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Mercado-Gómez M, Goikoetxea-Usandizaga N, Kerbert AJC, Gracianteparaluceta LU, Serrano-Maciá M, Lachiondo-Ortega S, Rodriguez-Agudo R, Gil-Pitarch C, Simón J, González-Recio I, Fondevila MF, Santamarina-Ojeda P, Fraga MF, Nogueiras R, Heras JDL, Jalan R, Martínez-Chantar ML, Delgado TC. The lipopolysaccharide-TLR4 axis regulates hepatic glutaminase 1 expression promoting liver ammonia build-up as steatotic liver disease progresses to steatohepatitis. Metabolism 2024; 158:155952. [PMID: 38906371 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ammonia is a pathogenic factor implicated in the progression of metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The contribution of the glutaminase 1 (GLS) isoform, an enzyme converting glutamine to glutamate and ammonia, to hepatic ammonia build-up and the mechanisms underlying its upregulation in metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) remain elusive. METHODS Multiplex transcriptomics and targeted metabolomics analysis of liver biopsies in dietary mouse models representing the whole spectra of MASLD were carried out to characterize the relevance of hepatic GLS during disease pathological progression. In addition, the acute effect of liver-specific GLS inhibition in hepatic ammonia content was evaluated in cultured hepatocytes and in in vivo mouse models of diet-induced MASLD. Finally, the regulatory mechanisms of hepatic GLS overexpression related to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) axis were explored in the context of MASH. RESULTS In mouse models of diet-induced MASLD, we found that augmented liver GLS expression is closely associated with the build-up of hepatic ammonia as the disease progresses from steatosis to steatohepatitis. Importantly, the acute silencing/pharmacological inhibition of GLS diminishes the ammonia burden in cultured primary mouse hepatocytes undergoing dedifferentiation, in steatotic hepatocytes, and in a mouse model of diet-induced steatohepatitis, irrespective of changes in ureagenesis and gut permeability. Under these conditions, GLS upregulation in the liver correlates positively with the hepatic expression of TLR4 that recognizes LPS. In agreement, the pharmacological inhibition of TLR4 reduces GLS and hepatic ammonia content in LPS-stimulated mouse hepatocytes and hyperammonemia animal models of endotoxemia. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results suggest that the LPS/TLR4 axis regulates hepatic GLS expression promoting liver ammonia build-up as steatotic liver disease progresses to steatohepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mercado-Gómez
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Naroa Goikoetxea-Usandizaga
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Annarein J C Kerbert
- Liver Failure Group, Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, University College London, Royal Free Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marina Serrano-Maciá
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Sofia Lachiondo-Ortega
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Rubén Rodriguez-Agudo
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Clàudia Gil-Pitarch
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Jorge Simón
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene González-Recio
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Marcos F Fondevila
- Department of Physiology, CIMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Pablo Santamarina-Ojeda
- Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Spanish Biomedical Research Network in Rare Diseases (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 33940 El Entrego, Asturias, Spain
| | - Mario F Fraga
- Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain; Spanish Biomedical Research Network in Rare Diseases (CIBERER), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 33940 El Entrego, Asturias, Spain; Institute of Oncology of Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Rubén Nogueiras
- Department of Physiology, CIMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Galician Agency of Innovation (GAIN), Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Javier de Las Heras
- Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; Division of Paediatric Metabolism, CIBERER, MetabERN, Cruces University Hospital, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain.; Department of Paediatrics, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Rajiv Jalan
- Liver Failure Group, Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, University College London, Royal Free Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - María Luz Martínez-Chantar
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Teresa C Delgado
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain; Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
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Goossens C, Tambay V, Raymond VA, Rousseau L, Turcotte S, Bilodeau M. Impact of the delay in cryopreservation timing during biobanking procedures on human liver tissue metabolomics. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304405. [PMID: 38857235 PMCID: PMC11164386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The liver is a highly specialized organ involved in regulating systemic metabolism. Understanding metabolic reprogramming of liver disease is key in discovering clinical biomarkers, which relies on robust tissue biobanks. However, sample collection and storage procedures pose a threat to obtaining reliable results, as metabolic alterations may occur during sample handling. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of pre-analytical delay during liver resection surgery on liver tissue metabolomics. Patients were enrolled for liver resection during which normal tissue was collected and snap-frozen at three timepoints: before transection, after transection, and after analysis in Pathology. Metabolomics analyses were performed using 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). Time at cryopreservation was the principal variable contributing to differences between liver specimen metabolomes, which superseded even interindividual variability. NMR revealed global changes in the abundance of an array of metabolites, namely a decrease in most metabolites and an increase in β-glucose and lactate. LC-MS revealed that succinate, alanine, glutamine, arginine, leucine, glycerol-3-phosphate, lactate, AMP, glutathione, and NADP were enhanced during cryopreservation delay (all p<0.05), whereas aspartate, iso(citrate), ADP, and ATP, decreased (all p<0.05). Cryopreservation delays occurring during liver tissue biobanking significantly alter an array of metabolites. Indeed, such alterations compromise the integrity of metabolomic data from liver specimens, underlining the importance of standardized protocols for tissue biobanking in hepatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentine Goossens
- Laboratoire d’Hépatologie Cellulaire, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Tambay
- Laboratoire d’Hépatologie Cellulaire, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Valérie-Ann Raymond
- Laboratoire d’Hépatologie Cellulaire, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Louise Rousseau
- Biobanque et Base de Données Hépatopancréatobiliaire, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Simon Turcotte
- Biobanque et Base de Données Hépatopancréatobiliaire, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Chirurgie, Service de Transplantation Hépatique et de Chirurgie Hépatopancréatobiliaire, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Marc Bilodeau
- Laboratoire d’Hépatologie Cellulaire, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Andersen ME, Barutcu AR, Black MB, Harrill JA. Transcriptomic analysis of AHR wildtype and Knock-out rat livers supports TCDD's role in AHR/ARNT-mediated circadian disruption and hepatotoxicity. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2024; 487:116956. [PMID: 38735589 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2024.116956] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Single, high doses of TCDD in rats are known to cause wasting, a progressive loss of 30 to 50% body weight and death within several weeks. To identify pathway perturbations at or near doses causing wasting, we examined differentially gene expression (DGE) and pathway enrichment in centrilobular (CL) and periportal (PP) regions of female rat livers following 6 dose levels of TCDD - 0, 3, 22, 100, 300, and 1000 ng/kg/day, 5 days/week for 4 weeks. At the higher doses, rats lost weight, had increased liver/body weight ratios and nearly complete cessation of liver cell proliferation, signs consistent with wasting. DGE curves were left shifted for the CL versus the PP regions. Canonical Phase I and Phase II genes were maximally increased at lower doses and remained elevated at all doses. At lower doses, ≤ 22 ng/kg/day in the CL and ≤ 100 ng/kg/day, upregulated genes showed transcription factor (TF) enrichment for AHR and ARNT. At the mid- and high-dose doses, there was a large number of downregulated genes and pathway enrichment for DEGs which showed downregulation of many cellular metabolism processes including those for steroids, fatty acid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism and citric acid cycle. There was significant TF enrichment of the hi-dose downregulated genes for RXR, ESR1, LXR, PPARalpha. At the highest dose, there was also pathway enrichment with upregulated genes for extracellular matrix organization, collagen formation, hemostasis and innate immune system. TCDD demonstrates most of its effects through binding the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) while the downregulation of metabolism genes at higher TCDD doses is known to be independent of AHR binding to DREs. Based on our results with DEG, we provide a hypothesis for wasting in which high doses of TCDD shift circadian processes away from the resting state, leading to greatly reduced synthesis of steroids and complex lipids needed for cell growth, and producing gene expression signals consistent with an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in hepatocytes.
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Zhou Y, Zhao Y, Carbonaro M, Chen H, Germino M, Adler C, Ni M, Zhu YO, Kim SY, Altarejos J, Li Z, Burczynski ME, Glass DJ, Sleeman MW, Lee AH, Halasz G, Cheng X. Perturbed liver gene zonation in a mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Metabolism 2024; 154:155830. [PMID: 38428673 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Liver zonation characterizes the separation of metabolic pathways along the lobules and is required for optimal hepatic function. Wnt signaling is a master regulator of spatial liver zonation. A perivenous-periportal Wnt activity gradient orchestrates metabolic zonation by activating gene expression in perivenous hepatocytes, while suppressing gene expression in their periportal counterparts. However, the understanding as to the liver gene zonation and zonation regulators in diseases is limited. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic liver disease characterized by fat accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis. Here, we investigated the perturbation of liver gene zonation in a mouse NASH model by combining spatial transcriptomics, bulk RNAseq and in situ hybridization. Wnt-target genes represented a major subset of genes showing altered spatial expression in the NASH liver. The altered Wnt-target gene expression levels and zonation spatial patterns were in line with the up regulation of Wnt regulators and the augmentation of Wnt signaling. Particularly, we found that the Wnt activator Rspo3 expression was restricted to the perivenous zone in control liver but expanded to the periportal zone in NASH liver. AAV8-mediated RSPO3 overexpression in controls resulted in zonation changes, and further amplified the disturbed zonation of Wnt-target genes in NASH, similarly Rspo3 knockdown in Rspo3+/- mice resulted in zonation changes of Wnt-target genes in both chow and HFD mouse. Interestingly, there were no impacts on steatosis, inflammation, or fibrosis NASH pathology from RSPO3 overexpression nor Rspo3 knockdown. In summary, our study demonstrated the alteration of Wnt signaling in a mouse NASH model, leading to perturbed liver zonation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhou
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Yuanqi Zhao
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Marisa Carbonaro
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Helen Chen
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Mary Germino
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Christina Adler
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Min Ni
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Yuan O Zhu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Sun Y Kim
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Judith Altarejos
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Zhe Li
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | | | - David J Glass
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Mark W Sleeman
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Ann-Hwee Lee
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Gabor Halasz
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America
| | - Xiping Cheng
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States of America.
