pulmonary function and ultimately the patient's death. Despite the approval of pirfenidone and nintedanib for the treatment of the disease, lung transplant is the only long-term solution to fully recover the respiratory capacity and gain quality of life. One of the risk factors for the development of IPF is the pre-existing condition of diabetes mellitus. Both, IPF and diabetes mellitus, share similar pathological damage mechanisms, including inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial failure, oxidative stress, senescence and signaling from glycated proteins through receptors. In this critical review article, we provide information about this interrelationship, examining molecular mediators that play an essential role in both diseases and identify targets of interest for the development of potential drugs. We review the findings of clinical trials examining the progression of IPF and how novel molecules may be used to stop this process. The results highlight the importance of early detection and addressing multiple therapeutic targets simultaneously to achieve better therapeutic efficacy and potentially reverse lung fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yssel Mendoza Mari
- Department of Translational Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona CA 91766
| | - Marcel P Fraix
- Department of Translational Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona CA 91766
| | - Devendra K Agrawal
- Department of Translational Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona CA 91766
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Jouve M, Carpentier R, Kraiem S, Legrand N, Sobolewski C. MiRNAs in Alcohol-Related Liver Diseases and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Step toward New Therapeutic Approaches? Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5557. [PMID: 38067261 PMCID: PMC10705678 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15235557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol-related Liver Disease (ALD) is the primary cause of chronic liver disorders and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in developed countries and thus represents a major public health concern. Unfortunately, few therapeutic options are available for ALD and HCC, except liver transplantation or tumor resection for HCC. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of these diseases is therefore of major importance to identify early biomarkers and to design efficient therapeutic options. Increasing evidence indicate that epigenetic alterations play a central role in the development of ALD and HCC. Among them, microRNA importantly contribute to the development of this disease by controlling the expression of several genes involved in hepatic metabolism, inflammation, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis at the post-transcriptional level. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge about miRNAs' functions in the different stages of ALD and their role in the progression toward carcinogenesis. We highlight that each stage of ALD is associated with deregulated miRNAs involved in hepatic carcinogenesis, and thus represent HCC-priming miRNAs. By using in silico approaches, we have uncovered new miRNAs potentially involved in HCC. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting miRNAs for the treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickaël Jouve
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Rodolphe Carpentier
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Sarra Kraiem
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Noémie Legrand
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Cyril Sobolewski
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, F-59000 Lille, France
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Bala S, Zhuang Y, Nagesh PT, Catalano D, Zivny A, Wang Y, Xie J, Gao G, Szabo G. Therapeutic inhibition of miR-155 attenuates liver fibrosis via STAT3 signaling. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 33:413-427. [PMID: 37547286 PMCID: PMC10403732 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Most chronic liver diseases progress to liver fibrosis, which, when left untreated, can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. MicroRNA (miRNA)-targeted therapeutics have become attractive approaches to treat diseases. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of miR-155 inhibition in the bile duct ligation (BDL) mouse model of liver fibrosis and evaluated the role of miR-155 in chronic liver fibrosis using miR-155-deficient (miR-155 knockout [KO]) mice. We found increased hepatic miR-155 expression in patients with cirrhosis and in the BDL- and CCl4-induced mouse models of liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis was significantly reduced in miR-155 KO mice after CCl4 administration or BDL. To assess the therapeutic potential of miR-155 inhibition, we administered an rAAV8-anti-miR-155 tough decoy in vivo that significantly reduced liver damage and fibrosis in BDL. BDL-induced protein levels of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), p-SMAD2/3, and p-STAT3 were attenuated in anti-miR-155-treated compared with control mice. Hepatic stellate cells from miR-155 KO mice showed attenuation in activation and mesenchymal marker expression. In vitro, miR-155 gain- and loss-of-function studies revealed that miR-155 regulates activation of stellate cells partly via STAT3 signaling. Our study suggests that miR-155 is the key regulator of liver fibrosis and might be a potential therapeutic target to attenuate fibrosis progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashi Bala
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Yuan Zhuang
