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Miyazaki N, Takami S, Uemura M, Oiki H, Takahashi M, Kawashima H, Kanamori Y, Yoshioka T, Kasahara M, Nakazawa A, Higashi M, Yanagida A, Hiramatsu R, Kanai-Azuma M, Fujishiro J, Kanai Y. Impact of gallbladder hypoplasia on hilar hepatic ducts in biliary atresia. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:111. [PMID: 38862768 PMCID: PMC11166647 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00544-5] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biliary atresia (BA) is an intractable disease of unknown cause that develops in the neonatal period. It causes jaundice and liver damage due to the destruction of extrahepatic biliary tracts,. We have found that heterozygous knockout mice of the SRY related HMG-box 17 (Sox17) gene, a master regulator of stem/progenitor cells in the gallbladder wall, exhibit a condition like BA. However, the precise contribution of hypoplastic gallbladder wall to the pathogenesis of hepatobiliary disease in Sox17 heterozygous embryos and human BA remains unclear. METHODS We employed cholangiography and histological analyses in the mouse BA model. Furthermore, we conducted a retrospective analysis of human BA. RESULTS We show that gallbladder wall hypoplasia causes abnormal multiple connections between the hilar hepatic bile ducts and the gallbladder-cystic duct in Sox17 heterozygous embryos. These multiple hilar extrahepatic ducts fuse with the developing intrahepatic duct walls and pull them out of the liver parenchyma, resulting in abnormal intrahepatic duct network and severe cholestasis. In human BA with gallbladder wall hypoplasia (i.e., abnormally reduced expression of SOX17), we also identify a strong association between reduced gallbladder width (a morphometric parameter indicating gallbladder wall hypoplasia) and severe liver injury at the time of the Kasai surgery, like the Sox17-mutant mouse model. CONCLUSIONS Together with the close correlation between gallbladder wall hypoplasia and liver damage in both mouse and human cases, these findings provide an insight into the critical role of SOX17-positive gallbladder walls in establishing functional bile duct networks in the hepatic hilus of neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanae Miyazaki
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Takami
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mami Uemura
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hironobu Oiki
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Saitama Children's Medical Center, Saitama, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masataka Takahashi
- Division of Surgery, Department of Surgical Specialties, National Center for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawashima
- Department of Surgery, Saitama Children's Medical Center, Saitama, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kanamori
- Division of Surgery, Department of Surgical Specialties, National Center for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takako Yoshioka
- Department of Pathology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mureo Kasahara
- Organ Transplantation Center, National Center for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsuko Nakazawa
- Department of Clinical Research, Saitama Children's Medical Center, Saitama, Saitama, Japan
| | - Mayumi Higashi
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto Kamikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ayaka Yanagida
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryuji Hiramatsu
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masami Kanai-Azuma
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun Fujishiro
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiakira Kanai
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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Schmidt HC, Hagens J, Schuppert P, Appl B, Raluy LP, Trochimiuk M, Philippi C, Li Z, Reinshagen K, Tomuschat C. Biliatresone induces cholangiopathy in C57BL/6J neonates. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10574. [PMID: 37386088 PMCID: PMC10310722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37354-z] [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: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to plant toxins or microbiota that are able to digest common food ingredients to toxic structures might be responsible for biliary atresia (BA). An isoflavonoid, biliatresone is known to effectively alter the extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) development in BALB/c mice. Biliatresone causes a reduction of Glutathione (GSH) levels, SOX17 downregulation and is effectively countered with N-Acetyl-L-cysteine treatment in vitro. Therefore, reversing GSH-loss appears to be a promising treatment target for a translational approach. Since BALB/c mice have been described as sensitive in various models, we evaluated the toxic effect of biliatresone in robust C57BL/6J mice and confirmed its toxicity. Comparison between BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice revealed similarity in the toxic model. Affected neonates exhibited clinical symptoms of BA, such as jaundice, ascites, clay-colored stools, yellow urine and impaired weight gain. The gallbladders of jaundiced neonates were hydropic and EHBD were twisted and enlarged. Serum and histological analysis proved cholestasis. No anomalies were seen in the liver and EHBD of control animals. With our study we join a chain of evidence confirming that biliatresone is an effective agent for cross-lineage targeted alteration of the EHBD system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Christian Schmidt
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Johanna Hagens
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Pauline Schuppert
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Birgit Appl
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Laia Pagerols Raluy
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Magdalena Trochimiuk
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Clara Philippi
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Zhongwen Li
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Konrad Reinshagen
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Tomuschat
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