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5
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Santos AA, Delgado TC, Marques V, Ramirez-Moncayo C, Alonso C, Vidal-Puig A, Hall Z, Martínez-Chantar ML, Rodrigues CM. Spatial metabolomics and its application in the liver. Hepatology 2024; 79:1158-1179. [PMID: 36811413 PMCID: PMC11020039 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocytes work in highly structured, repetitive hepatic lobules. Blood flow across the radial axis of the lobule generates oxygen, nutrient, and hormone gradients, which result in zoned spatial variability and functional diversity. This large heterogeneity suggests that hepatocytes in different lobule zones may have distinct gene expression profiles, metabolic features, regenerative capacity, and susceptibility to damage. Here, we describe the principles of liver zonation, introduce metabolomic approaches to study the spatial heterogeneity of the liver, and highlight the possibility of exploring the spatial metabolic profile, leading to a deeper understanding of the tissue metabolic organization. Spatial metabolomics can also reveal intercellular heterogeneity and its contribution to liver disease. These approaches facilitate the global characterization of liver metabolic function with high spatial resolution along physiological and pathological time scales. This review summarizes the state of the art for spatially resolved metabolomic analysis and the challenges that hinder the achievement of metabolome coverage at the single-cell level. We also discuss several major contributions to the understanding of liver spatial metabolism and conclude with our opinion on the future developments and applications of these exciting new technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- André A. Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Teresa C. Delgado
- Liver Disease Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- Congenital Metabolic Disorders, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Vanda Marques
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carmen Ramirez-Moncayo
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
| | | | - Antonio Vidal-Puig
- MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centro Investigation Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Zoe Hall
- Division of Systems Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - María Luz Martínez-Chantar
- Liver Disease Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cecilia M.P. Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Bagga AD, Johnson BP, Zhang Q. Spatially Dependent Tissue Distribution of Thyroid Hormones by Plasma Thyroid Hormone Binding Proteins. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.20.572629. [PMID: 38187691 PMCID: PMC10769377 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Plasma thyroid hormone (TH) binding proteins (THBPs), including thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), transthyretin (TTR), and albumin (ALB), carry THs to extrathyroidal sites, where THs are unloaded locally and then taken up via membrane transporters into the tissue proper. The respective roles of THBPs in supplying THs for tissue uptake are not completely understood. To investigate this, we developed a spatial human physiologically based kinetic (PBK) model of THs, which produces several novel findings. (1) Contrary to postulations that TTR and/or ALB are the major local T4 contributors, the three THBPs may unload comparable amounts of T4 in Liver, a rapidly perfused organ; however, their contributions in slowly perfused tissues follow the order of abundances of T4TBG, T4TTR, and T4ALB. The T3 amounts unloaded from or loaded onto THBPs in a tissue acting as a T3 sink or source respectively follow the order of abundance of T3TBG, T3ALB, and T3TTR regardless of perfusion rate. (2) Any THBP alone is sufficient to maintain spatially uniform TH tissue distributions. (3) The TH amounts unloaded by each THBP species are spatially dependent and nonlinear in a tissue, with ALB being the dominant contributor near the arterial end but conceding to TBG near the venous end. (4) Spatial gradients of TH transporters and metabolic enzymes may modulate these contributions, producing spatially invariant or heterogeneous TH tissue concentrations depending on whether the blood-tissue TH exchange operates in near-equilibrium mode. In summary, our modeling provides novel insights into the differential roles of THBPs in local TH tissue distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anish D. Bagga
- Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Brian P. Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, GA 30322, USA
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7
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Tian H, Rajbhandari P, Tarolli J, Decker AM, Neelakantan TV, Angerer T, Zandkarimi F, Remotti H, Frache G, Winograd N, Stockwell BR. Multimodal mass spectrometry imaging identifies cell-type-specific metabolic and lipidomic variation in the mammalian liver. Dev Cell 2024; 59:869-881.e6. [PMID: 38359832 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.01.025] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Spatial single-cell omics provides a readout of biochemical processes. It is challenging to capture the transient lipidome/metabolome from cells in a native tissue environment. We employed water gas cluster ion beam secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging ([H2O]n>28K-GCIB-SIMS) at ≤3 μm resolution using a cryogenic imaging workflow. This allowed multiple biomolecular imaging modes on the near-native-state liver at single-cell resolution. Our workflow utilizes desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) to build a reference map of metabolic heterogeneity and zonation across liver functional units at tissue level. Cryogenic dual-SIMS integrated metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics in the same liver lobules at single-cell level, characterizing the cellular landscape and metabolic states in different cell types. Lipids and metabolites classified liver metabolic zones, cell types and subtypes, highlighting the power of spatial multi-omics at high spatial resolution for understanding celluar and biomolecular organizations in the mammalian liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Tian
- Environmental and Occupational Health, Pitt Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Children's Neuroscience Institute, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA.
| | - Presha Rajbhandari
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | | | - Aubrianna M Decker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | | | - Tina Angerer
- The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Helen Remotti
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Gilles Frache
- The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Nicholas Winograd
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Brent R Stockwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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8
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Wang Y, Wu J, Wang D, Wan M, Li X, Zhang L, Yang D, Liu F, Liu J, Li K, Zhang S, Lu H. BPA induces hepatotoxicity in zebrafish through oxidative stress and apoptosis pathways. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2024; 50:403-412. [PMID: 38085449 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-023-01284-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
BPA is so ubiquitous that 27 million tons of BPA-containing plastic, including mineral water bottles and baby bottles, is produced worldwide each year. The potential toxicity of BPA to humans and aquatic organisms has been the subject of intense research. In this study, a zebrafish model system was used to assess BPA-mediated hepatotoxicity. Zebrafish larvae at 72-144 hpf were exposed to BPA at different concentrations (0,1, 3 and 5mg/L). For example, BPA-treated zebrafish larvae showed increased mortality, delayed uptake of nutrients in yolk sac, shortened body length, smaller liver area, abnormal expression of genes related to liver development, and pathological changes in the liver tissue. Mechanistically, BPA exposure induced excessive oxidative stress in the liver of zebrafish and increased the level of hepatocyte apoptosis in zebrafish larvae, and the antioxidant astaxanthin could rescue the BPA-mediated liver toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Nanchang University, Nangchang, 330027, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China
| | - Jie Wu
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China
| | - Dagang Wang
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China
| | - Mengqi Wan
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Xue Li
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China
| | - Dou Yang
- College of Pharmacy, Nanchang University, Nangchang, 330027, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China
| | - Fasheng Liu
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China
| | - Jiejun Liu
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China
| | - Kehao Li
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Shouhua Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Nanchang University, Nangchang, 330027, Jiangxi, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital, Nanchang, 330006, China.
| | - Huiqiang Lu
- Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory of Zebrafish Modeling and Drug Screening for Human Diseases, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Organs, College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, 343009, China.
- Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Jian, 343000, Jiangxi Province, China.