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Donna Catalano
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Adam Zivny
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Yanbo Wang
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jun Xie
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gyongyi Szabo
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Role of Hepatocyte Senescence in the Activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells and Liver Fibrosis Progression. Cells 2022; 11:cells11142221. [PMID: 35883664 PMCID: PMC9322633 DOI: 10.3390/cells11142221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocyte senescence is associated with liver fibrosis. However, the possibility of a direct, causal relation between hepatocyte senescence and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation was the subject of this study. Liver biopsy specimens obtained from 50 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and a spectrum of liver fibrosis stages were stained for p16, αSMA, and picrosirius red (PSR). Primary human HSCs were cultured in conditioned media derived from senescent or control HepG2 cells. Expression of inflammatory and fibrogenic genes in HSCs cultured in conditioned media were studied using RT-PCR. ELISAs were undertaken to measure factors known to activate HSCs in the conditioned media from senescent and control HepG2 cells and serum samples from healthy volunteers or patients with biopsy-proven cirrhosis. There was a strong association between proportion of senescent hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cell activation. Both proportion of hepatocyte senescence and hepatic stellate cell activation were closely associated with fibrosis stage. Inflammatory and fibrogenic genes were up-regulated significantly in HSCs cultured in conditioned media from senescent HepG2 cells compared with control HepG2 cells. PDGF levels were significantly higher in the conditioned media from senescent hepatocytes than control HepG2-conditioned media, and in serum samples from patients with cirrhosis than healthy volunteers. In conclusion, this ‘proof of concept’ study revealed activation of human HSCs by media from senescent HepG2 cells, indicating direct involvement of factors secreted by senescent hepatocytes in liver fibrosis.
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Parrish A, Srivastava A, Juskeviciute E, Hoek JB, Vadigepalli R. Dysregulation of miR-21-associated miRNA regulatory networks by chronic ethanol consumption impairs liver regeneration. Physiol Genomics 2021; 53:546-555. [PMID: 34796728 PMCID: PMC8820682 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00113.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired liver regeneration has been considered as a hallmark of progression of alcohol-associated liver disease. Our previous studies demonstrated that in vivo inhibition of the microRNA (miRNA) miR21 can restore regenerative capacity of the liver in chronic ethanol-fed animals. The present study focuses on the role of microRNA regulatory networks that are likely to mediate the miR-21 action. Rats were chronically fed an ethanol-enriched diet along with pair-fed control animals and treated with AM21 (anti-miR-21), a locked nucleic acid antisense to miR-21. Partial hepatectomy (PHx) was performed and miRNA expression profiling over the course of liver regeneration was assessed. Our results showed dynamic expression changes in several miRNAs after PHx, notably with altered miRNA expression profiles between ethanol and control groups. We found that in vivo inhibition of miR-21 led to correlated differential expression of miR-340-5p and anticorrelated expression of miR-365, let-7a, miR-1224, and miR-146a across all sample groups after PHx. Gene set enrichment analysis identified a miRNA signature significantly associated with hepatic stellate cell activation within whole liver tissue data. We hypothesized that at least part of the PHx-induced miRNA network changes responsive to miR-21 inhibition is localized to hepatic stellate cells. We validated this hypothesis using AM21 and TGF-β treatments in LX-2 human hepatic stellate cells in culture and measured expression levels of select miRNAs by quantitative RT-PCR. Based on the in vivo and in vitro results, we propose a hepatic stellate cell miRNA regulatory network as contributing to the restoration of liver regenerative capacity by miR-21 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Parrish
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ankita Srivastava
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Egle Juskeviciute
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jan B Hoek
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Rajanikanth Vadigepalli
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Abstract
Hepatic fibrosis is a reversible wound healing process following liver injury. Although this process is necessary for maintaining liver integrity, severe excessive extracellular matrix accumulation (ECM) could lead to permanent scar formation and destroy the liver structure. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is a key event in hepatic fibrosis. Previous studies show that most antifibrotic therapies focus on the apoptosis of HSCs and the prevention of HSC activation. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a substantial role in HSC activation and are likely to be biomarkers or therapeutic targets for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis. This review summarizes and discusses the previously reported ncRNAs, including the microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs, highlighting their regulatory roles and interactions in the signaling pathways that regulate HSC activation in hepatic fibrosis.