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Biliary Atresia Animal Models: Is the Needle in a Haystack? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147838. [PMID: 35887185 PMCID: PMC9324346 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147838] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive fibro-obliterative process with a variable degree of inflammation involving the hepatobiliary system. Its consequences are incalculable for the patients, the affected families, relatives, and the healthcare system. Scientific communities have identified a rate of about 1 case per 10,000-20,000 live births, but the percentage may be higher, considering the late diagnoses. The etiology is heterogeneous. BA, which is considered in half of the causes leading to orthotopic liver transplantation, occurs in primates and non-primates. To consolidate any model, (1) more transport and cell membrane studies are needed to identify the exact mechanism of noxa-related hepatotoxicity; (2) an online platform may be key to share data from pilot projects and new techniques; and (3) the introduction of differentially expressed genes may be useful in investigating the liver metabolism to target the most intricate bilio-toxic effects of pharmaceutical drugs and toxins. As a challenge, such methodologies are still limited to very few centers, making the identification of highly functional animal models like finding a "needle in a haystack". This review compiles models from the haystack and hopes that a combinatorial search will eventually be the root for a successful pathway.
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Anani M, Nobuhisa I, Taga T. Sry-related High Mobility Group Box 17 Functions as a Tumor Suppressor by Antagonizing the Wingless-related Integration Site Pathway. J Cancer Prev 2020; 25:204-212. [PMID: 33409253 PMCID: PMC7783240 DOI: 10.15430/jcp.2020.25.4.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A transcription factor Sry-related high mobility group box (Sox) 17 is involved in developmental processes including spermatogenesis, cardiovascular system, endoderm formation, and so on. In this article, we firstly review the studies on the relation between the Sox17 expression and tumor malignancy. Although Sox17 positively promotes various tissue development, most of the cancers associated with Sox17 show decreased expression levels of Sox17, and an inverse correlation between Sox17 expression and malignancy is revealed. We briefly discuss the mechanism of such Sox17 down-regulation by focusing on DNA methylation of CpG sites located in the Sox17 gene promoter. Next, we overview the function of Sox17 in the fetal hematopoiesis, particularly in the dorsal aorta in midgestation mouse embryos. The Sox17 expression in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-containing intra-aortic hematopoietic cell cluster (IAHCs) is important for the cluster formation with the hematopoietic ability. The sustained expression of Sox17 in adult bone marrow HSCs and the cells in IAHCs of the dorsal aorta indicate abnormalities that are low lymphocyte chimerism and the aberrant proliferation of common myeloid progenitors in transplantation experiments. We then summarize the perspectives of Sox17 research in cancer control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Anani
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Ikuo Nobuhisa
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Taga
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
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Takahashi S, Nobuhisa I, Saito K, Gerel M, Itabashi A, Harada K, Osawa M, Endo TA, Iwama A, Taga T. Sox17-mediated expression of adherent molecules is required for the maintenance of undifferentiated hematopoietic cluster formation in midgestation mouse embryos. Differentiation 2020; 115:53-61. [PMID: 32891959 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2020.08.001] [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: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cell-containing intra-aortic hematopoietic cell clusters (IAHCs) emerge in the dorsal aorta of the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region during midgestation mouse embryos. We previously showed that transduction of Sox17 in CD45lowc-Kithigh cells, which are one component of IAHCs, maintained the cluster formation and the undifferentiated state, but the mechanism of the cluster formation by Sox17 has not been clarified. By microarray gene expression analysis, we found that genes for vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cad) and endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule (ESAM) were expressed at high levels in Sox17-transduced c-Kit+ cells. Here we show the functional role of these adhesion molecules in the formation of IAHCs and the maintenance of the undifferentiated state by in vitro experiments. We detected VE-cad and ESAM expression in endothelial cells of dorsal aorta and IAHCs in E10.5 embryos by whole mount immunohistochemistry. Cells with the middle expression level of VE-cad and the low expression level of ESAM had the highest colony-forming ability. Tamoxifen-dependent nuclear translocation of Sox17-ERT fusion protein induced the formation of cell clusters and the expression of Cdh5 (VE-cad) and ESAM genes. We showed the induction of the Cdh5 (VE-cad) and ESAM expression and the direct interaction of Sox17 with their promoter by luciferase assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, respectively. Moreover, shRNA-mediated knockdown of either Cdh5 (VE-cad) or ESAM gene in Sox17-transduced cells decreased the multilineage-colony forming potential. These findings suggest that VE-cad and ESAM play an important role in the high hematopoietic activity of IAHCs and cluster formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satomi Takahashi
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ikuo Nobuhisa
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Kiyoka Saito
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Melig Gerel
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayumi Itabashi
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaho Harada
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsujiro Osawa
- Clinical Application Department, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takaho A Endo
- Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iwama
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Taga
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.