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9
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Lambers L, Waschinsky N, Schleicher J, König M, Tautenhahn HM, Albadry M, Dahmen U, Ricken T. Quantifying fat zonation in liver lobules: an integrated multiscale in silico model combining disturbed microperfusion and fat metabolism via a continuum biomechanical bi-scale, tri-phasic approach. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2024; 23:631-653. [PMID: 38402347 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-023-01797-0] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic zonation refers to the spatial separation of metabolic functions along the sinusoidal axes of the liver. This phenomenon forms the foundation for adjusting hepatic metabolism to physiological requirements in health and disease (e.g., metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease/MASLD). Zonated metabolic functions are influenced by zonal morphological abnormalities in the liver, such as periportal fibrosis and pericentral steatosis. We aim to analyze the interplay between microperfusion, oxygen gradient, fat metabolism and resulting zonated fat accumulation in a liver lobule. Therefore we developed a continuum biomechanical, tri-phasic, bi-scale, and multicomponent in silico model, which allows to numerically simulate coupled perfusion-function-growth interactions two-dimensionally in liver lobules. The developed homogenized model has the following specifications: (i) thermodynamically consistent, (ii) tri-phase model (tissue, fat, blood), (iii) penta-substances (glycogen, glucose, lactate, FFA, and oxygen), and (iv) bi-scale approach (lobule, cell). Our presented in silico model accounts for the mutual coupling between spatial and time-dependent liver perfusion, metabolic pathways and fat accumulation. The model thus allows the prediction of fat development in the liver lobule, depending on perfusion, oxygen and plasma concentration of free fatty acids (FFA), oxidative processes, the synthesis and the secretion of triglycerides (TGs). The use of a bi-scale approach allows in addition to focus on scale bridging processes. Thus, we will investigate how changes at the cellular scale affect perfusion at the lobular scale and vice versa. This allows to predict the zonation of fat distribution (periportal or pericentral) depending on initial conditions, as well as external and internal boundary value conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Lambers
- Institute of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering and Geodesy, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 27, Stuttgart, 70191, Germany
| | - Navina Waschinsky
- Institute of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering and Geodesy, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 27, Stuttgart, 70191, Germany
| | - Jana Schleicher
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Fürstengraben 27, Jena, 07743, Germany
| | - Matthias König
- Systems Medicine of Liver, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-University Berlin, Philippstraße 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Michael Tautenhahn
- Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Mohamed Albadry
- Experimental Transplantation Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Drackendorfer Straße 1, Jena, 07747, Germany
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Uta Dahmen
- Experimental Transplantation Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Drackendorfer Straße 1, Jena, 07747, Germany
| | - Tim Ricken
- Institute of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering and Geodesy, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 27, Stuttgart, 70191, Germany.
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10
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Tietze L, Christ M, Yu J, Stock P, Nickel S, Schulze A, Bartels M, Tautenhahn HM, Christ B. Approaching Thrombospondin-1 as a Potential Target for Mesenchymal Stromal Cells to Support Liver Regeneration after Partial Hepatectomy in Mouse and Humans. Cells 2024; 13:529. [PMID: 38534373 DOI: 10.3390/cells13060529] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Extended liver resection carries the risk of post-surgery liver failure involving thrombospondin-1-mediated aggravation of hepatic epithelial plasticity and function. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), by interfering with thrombospondin-1 (THBS1), counteract hepatic dysfunction, though the mechanisms involved remain unknown. Herein, two-thirds partial hepatectomy in mice increased hepatic THBS1, downstream transforming growth factor-β3, and perturbation of liver tissue homeostasis. All these events were ameliorated by hepatic transfusion of human bone marrow-derived MSCs. Treatment attenuated platelet and macrophage recruitment to the liver, both major sources of THBS1. By mitigating THBS1, MSCs muted surgery-induced tissue deterioration and dysfunction, and thus supported post-hepatectomy regeneration. After liver surgery, patients displayed increased tissue THBS1, which is associated with functional impairment and may indicate a higher risk of post-surgery complications. Since liver dysfunction involving THBS1 improves with MSC treatment in various animal models, it seems feasible to also modulate THBS1 in humans to impede post-surgery acute liver failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lysann Tietze
- Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Madlen Christ
- Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jiyeon Yu
- Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral- und Thoraxchirurgie, Helios Park-Klinikum Leipzig, 04289 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peggy Stock
- Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sandra Nickel
- Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Annelie Schulze
- Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Bartels
- Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral- und Thoraxchirurgie, Helios Park-Klinikum Leipzig, 04289 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hans-Michael Tautenhahn
- Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Division of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Research Programme "Else Kröner-Forschungskolleg AntiAge", Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Bruno Christ
- Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Division of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany
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11
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Duff C, Alexander IE, Baruteau J. Gene therapy for urea cycle defects: An update from historical perspectives to future prospects. J Inherit Metab Dis 2024; 47:50-62. [PMID: 37026568 PMCID: PMC10953416 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Urea cycle defects (UCDs) are severe inherited metabolic diseases with high unmet needs which present a permanent risk of hyperammonaemic decompensation and subsequent acute death or neurological sequelae, when treated with conventional dietetic and medical therapies. Liver transplantation is currently the only curative option, but has the potential to be supplanted by highly effective gene therapy interventions without the attendant need for life-long immunosuppression or limitations imposed by donor liver supply. Over the last three decades, pioneering genetic technologies have been explored to circumvent the consequences of UCDs, improve quality of life and long-term outcomes: adenoviral vectors, adeno-associated viral vectors, gene editing, genome integration and non-viral technology with messenger RNA. In this review, we present a summarised view of this historical path, which includes some seminal milestones of the gene therapy's epic. We provide an update about the state of the art of gene therapy technologies for UCDs and the current advantages and pitfalls driving future directions for research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Duff
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Ian E. Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals NetworkWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent HealthThe University of SydneyWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Julien Baruteau
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- National Institute of Health Research Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research CentreLondonUK
- Metabolic Medicine DepartmentGreat Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
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12
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Sasikumar S, Chameettachal S, K N V, Kingshott P, Cromer B, Pati F. Strategic Replication of the Hepatic Zonation In Vitro Employing a Biomimetic Approach. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2023; 6:5224-5234. [PMID: 38014618 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.3c00481] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The varied functions of the liver are dependent on the metabolic heterogeneity exhibited by the hepatocytes within the liver lobule spanning the porto-central axis. This complex phenomenon plays an important role in maintaining the physiological homeostasis of the liver. Standard in vitro culture models fail to mimic this spatial heterogeneity of hepatocytes, assuming a homogeneous population of cells, which leads to inaccurate translation of results. Here, we demonstrate the development of an in vitro model of hepatic zonation by mimicking the microarchitecture of the liver using a 3D printed mini bioreactor and decellularized liver matrix to provide the native microenvironmental cues. There was a differential expression of hypoxic and metabolic markers across the developed mini bioreactor, showing the establishment of gradients of oxygen, Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and other metabolic pathways. The model also showed the establishment of zone-dependent toxicity on treatment with acetaminophen. The developed model would thus be a promising avenue in the field of tissue engineering for understanding the liver physiology and pathophysiology and for drug screening to evaluate the potential of new pharmaceutical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyama Sasikumar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, Telangana, India
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia
| | - Shibu Chameettachal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, Telangana, India
| | - Vijayasankar K N
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, Telangana, India
| | - Peter Kingshott
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia
- ARC Training Centre Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM), School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia
| | - Brett Cromer
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia
| | - Falguni Pati
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy 502284, Telangana, India
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13
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Wang Q, Liu J, Yin W, Wang A, Zheng J, Wang Y, Dong J. Microscale tissue engineering of liver lobule models: advancements and applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1303053. [PMID: 38144540 PMCID: PMC10749204 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1303053] [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] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The liver, as the body's primary organ for maintaining internal balance, is composed of numerous hexagonal liver lobules, each sharing a uniform architectural framework. These liver lobules serve as the basic structural and functional units of the liver, comprised of central veins, hepatic plates, hepatic sinusoids, and minute bile ducts. Meanwhile, within liver lobules, distinct regions of hepatocytes carry out diverse functions. The in vitro construction of liver lobule models, faithfully replicating their structure and function, holds paramount significance for research in liver development and diseases. Presently, two primary technologies for constructing liver lobule models dominate the field: 3D bioprinting and microfluidic techniques. 3D bioprinting enables precise deposition of cells and biomaterials, while microfluidics facilitates targeted transport of cells or other culture materials to specified locations, effectively managing culture media input and output through micro-pump control, enabling dynamic simulations of liver lobules. In this comprehensive review, we provide an overview of the biomaterials, cells, and manufacturing methods employed by recent researchers in constructing liver lobule models. Our aim is to explore strategies and technologies that closely emulate the authentic structure and function of liver lobules, offering invaluable insights for research into liver diseases, drug screening, drug toxicity assessment, and cell replacement therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Research Unit of Precision Hepatobiliary Surgery Paradigm, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Institute for Organ Transplant and Bionic Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Digital Intelligence Hepatology, Ministry of Education, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenzhen Yin
- Clinical Translational Science Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Anqi Wang
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Zheng
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfang Wang
- Research Unit of Precision Hepatobiliary Surgery Paradigm, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Institute for Organ Transplant and Bionic Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Digital Intelligence Hepatology, Ministry of Education, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Clinical Translational Science Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahong Dong
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Research Unit of Precision Hepatobiliary Surgery Paradigm, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Institute for Organ Transplant and Bionic Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Digital Intelligence Hepatology, Ministry of Education, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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14
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El Marrahi A, Lipreri F, Kang Z, Gsell L, Eroglu A, Alber D, Hausser J. NIPMAP: niche-phenotype mapping of multiplex histology data by community ecology. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7182. [PMID: 37935691 PMCID: PMC10630431 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42878-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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in multiplex histology allow surveying millions of cells, dozens of cell types, and up to thousands of phenotypes within the spatial context of tissue sections. This leads to a combinatorial challenge in (a) summarizing the cellular and phenotypic architecture of tissues and (b) identifying phenotypes with interesting spatial architecture. To address this, we combine ideas from community ecology and machine learning into niche-phenotype mapping (NIPMAP). NIPMAP takes advantage of geometric constraints on local cellular composition imposed by the niche structure of tissues in order to automatically segment tissue sections into niches and their interfaces. Projecting phenotypes on niches and their interfaces identifies previously-reported and previously-unreported spatially-driven phenotypes, concisely summarizes the phenotypic architecture of tissues, and reveals fundamental properties of tissue architecture. NIPMAP is applicable to both protein and RNA multiplex histology of healthy and diseased tissue. An open-source R/Python package implements NIPMAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa El Marrahi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
- SciLifeLab; Solna, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Fabio Lipreri
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
- SciLifeLab; Solna, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Ziqi Kang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
- SciLifeLab; Solna, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Louise Gsell
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
- SciLifeLab; Solna, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Alper Eroglu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
- SciLifeLab; Solna, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden
| | - David Alber
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
- SciLifeLab; Solna, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Jean Hausser
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden.