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Shen WY, Fu XH, Cai J, Li WC, Fan BY, Pang YL, Zhao CX, Abula M, Kong XH, Yao X, Feng SQ. Identification of key genes involved in recovery from spinal cord injury in adult zebrafish. Neural Regen Res 2021; 17:1334-1342. [PMID: 34782579 PMCID: PMC8643032 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.327360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish are an effective vertebrate model to study the mechanisms underlying recovery after spinal cord injury. The subacute phase after spinal cord injury is critical to the recovery of neurological function, which involves tissue bridging and axon regeneration. In this study, we found that zebrafish spontaneously recovered 44% of their swimming ability within the subacute phase (2 weeks) after spinal cord injury. During this period, we identified 7762 differentially expressed genes in spinal cord tissue: 2950 were up-regulated and 4812 were down-regulated. These differentially expressed genes were primarily concentrated in the biological processes of the respiratory chain, axon regeneration, and cell-component morphogenesis. The genes were also mostly involved in the regulation of metabolic pathways, the cell cycle, and gene-regulation pathways. We verified the gene expression of two differentially expressed genes, clasp2 up-regulation and h1m down-regulation, in zebrafish spinal cord tissue in vitro. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that up-regulated clasp2 functions similarly to microtubule-associated protein, which is responsible for axon extension regulated by microtubules. Down-regulated h1m controls endogenous stem cell differentiation after spinal cord injury. This study provides new candidate genes, clasp2 and h1m, as potential therapeutic intervention targets for spinal cord injury repair by neuroregeneration. All experimental procedures and protocols were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin Institute of Medical & Pharmaceutical Sciences (approval No. IMPS-EAEP-Q-2019-02) on September 24, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yuan Shen
- International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuan-Hao Fu
- International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jun Cai
- Tianjin Medicine and Health Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Medical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Wen-Chang Li
- Tianjin Medicine and Health Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Medical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Bao-You Fan
- International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi-Lin Pang
- International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Chen-Xi Zhao
- International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Muhtidir Abula
- International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | | | - Xue Yao
- International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Shi-Qing Feng
- International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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Momen-Heravi F, Catalano D, Talis A, Szabo G, Bala S. Protective effect of LNA-anti-miR-132 therapy on liver fibrosis in mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 25:155-167. [PMID: 34458001 PMCID: PMC8368790 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
microRNAs (miRs) are small regulatory RNAs that are frequently deregulated in liver disease. Liver fibrosis is characterized by excessive scarring caused by chronic inflammatory processes. In this study, we determined the functional role of miR-132 using a locked nucleic acid (LNA)-anti-miR approach in liver fibrosis. A significant induction in miR-132 levels was found in mice treated with CCl4 and in patients with fibrosis/cirrhosis. Inhibition of miR-132 in mice with LNA-anti-miR-132 caused decreases in CCl4-induced fibrogenesis and inflammatory phenotype. An attenuation in collagen fibers, α SMA, MCP1, IL-1β, and Cox2 was found in LNA-anti-miR-132-treated mice. CCl4 treatment increased caspase 3 activity and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in control but not in anti-miR-132-treated mice. Inhibition of miR-132 was associated with augmentation of MMP12 in the liver and Kupffer cells. In vivo and in vitro studies suggest miR-132 targets SIRT1 and inflammatory genes. Using tumor cancer genome atlas data, an increase in miR-132 was found in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Increased miR-132 levels were associated with fibrogenic genes, higher tumor grade and stage, and unfavorable survival in HCC patients. Therapeutic inhibition of miR-132 might be a new approach to alleviate liver fibrosis, and treatment efficacy can be monitored by observing EV shedding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Momen-Heravi
- Cancer Biology and Immunology Laboratory, College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Periodontics, Section of Oral, Diagnostic, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Donna Catalano
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Austin Talis
- Cancer Biology and Immunology Laboratory, College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Periodontics, Section of Oral, Diagnostic, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gyongyi Szabo
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shashi Bala
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.,KASA BIO, 10405 Old Alabama Road Connector, Suite 201, Alpharetta, GA 30022, USA
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