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Pattarapanawan M, Uemura M, Miyazaki N, Takami S, Tomiyasu H, Tsunekawa N, Hirate Y, Fujishiro J, Kurohmaru M, Kanai-Azuma M, Higashiyama H, Kanai Y. Anatomical and histological characteristics of the hepatobiliary system in adult Sox17 heterozygote mice. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 303:3096-3107. [PMID: 32478476 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24466] [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: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare neonatal disease characterized by inflammation and obstruction of the extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBDs). The Sox17-haploinsufficient (Sox17+/- ) mouse is an animal model of BA that encompasses bile duct injury and subsequent BA-like inflammation by the neonatal stage. Most Sox17+/- neonates die soon after birth, but some Sox17+/- pups reach adulthood and have a normal life span, unlike human BA. However, the phenotype and BA-derived scars in the hepatobiliary organs of surviving Sox17+/- mice are unknown. Here, we examined the phenotypes of the hepatobiliary organs in post-weaning and young adult Sox17+/- mice. The results confirmed the significant reduction in liver weight, together with peripheral calcinosis and aberrant vasculature in the hepatic lobule, in surviving Sox17+/- mice as compared with their wild-type (WT) littermates. Such hepatic phenotypes may be sequelae of hepatobiliary damage at the fetal and neonatal stages, a notion supported by the slight, but significant, increases in the levels of serum markers of liver damage in adult Sox17+/- mice. The surviving Sox17+/- mice had a shorter gallbladder in which ectopic hepatic ducts were more frequent compared to WT mice. Also, the surviving Sox17+/- mice showed neither obstruction of the EHBDs nor atrophy or inflammation of hepatocytes or the intrahepatic ducts. These data suggest that some Sox17+/- pups with BA naturally escape lethality and recover from fetal hepatobiliary damages during the perinatal period, highlighting the usefulness of the in vivo model in understanding the hepatobiliary healing processes after surgical restoration of bile flow in human BA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mami Uemura
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nanae Miyazaki
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Takami
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Tomiyasu
- Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Tsunekawa
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Hirate
- Center of Experimental Animal, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun Fujishiro
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Masami Kanai-Azuma
- Center of Experimental Animal, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Higashiyama
- Department of Physiological Chemistry and Metabolism, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiakira Kanai
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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First person – Mami Uemura and Mayumi Higashi. Dis Model Mech 2020. [PMCID: PMC7132774 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.044321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Mami Uemura and Mayumi Higashi are joint first authors on ‘Gallbladder wall abnormality in biliary atresia of mouse Sox17+/− neonates and human infants’, published in DMM. Mami is a researcher in the lab of Yoshiakira Kanai at the Department of Veterinary Anatomy, the University of Tokyo, Japan, investigating the pathologic clarification of hepatobiliary diseases such as biliary atresia. Mayumi is a researcher and pediatric surgeon in the lab of Tatsuro Tajiri at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan, investigating pediatric liver diseases and the development of therapies.
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