- SciLifeLab; Solna, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden.
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15
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Grilo LF, Martins JD, Diniz MS, Tocantins C, Cavallaro CH, Baldeiras I, Cunha-Oliveira T, Ford S, Nathanielsz PW, Oliveira PJ, Pereira SP. Maternal hepatic adaptations during obese pregnancy encompass lobe-specific mitochondrial alterations and oxidative stress. Clin Sci (Lond) 2023; 137:1347-1372. [PMID: 37565250 DOI: 10.1042/cs20230048] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Maternal obesity (MO) is rising worldwide, affecting half of all gestations, constituting a possible risk-factor for some pregnancy-associated liver diseases (PALD) and hepatic diseases. PALD occur in approximately 3% of pregnancies and are characterized by maternal hepatic oxidative stress (OS) and mitochondrial dysfunction. Maternal hepatic disease increases maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Understanding the role of MO on liver function and pathophysiology could be crucial for better understanding the altered pathways leading to PALD and liver disease, possibly paving the way to prevention and adequate management of disease. We investigated specific hepatic metabolic alterations in mitochondria and oxidative stress during MO at late-gestation. Maternal hepatic tissue was collected at 90% gestation in Control and MO ewes (fed 150% of recommended nutrition starting 60 days before conception). Maternal hepatic redox state, mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC), and OS markers were investigated. MO decreased MRC complex-II activity and its subunits SDHA and SDHB protein expression, increased complex-I and complex-IV activities despite reduced complex-IV subunit mtCO1 protein expression, and increased ATP synthase ATP5A subunit. Hepatic MO-metabolic remodeling was characterized by decreased adenine nucleotide translocator 1 and 2 (ANT-1/2) and voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) protein expression and protein kinase A (PKA) activity (P<0.01), and augmented NAD+/NADH ratio due to reduced NADH levels (P<0.01). MO showed an altered redox state with increased OS, increased lipid peroxidation (P<0.01), decreased GSH/GSSG ratio (P=0.005), increased superoxide dismutase (P=0.03) and decreased catalase (P=0.03) antioxidant enzymatic activities, lower catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX)-4 and glutathione reductase protein expression (P<0.05), and increased GPX-1 abundance (P=0.03). MO-related hepatic changes were more evident in the right lobe, corroborated by the integrative data analysis. Hepatic tissue from obese pregnant ewes showed alterations in the redox state, consistent with OS and MRC and metabolism remodeling. These are hallmarks of PALD and hepatic disease, supporting MO as a risk-factor and highlighting OS and mitochondrial dysfunction as mechanisms responsible for liver disease predisposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís F Grilo
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
- Ph.D. Programme in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine (PDBEB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João D Martins
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Mariana S Diniz
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Carolina Tocantins
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Chiara H Cavallaro
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Inês Baldeiras
- Neurological Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Teresa Cunha-Oliveira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Stephen Ford
- Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, U.S.A
| | | | - Paulo J Oliveira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Susana P Pereira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, Cantanhede, Portugal
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Exercise (LametEx), Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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16
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Sani F, Soufi Zomorrod M, Azarpira N, Soleimani M. The Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes and miR17-5p Inhibitor on Multicellular Liver Fibrosis Microtissues. Stem Cells Int 2023; 2023:8836452. [PMID: 37576406 PMCID: PMC10421706 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8836452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although several studies have been conducted on modeling human liver disease, it is still challenging to mimic nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in vitro. Here, we aimed to develop a fibrotic liver microtissue composed of hepatocytes, hepatic stellate, and endothelial cells. In addition, the therapeutic effects of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (UC-MSC-EXO) and anti-miR17-5p as new antifibrotic drugs were investigated. Methods To create an effective preclinical fibrosis model, multicellular liver microtissues (MLMs) consisting of HepG2, LX2, and HUVECs were cultured and supplemented with a mixture of palmitic acid and oleic acid for 96 hr. Then, MLMs were exposed to UC-MSC-EXO and anti-miR17-5p in different groups. The results of cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, liver enzyme levels, inflammation, and histopathology were analyzed to assess the treatment efficacy. Furthermore, the expression of collagen I (COL I) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) as critical matrix components, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and miR-17-5p were measured. Results Free fatty acid supplementation causes fibrosis in MLMs. Our results demonstrated that UC-MSC-EXO and anti-miR17-5p attenuated TGF-β1, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in all experimental groups. According to the suppression of the TGF-β1 pathway, LX2 activation was inhibited, reducing extracellular matrix proteins, including COL I and α-SMA. Also, miR-17-5p expression was elevated in fibrosis conditions. Furthermore, we showed that our treatments decreased alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and increased albumin levels in the culture supernatant. We also found that both MSC-EXO and MSC-EXO + anti-miR17-5p treatments could reduce ROS production. Conclusion Our findings indicated that anti-miR17-5p and MSC-EXO might be promising therapeutic options for treating liver fibrosis. Furthermore, EXO + anti-miR had the best effects on boosting the fibrotic markers. Therefore, we propose this novel MLM model to understand fibrosis mechanisms better and develop new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Sani
- Hematology Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Soufi Zomorrod
- Hematology Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Azarpira
- Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Khalili Street P.O. Box 7193711351, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Masoud Soleimani
- Hematology Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Science, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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17
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Rong R, Wei Y, Li L, Wang T, Zhu H, Xiao G, Wang Y. Image-based quantification of histological features as a function of spatial location using the Tissue Positioning System. EBioMedicine 2023; 94:104698. [PMID: 37453365 PMCID: PMC10365985 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104698] [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: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tissues such as the liver lobule, kidney nephron, and intestinal gland exhibit intricate patterns of zonated gene expression corresponding to distinct cell types and functions. To quantitatively understand zonation, it is important to measure cellular or genetic features as a function of position along a zonal axis. While it is possible to manually count, characterize, and locate features in relation to the zonal axis, it is labor-intensive and difficult to do manually while maintaining precision and accuracy. METHODS We addressed this challenge by developing a deep-learning-based quantification method called the "Tissue Positioning System" (TPS), which can automatically analyze zonation in the liver lobule as a model system. FINDINGS By using algorithms that identified vessels, classified vessels, and segmented zones based on the relative position along the portal vein to central vein axis, TPS was able to spatially quantify gene expression in mice with zone specific reporters. INTERPRETATION TPS could discern expression differences between zonal reporter strains, ages, and disease states. TPS could also reveal the zonal distribution of cells previously thought to be positioned randomly. The design principles of TPS could be generalized to other tissues to explore the biology of zonation. FUNDING CPRIT (RP190208, RP220614, RP230330) and NIH (P30CA142543, R01AA028791, R01CA251928, R01DK1253961, R01GM140012, 1R01GM141519, 1R01DE030656, 1U01CA249245). The Pollack Foundation, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer & Obesity Translational Pilot Award, and the Emerging Leader Award from the Mark Foundation For Cancer Research (#21-003-ELA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruichen Rong
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Yonglong Wei
- Children's Research Institute, Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Lin Li
- Children's Research Institute, Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Tao Wang
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA; Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Hao Zhu
- Children's Research Institute, Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Guanghua Xiao
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Yunguan Wang
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA; Children's Research Institute, Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA; Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
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18
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Souza-Tavares H, Miranda CS, Vasques-Monteiro IML, Sandoval C, Santana-Oliveira DA, Silva-Veiga FM, Fernandes-da-Silva A, Souza-Mello V. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors as targets to treat metabolic diseases: Focus on the adipose tissue, liver, and pancreas. World J Gastroenterol 2023; 29:4136-4155. [PMID: 37475842 PMCID: PMC10354577 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i26.4136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The world is experiencing reflections of the intersection of two pandemics: Obesity and coronavirus disease 2019. The prevalence of obesity has tripled since 1975 worldwide, representing substantial public health costs due to its comorbidities. The adipose tissue is the initial site of obesity impairments. During excessive energy intake, it undergoes hyperplasia and hypertrophy until overt inflammation and insulin resistance turn adipocytes into dysfunctional cells that send lipotoxic signals to other organs. The pancreas is one of the organs most affected by obesity. Once lipotoxicity becomes chronic, there is an increase in insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells, a surrogate for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These alterations threaten the survival of the pancreatic islets, which tend to become dysfunctional, reaching exhaustion in the long term. As for the liver, lipotoxicity favors lipogenesis and impairs beta-oxidation, resulting in hepatic steatosis. This silent disease affects around 30% of the worldwide population and can evolve into end-stage liver disease. Although therapy for hepatic steatosis remains to be defined, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) activation copes with T2DM management. Peroxisome PPARs are transcription factors found at the intersection of several metabolic pathways, leading to insulin resistance relief, improved thermogenesis, and expressive hepatic steatosis mitigation by increasing mitochondrial beta-oxidation. This review aimed to update the potential of PPAR agonists as targets to treat metabolic diseases, focusing on adipose tissue plasticity and hepatic and pancreatic remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Cristian Sandoval
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Osorno 5310431, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias Preclínicas, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
| | | | | | | | - Vanessa Souza-Mello
- Department of Anatomy, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro 20551030, Brazil
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19
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Tambay V, Raymond VA, Goossens C, Rousseau L, Turcotte S, Bilodeau M. Metabolomics-Guided Identification of a Distinctive Hepatocellular Carcinoma Signature. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3232. [PMID: 37370840 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123232] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major contributor to cancer-related morbidity and mortality burdens globally. Given the fundamental metabolic activity of hepatocytes within the liver, hepatocarcinogenesis is bound to be characterized by alterations in metabolite profiles as a manifestation of metabolic reprogramming. METHODS HCC and adjacent non-tumoral liver specimens were obtained from patients after HCC resection. Global patterns in tissue metabolites were identified using non-targeted 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy whereas specific metabolites were quantified using targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). RESULTS Principal component analysis (PCA) within our 1H-NMR dataset identified a principal component (PC) one of 53.3%, along which the two sample groups were distinctively clustered. Univariate analysis of tissue specimens identified more than 150 metabolites significantly altered in HCC compared to non-tumoral liver. For LC/MS, PCA identified a PC1 of 45.2%, along which samples from HCC tissues and non-tumoral tissues were clearly separated. Supervised analysis (PLS-DA) identified decreases in tissue glutathione, succinate, glycerol-3-phosphate, alanine, malate, and AMP as the most important contributors to the metabolomic signature of HCC by LC/MS. CONCLUSIONS Together, 1H-NMR and LC/MS metabolomics have the capacity to distinguish HCC from non-tumoral liver. The characterization of such distinct profiles of metabolite abundances underscores the major metabolic alterations that result from hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Tambay
- Laboratoire d'Hépatologie Cellulaire, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X0A9, Canada
| | - Valérie-Ann Raymond
- Laboratoire d'Hépatologie Cellulaire, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X0A9, Canada
| | - Corentine Goossens
- Laboratoire d'Hépatologie Cellulaire, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X0A9, Canada
| | - Louise Rousseau
- Biobanque et Base de Données Hépatobiliaire et Pancréatique, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X0C1, Canada
| | - Simon Turcotte
- Biobanque et Base de Données Hépatobiliaire et Pancréatique, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X0C1, Canada
- Département de Chirurgie, Service de Transplantation Hépatique et de Chirurgie Hépatobiliaire et Pancréatique, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X0C1, Canada
| | - Marc Bilodeau
- Laboratoire d'Hépatologie Cellulaire, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X0A9, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T1J4, Canada
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20
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Gayden J, Hu S, Joseph PN, Delgado E, Liu S, Bell A, Puig S, Monga SP, Freyberg Z. A Spatial Atlas of Wnt Receptors in Adult Mouse Liver. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 193:558-566. [PMID: 36773785 PMCID: PMC10155265 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic zonation is critical for most metabolic functions in liver. Wnt signaling plays an important role in establishing and maintaining liver zonation. Yet, the anatomic expression of Wnt signaling components, especially all 10 Frizzled (Fzd) receptors, has not been characterized in adult liver. To address this, the spatial expression of Fzd receptors was quantitatively mapped in adult mouse liver via multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization. Although all 10 Fzd receptors were expressed within a metabolic unit, Fzd receptors 1, 4, and 6 were the highest expressed. Although most Wnt signaling occurs in zone 3, expression of most Fzd receptors was not zonated. In contrast, Fzd receptor 6 was preferentially expressed in zone 1. Wnt2 and Wnt9b expression was highly zonated and primarily found in zone 3. Therefore, the current results suggest that zonated Wnt/β-catenin signaling at baseline occurs primarily due to Wnt2 and Wnt9b rather than zonation of Fzd mRNA expression. Finally, the study showed that Fzd receptors and Wnts are not uniformly expressed by all hepatic cell types. Instead, there is broad distribution among both hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells, including endothelial cells. Overall, this establishment of a definitive mRNA expression atlas, especially of Fzd receptors, opens the door to future functional characterization in healthy and diseased liver states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenesis Gayden
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Shikai Hu
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Paul N Joseph
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Evan Delgado
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Silvia Liu
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Aaron Bell
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Stephanie Puig
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Satdarshan P Monga
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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21
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Shamardl HAMA, Ibrahim NA, Merzeban DH, Elamir AM, Golam RM, Elsayed AM. Resveratrol and Dulaglutide ameliorate adiposity and liver dysfunction in rats with diet-induced metabolic syndrome: Role of SIRT-1 / adipokines / PPARγ and IGF-1. Daru 2023:10.1007/s40199-023-00458-y. [PMID: 36991247 DOI: 10.1007/s40199-023-00458-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adiposity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are common characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MS). Understanding the underlying pathogenesis is crucial for the development of new remedies. Resveratrol controls obesity and glycemic disorders in patients with MS. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the effect of resveratrol and dulaglutide on adipose tissues and liver in rats with MS, declaring their possible mechanisms. METHODS Rats allocated as Control, MS (induced by a high fat/ high sucrose diet for eight weeks), MS + Resveratrol (30 mg/kg/day orally), and MS + Dulaglutide (0.6 mg/kg twice weekly SC); drugs administration was in the last four weeks. Serum biochemical measurements were done. Liver and visceral fat were processed for biochemistry, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS MS results demonstrated significantly increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glycemic indices, and lipids with decreased HDL-C. Tissue levels of leptin, malondialdehyde (MDA), and TNF-α reactivity significantly increased. Expression of adiponectin, PPARγ, and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) decreased. Also, Western blotting mRNA gene expression of liver SIRT-1 was down-regulated. Resveratrol and dulaglutide significantly and effectively reversed MS complexity, ameliorating all findings, particularly NAFLD and adiposity-induced inflammation. Resveratrol significantly appears superior to dulaglutide regarding the effects on hemodynamics, lipids, adipokines, IGF-1 levels, and adipocyte size. Parallel, dulaglutide has more influence on glycemic control. CONCLUSION Protective effects of the drugs may be through correlations between SIRT-1/adipokines/IGF-1 and PPARγ, improving the cross-talk between insulin resistance, obesity markers, liver dysfunction, and TNF-α. Promising multi-beneficial therapies of resveratrol or dulaglutide in MS are recommended clinically for this purpose. Showing the Experimental Design.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Noha A Ibrahim
- Histology and Cell Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 19052, Egypt
| | - Dina H Merzeban
- Medical Physiology DepartmentFaculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 19052, Egypt
| | - Azza M Elamir
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 19052, Egypt
| | - Rehab M Golam
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 19052, Egypt
| | - Asmaa M Elsayed
- Histology and Cell Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 19052, Egypt
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22
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He J, Deng C, Krall L, Shan Z. ScRNA-seq and ST-seq in liver research. CELL REGENERATION (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 12:11. [PMID: 36732412 PMCID: PMC9895469 DOI: 10.1186/s13619-022-00152-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Spatial transcriptomics, which combine gene expression data with spatial information, has quickly expanded in recent years. With application of this method in liver research, our knowledge about liver development, regeneration, and diseases have been greatly improved. While this field is moving forward, a variety of problems still need to be addressed, including sensitivity, limited capacity to obtain exact single-cell information, data processing methods, as well as others. Methods like single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) are usually used together with spatial transcriptome sequencing (ST-seq) to clarify cell-specific gene expression. In this review, we explore how advances of scRNA-seq and ST-seq, especially ST-seq, will pave the way to new opportunities to investigate fundamental questions in liver research. Finally, we will discuss the strengths, limitations, and future perspectives of ST-seq in liver research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia He
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091 China
| | - Chengxiang Deng
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091 China
| | - Leonard Krall
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091 China
| | - Zhao Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
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23
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Davydova YA, Nesterkova DV, Mukhacheva SV. Morphological parameters of hepatocytes in the European mole (Talpa europaea) and herb field mouse (Sylvaemus uralensis) under industrial pollution: Qualitative and quantitative assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:300. [PMID: 36642744 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10810-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Morphological alterations of cells and tissues usually occur in biological organisms exposed to environmental contaminants, there by acting as a biomarker of environmental pollution, thus, making this study highly pertinent. The effect of industrial pollution on the qualitative and quantitative morphological parameters of hepatocytes (through histological analysis and cytomorphometry) was studied in two contrasting species of small mammals (Talpa europaea and Sylvaemus uralensis), taking into account the animal age (young and adult groups) and liver concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb). Studies were performed in the regions exposed to emissions from two currently operating copper smelters: Middle Ural Copper Smelter (Middle Urals, T. europaea catching area) and Karabash Copper Smelter (Southern Urals, S. uralensis catching area). Seven morphometric parameters of hepatocytes were measured, of which two key parameters were selected by the method of principal components-the cell packing density and nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio (N/C). It was found that cell packing density in T. europaea from the impact zone decreased relative to the background area in young animals. At the same time, the differences in this parameter between the age groups from the background zone were leveled in the impact area of catching. The N/C ratio in T. europaea hepatocytes showed no correlation with either animal age or site of capture (background or impact area). In S. uralensis, both parameters, even taking into account the age, were found to be insensitive to indicate an effect of industrial pollution. Dystrophic changes (tested through histological analysis) in the liver tissue were revealed in all animal groups, but their frequency did not depend on any of the factors (age, zone) as well as the level of accumulation of toxic heavy metals (Cd, Pb). Morphometric parameters of hepatocytes have proved to be more reliable indicators of pollution, compared to the frequency of liver histopathology, due to lower subjectivity in their evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia A Davydova
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. 8 Marta 202, 620144, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
| | - Dina V Nesterkova
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. 8 Marta 202, 620144, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Svetlana V Mukhacheva
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ul. 8 Marta 202, 620144, Yekaterinburg, Russia
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24
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Alvarez-Rodrigo I, Willnow D, Vincent JP. The logistics of Wnt production and delivery. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 153:1-60. [PMID: 36967191 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Wnts are secreted proteins that control stem cell maintenance, cell fate decisions, and growth during development and adult homeostasis. Wnts carry a post-translational modification not seen in any other secreted protein: during biosynthesis, they are appended with a palmitoleoyl moiety that is required for signaling but also impairs solubility and hence diffusion in the extracellular space. In some contexts, Wnts act only in a juxtacrine manner but there are also instances of long range action. Several proteins and processes ensure that active Wnts reach the appropriate target cells. Some, like Porcupine, Wntless, and Notum are dedicated to Wnt function; we describe their activities in molecular detail. We also outline how the cell infrastructure (secretory, endocytic, and retromer pathways) contribute to the progression of Wnts from production to delivery. We then address how Wnts spread in the extracellular space and form a signaling gradient despite carrying a hydrophobic moiety. We highlight particularly the role of lipid-binding Wnt interactors and heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Finally, we briefly discuss how evolution might have led to the emergence of this unusual signaling pathway.
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25
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Chipangura JK, Ntamo Y, Mohr B, Chellan N. A review of challenges and prospects of 3D cell-based culture models used for studying drug induced liver injury during early phases of drug development. Hum Exp Toxicol 2023; 42:9603271221147884. [PMID: 36879529 DOI: 10.1177/09603271221147884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the leading cause of compound attrition during drug development. Over the years, a battery of in-vitro cell culture toxicity tests is being conducted to evaluate the toxicity of compounds prior to testing in laboratory animals. Two-dimensional (2D) in-vitro cell culture models are commonly used and have provided a great deal of knowledge; however, these models often fall short in mimicking natural structures of tissues in-vivo. Testing in humans is the most logical method, but unfortunately there are ethical limitations associated with human tests. To overcome these limitations better human-relevant, predictive models are required. The past decade has witnessed significant efforts towards the development of three-dimensional (3D) in-vitro cell culture models better mimicking in-vivo physiology. 3D cell culture has advantages in being representative of the interactions of cells in-vivo and when validated can act as an interphase between 2D cell culture models and in-vivo animal models. The current review seeks to provide an overview of the challenges that make biomarkers used for detection of DILI not to be sensitive enough during drug development and explore how 3D cell culture models can be used to address the gap with the current models.
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Affiliation(s)
- John K Chipangura
- Faculty of Health Science, University of Cape Town Research Animal Facility, South Africa
| | - Yonela Ntamo
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Bert Mohr
- Faculty of Health Science, University of Cape Town Research Animal Facility, South Africa
| | - Nireshni Chellan
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
- Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
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26
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Zhang T, Gu J, Wang X, Lu Y, Cai K, Li H, Nie Y, Chen X, Wang J. A novel liver zonation phenotype-associated molecular classification of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1140201. [PMID: 36936935 PMCID: PMC10017747 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1140201] [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: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Liver zonation is a unique phenomenon in which the liver exhibits distinct functions among hepatocytes along the radial axis of the lobule. This phenomenon can cause the sectionalized initiation of several liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, few studies have explored the zonation features of HCC. Methods Four single-cell RNA sequencing datasets were used to identify hepatocyte-specific zonation markers. Integrative analysis was then performed with a training RNA-seq cohort (616 HCC samples) and an external validating microarray cohort (285 HCC samples) from the International Cancer Genome Consortium, The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, and EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute for clustering using non-negative matrix factorization consensus clustering based on zonation genes. Afterward, we evaluated the prognostic value, clinical characteristics, transcriptome and mutation features, immune infiltration, and immunotherapy response of the HCC subclasses. Results A total of 94 human hepatocyte-specific zonation markers (39 central markers and 55 portal markers) were identified for the first time. Subsequently, three subgroups of HCC, namely Cluster1, Cluster2, and Cluster3 were identified. Cluster1 exhibited a non-zonational-like signature with the worst prognosis. Cluster2 was intensively associated with a central-like signature and exhibited low immune infiltration and sensitivity toward immune blockade therapy. Cluster3 was intensively correlated with a portal-like signature with the best prognosis. Finally, we identified candidate therapeutic targets and agents for Cluster1 HCC samples. Conclusion The current study established a novel HCC classification based on liver zonation signature. By classifying HCC into three clusters with non-zonational-like (Cluster1), central-like (Cluster2), and portal-like (Cluster3) features, this study provided new perspectives on the heterogeneity of HCC and shed new light on delivering precision medicine for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yaoyao Lu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kailin Cai
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huili Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yingli Nie
- Department of Dermatology, Wuhan Children’s Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yingli Nie, ; Xiangdong Chen, ; Jiliang Wang,
| | - Xiangdong Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yingli Nie, ; Xiangdong Chen, ; Jiliang Wang,
| | - Jiliang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yingli Nie, ; Xiangdong Chen, ; Jiliang Wang,
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27
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Albadry M, Höpfl S, Ehteshamzad N, König M, Böttcher M, Neumann J, Lupp A, Dirsch O, Radde N, Christ B, Christ M, Schwen LO, Laue H, Klopfleisch R, Dahmen U. Periportal steatosis in mice affects distinct parameters of pericentral drug metabolism. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21825. [PMID: 36528753 PMCID: PMC9759570 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26483-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the impact of morphological disorders in distinct zones on metabolic zonation. It was described recently that periportal fibrosis did affect the expression of CYP proteins, a set of pericentrally located drug-metabolizing enzymes. Here, we investigated whether periportal steatosis might have a similar effect. Periportal steatosis was induced in C57BL6/J mice by feeding a high-fat diet with low methionine/choline content for either two or four weeks. Steatosis severity was quantified using image analysis. Triglycerides and CYP activity were quantified in photometric or fluorometric assay. The distribution of CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2D6, and CYP2E1 was visualized by immunohistochemistry. Pharmacokinetic parameters of test drugs were determined after injecting a drug cocktail (caffeine, codeine, and midazolam). The dietary model resulted in moderate to severe mixed steatosis confined to periportal and midzonal areas. Periportal steatosis did not affect the zonal distribution of CYP expression but the activity of selected CYPs was associated with steatosis severity. Caffeine elimination was accelerated by microvesicular steatosis, whereas midazolam elimination was delayed in macrovesicular steatosis. In summary, periportal steatosis affected parameters of pericentrally located drug metabolism. This observation calls for further investigations of the highly complex interrelationship between steatosis and drug metabolism and underlying signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Albadry
- grid.275559.90000 0000 8517 6224Experimental Transplantation Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany ,grid.411775.10000 0004 0621 4712Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Sebastian Höpfl
- grid.5719.a0000 0004 1936 9713Institute for Systems Theory and Automatic Control, Faculty of Engineering Design, Production Engineering and Automotive Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Nadia Ehteshamzad
- grid.275559.90000 0000 8517 6224Experimental Transplantation Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias König
- grid.7468.d0000 0001 2248 7639Institute for Theoretical Biology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Böttcher
- MVZ Medizinische Labore Dessau Kassel GmbH, Bauhüttenstraße 6, 06847 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Jasna Neumann
- MVZ Medizinische Labore Dessau Kassel GmbH, Bauhüttenstraße 6, 06847 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Amelie Lupp
- grid.275559.90000 0000 8517 6224Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Dirsch
- grid.459629.50000 0004 0389 4214Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Nicole Radde
- grid.5719.a0000 0004 1936 9713Institute for Systems Theory and Automatic Control, Faculty of Engineering Design, Production Engineering and Automotive Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bruno Christ
- grid.9647.c0000 0004 7669 9786Cell Transplantation/Molecular Hepatology Lab, Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Madlen Christ
- grid.9647.c0000 0004 7669 9786Cell Transplantation/Molecular Hepatology Lab, Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lars Ole Schwen
- grid.428590.20000 0004 0496 8246Fraunhofer MEVIS, Max-Von-Laue-Str. 2, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Hendrik Laue
- grid.428590.20000 0004 0496 8246Fraunhofer MEVIS, Max-Von-Laue-Str. 2, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Robert Klopfleisch
- grid.14095.390000 0000 9116 4836Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Uta Dahmen
- grid.275559.90000 0000 8517 6224Experimental Transplantation Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
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Intrabiliary infusion of naked DNA vectors targets periportal hepatocytes in mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY - METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2022; 27:352-367. [DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Ghafoory S, Stengl C, Kopany S, Mayadag M, Mechtel N, Murphy B, Schattschneider S, Wilhelmi N, Wölfl S. Oxygen Gradient Induced in Microfluidic Chips Can Be Used as a Model for Liver Zonation. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233734. [PMID: 36496994 PMCID: PMC9738923 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Availability of oxygen plays an important role in tissue organization and cell-type specific metabolism. It is, however, difficult to analyze hypoxia-related adaptations in vitro because of inherent limitations of experimental model systems. In this study, we establish a microfluidic tissue culture protocol to generate hypoxic gradients in vitro, mimicking the conditions found in the liver acinus. To accomplish this, four microfluidic chips, each containing two chambers, were serially connected to obtain eight interconnected chambers. HepG2 hepatocytes were uniformly seeded in each chamber and cultivated under a constant media flow of 50 µL/h for 72 h. HepG2 oxygen consumption under flowing media conditions established a normoxia to hypoxia gradient within the chambers, which was confirmed by oxygen sensors located at the inlet and outlet of the connected microfluidic chips. Expression of Hif1α mRNA and protein was used to indicate hypoxic conditions in the cells and albumin mRNA and protein expression served as a marker for liver acinus-like zonation. Oxygen measurements performed over 72 h showed a change from 17.5% to 15.9% of atmospheric oxygen, which corresponded with a 9.2% oxygen reduction in the medium between chamber1 (inlet) and 8 (outlet) in the connected microfluidic chips after 72 h. Analysis of Hif1α expression and nuclear translocation in HepG2 cells additionally confirmed the hypoxic gradient from chamber1 to chamber8. Moreover, albumin mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced from chamber1 to chamber8, indicating liver acinus zonation along the oxygen gradient. Taken together, microfluidic cultivation in interconnected chambers provides a new model for analyzing cells in a normoxic to hypoxic gradient in vitro. By using a well-characterized cancer cell line as a homogenous hepatocyte population, we also demonstrate that an approximate 10% reduction in oxygen triggers translocation of Hif1α to the nucleus and reduces albumin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrouz Ghafoory
- Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christina Stengl
- Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 672, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute for Radiation Oncology (HIRO), National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kopany
- Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mert Mayadag
- Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nils Mechtel
- Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Niklas Wilhelmi
- Microfluidic ChipShop, GmbH Stockholmer Str. 20, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Wölfl
- Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Lv W, Zhou H, Aazmi A, Yu M, Xu X, Yang H, Huang YYS, Ma L. Constructing biomimetic liver models through biomaterials and vasculature engineering. Regen Biomater 2022; 9:rbac079. [PMID: 36338176 PMCID: PMC9629974 DOI: 10.1093/rb/rbac079] [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] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of various liver diseases can lead to organ failure of the liver, which is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Liver tissue engineering see the potential for replacing liver transplantation and drug toxicity studies facing donor shortages. The basic elements in liver tissue engineering are cells and biomaterials. Both mature hepatocytes and differentiated stem cells can be used as the main source of cells to construct spheroids and organoids, achieving improved cell function. To mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) environment, biomaterials need to be biocompatible and bioactive, which also help support cell proliferation and differentiation and allow ECM deposition and vascularized structures formation. In addition, advanced manufacturing approaches are required to construct the extracellular microenvironment, and it has been proved that the structured three-dimensional culture system can help to improve the activity of hepatocytes and the characterization of specific proteins. In summary, we review biomaterials for liver tissue engineering, including natural hydrogels and synthetic polymers, and advanced processing techniques for building vascularized microenvironments, including bioassembly, bioprinting and microfluidic methods. We then summarize the application fields including transplant and regeneration, disease models and drug cytotoxicity analysis. In the end, we put the challenges and prospects of vascularized liver tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weikang Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hongzhao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Abdellah Aazmi
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mengfei Yu
- The Affiliated Stomatologic Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Xiaobin Xu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Huayong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | | | - Liang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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31
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Chen KW, Chen YS, Chen PJ, Yeh SH. Androgen receptor functions in pericentral hepatocytes to decrease gluconeogenesis and avoid hyperglycemia and obesity in male mice. Metabolism 2022; 135:155269. [PMID: 35914621 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2022.155269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the impact of hepatic androgen receptor (AR) pathway on liver pathogenesis was documented, its physiological function in normal liver is remained unclear. This study aims to investigate if hepatic AR acts on metabolism, the major liver function, using a hepatic-specific AR-transgenic (H-ARTG) mouse model. METHODS We established the albumin promoter driven H-ARTG mice and included wild type (WT) and H-ARKO mice for study. The body weight, specific metabolic parameters and results from various tolerance tests were compared in different groups of mice fed a chow diet, from 2 to 18 months of age. Glucose feeding and insulin treatment were used to study the expression and zonal distribution pattern of AR and related genes in liver at different prandial stages. RESULTS The body weight of H-ARTG mice fed a chow diet was 15 % lower than that of wild-type mice, preceded by lower blood glucose and liver triglyceride levels caused by AR reduced hepatic gluconeogenesis. The opposite phenotypes identified in H-ARKO and castrated H-ARTG mice support the critical role of activated AR in decreasing gluconeogenesis and triglyceride levels in liver. Hepatic AR acting by enhancing the expression of cytosolic glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (cGPDH), a key of glycerophosphate shuttle, was identified as one mechanism to decrease gluconeogenesis from glycerol. We further found AR normally expressed in zone 3 of hepatic lobules. Its level fluctuates dependent on the demand of glucose, decreased by fasting but increased by glucose uptake or insulin stimulation. CONCLUSION AR is a newly identified zone 3 hepatic gene with function in reducing blood glucose and body weight in mice. It suggests that stabilization of hepatic AR is a new direction to prevent hyperglycemia, obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Wei Chen
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Shan Chen
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Jer Chen
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; NTU Centers of Genomic and Precision Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiou-Hwei Yeh
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; NTU Centers of Genomic and Precision Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
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32
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Duff C, Baruteau J. Modelling urea cycle disorders using iPSCs. NPJ Regen Med 2022; 7:56. [PMID: 36163209 PMCID: PMC9513077 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-022-00252-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The urea cycle is a liver-based pathway enabling disposal of nitrogen waste. Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) are inherited metabolic diseases caused by deficiency of enzymes or transporters involved in the urea cycle and have a prevalence of 1:35,000 live births. Patients present recurrent acute hyperammonaemia, which causes high rate of death and neurological sequelae. Long-term therapy relies on a protein-restricted diet and ammonia scavenger drugs. Currently, liver transplantation is the only cure. Hence, high unmet needs require the identification of effective methods to model these diseases to generate innovative therapeutics. Advances in both induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and genome editing technologies have provided an invaluable opportunity to model patient-specific phenotypes in vitro by creating patients’ avatar models, to investigate the pathophysiology, uncover novel therapeutic targets and provide a platform for drug discovery. This review summarises the progress made thus far in generating 2- and 3-dimensional iPSCs models for UCDs, the challenges encountered and how iPSCs offer future avenues for innovation in developing the next-generation of therapies for UCDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Duff
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Julien Baruteau
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK. .,National Institute of Health Research Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK. .,Metabolic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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Stopka SA, van der Reest J, Abdelmoula WM, Ruiz DF, Joshi S, Ringel AE, Haigis MC, Agar NYR. Spatially resolved characterization of tissue metabolic compartments in fasted and high-fat diet livers. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261803. [PMID: 36067168 PMCID: PMC9447892 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells adapt their metabolism to physiological stimuli, and metabolic heterogeneity exists between cell types, within tissues, and subcellular compartments. The liver plays an essential role in maintaining whole-body metabolic homeostasis and is structurally defined by metabolic zones. These zones are well-understood on the transcriptomic level, but have not been comprehensively characterized on the metabolomic level. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) can be used to map hundreds of metabolites directly from a tissue section, offering an important advance to investigate metabolic heterogeneity in tissues compared to extraction-based metabolomics methods that analyze tissue metabolite profiles in bulk. We established a workflow for the preparation of tissue specimens for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) MSI that can be implemented to achieve broad coverage of central carbon, nucleotide, and lipid metabolism pathways. Herein, we used this approach to visualize the effect of nutrient stress and excess on liver metabolism. Our data revealed a highly organized metabolic tissue compartmentalization in livers, which becomes disrupted under high fat diet. Fasting caused changes in the abundance of several metabolites, including increased levels of fatty acids and TCA intermediates while fatty livers had higher levels of purine and pentose phosphate-related metabolites, which generate reducing equivalents to counteract oxidative stress. This spatially conserved approach allowed the visualization of liver metabolic compartmentalization at 30 μm pixel resolution and can be applied more broadly to yield new insights into metabolic heterogeneity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia A. Stopka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
| | - Jiska van der Reest
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
| | - Walid M. Abdelmoula
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
| | - Daniela F. Ruiz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
- Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
| | - Shakchhi Joshi
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
| | - Alison E. Ringel
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
| | - Marcia C. Haigis
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
- * E-mail: (MCH); (NYRA)
| | - Nathalie Y. R. Agar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United Statees of America
- * E-mail: (MCH); (NYRA)
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Zhu B. Logic of the Temporal Compartmentalization of the Hepatic Metabolic Cycle. Physiology (Bethesda) 2022; 37:0. [PMID: 35658626 PMCID: PMC9394779 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00003.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian liver must cope with various metabolic and physiological changes that normally recur every day and result primarily from rest-activity and fasting-feeding cycles. In this article, I present evidence supporting a temporal compartmentalization of rhythmic hepatic metabolic processes into four main clusters: regulation of energy homeostasis, maintenance of information integrity, immune response, and genetic information flow. I further review literatures and discuss how both the circadian and the newly discovered 12-h ultradian clock work together to regulate these four temporally separated processes in mouse liver, which, interestingly, is largely uncoupled from the liver zonation regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bokai Zhu
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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35
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Unraveling the effect of intra- and intercellular processes on acetaminophen-induced liver injury. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2022; 8:27. [PMID: 35933513 PMCID: PMC9357019 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-022-00238-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In high dosages, acetaminophen (APAP) can cause severe liver damage, but susceptibility to liver failure varies across individuals and is influenced by factors such as health status. Because APAP-induced liver injury and recovery is regulated by an intricate system of intra- and extracellular molecular signaling, we here aim to quantify the importance of specific modules in determining the outcome after an APAP insult and of potential targets for therapies that mitigate adversity. For this purpose, we integrated hepatocellular acetaminophen metabolism, DNA damage response induction and cell fate into a multiscale mechanistic liver lobule model which involves various cell types, such as hepatocytes, residential Kupffer cells and macrophages. Our model simulations show that zonal differences in metabolism and detoxification efficiency are essential determinants of necrotic damage. Moreover, the extent of senescence, which is regulated by intracellular processes and triggered by extracellular signaling, influences the potential to recover. In silico therapies at early and late time points after APAP insult indicated that prevention of necrotic damage is most beneficial for recovery, whereas interference with regulation of senescence promotes regeneration in a less pronounced way.
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36
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Sun X, Wu J, Liu L, Chen Y, Tang Y, Liu S, Chen H, Jiang Y, Liu Y, Yuan H, Lu Y, Chen Z, Cai J. Transcriptional switch of hepatocytes initiates macrophage recruitment and T-cell suppression in endotoxemia. J Hepatol 2022; 77:436-452. [PMID: 35276271 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The liver plays crucial roles in the regulation of immune defense during acute systemic infections. However, the roles of liver cellular clusters and intercellular communication in the progression of endotoxemia have not been well-characterized. METHODS Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was performed, and the transcriptomes of 19,795 single liver cells from healthy and endotoxic mice were profiled. The spatial and temporal changes in hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cell types were validated by multiplex immunofluorescence staining, bulk transcriptomic sequencing, or flow cytometry. Furthermore, we used an adeno-associated virus delivery system to confirm the major mechanisms mediating myeloid cell infiltration and T-cell suppression in septic murine liver. RESULTS We identified a proinflammatory hepatocyte (PIH) subpopulation that developed primarily from periportal hepatocytes and to a lesser extent from pericentral hepatocytes and played key immunoregulatory roles in endotoxemia. Multicellular cluster modeling of ligand-receptor interactions revealed that PIHs play a crucial role in the recruitment of macrophages via the CCL2-CCR2 interaction. Recruited macrophages (RMs) released cytokines (e.g., IL6, TNFα, and IL17) to induce the expression of inhibitory ligands, such as PD-L1, on hepatocytes. Subsequently, RM-stimulated hepatocytes led to the suppression of CD4+ and memory T-cell subsets partly via the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction in endotoxemia. Furthermore, sinusoidal endothelial cells expressed the highest levels of proapoptotic and inflammatory genes around the periportal zone. This pattern of gene expression facilitated increases in the number of fenestrations and infiltration of immune cells in the periportal zone. CONCLUSIONS Our study elucidates unanticipated aspects of the cellular and molecular effects of endotoxemia on liver cells at the single-cell level and provides a conceptual framework for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for acute infection. LAY SUMMARY The liver plays a crucial role in the regulation of immune defense during acute systemic infections. We identified a proinflammatory hepatocyte subpopulation and demonstrated that the interactions of this subpopulation with recruited macrophages are pivotal in the immune response during endotoxemia. These novel findings provide a conceptual framework for the discovery of rational therapeutic targets in acute infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejing Sun
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Junru Wu
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Lun Liu
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Yan Tang
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Suzhen Liu
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Hang Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Fujian Medical Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, P.R. China
| | - Youxiang Jiang
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- The Center of Clinical Pharmacology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Hong Yuan
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; The Center of Clinical Pharmacology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Yao Lu
- The Center of Clinical Pharmacology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Zhaoyang Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Fujian Medical Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, P.R. China.
| | - Jingjing Cai
- Department of Cardiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; The Center of Clinical Pharmacology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China.
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37
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Cangelosi AL, Puszynska AM, Roberts JM, Armani A, Nguyen TP, Spinelli JB, Kunchok T, Wang B, Chan SH, Lewis CA, Comb WC, Bell GW, Helman A, Sabatini DM. Zonated leucine sensing by Sestrin-mTORC1 in the liver controls the response to dietary leucine. Science 2022; 377:47-56. [PMID: 35771919 PMCID: PMC10049859 DOI: 10.1126/science.abi9547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) kinase controls growth in response to nutrients, including the amino acid leucine. In cultured cells, mTORC1 senses leucine through the leucine-binding Sestrin proteins, but the physiological functions and distribution of Sestrin-mediated leucine sensing in mammals are unknown. We find that mice lacking Sestrin1 and Sestrin2 cannot inhibit mTORC1 upon dietary leucine deprivation and suffer a rapid loss of white adipose tissue (WAT) and muscle. The WAT loss is driven by aberrant mTORC1 activity and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) production in the liver. Sestrin expression in the liver lobule is zonated, accounting for zone-specific regulation of mTORC1 activity and FGF21 induction by leucine. These results establish the mammalian Sestrins as physiological leucine sensors and reveal a spatial organization to nutrient sensing by the mTORC1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L. Cangelosi
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Anna M. Puszynska
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Justin M. Roberts
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrea Armani
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, 35129 Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Thao P. Nguyen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jessica B. Spinelli
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tenzin Kunchok
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brianna Wang
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sze Ham Chan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Caroline A. Lewis
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - William C. Comb
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - George W. Bell
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Aharon Helman
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - David M. Sabatini
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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38
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Goldfarb CN, Karri K, Pyatkov M, Waxman DJ. Interplay Between GH-regulated, Sex-biased Liver Transcriptome and Hepatic Zonation Revealed by Single-Nucleus RNA Sequencing. Endocrinology 2022; 163:6580481. [PMID: 35512247 PMCID: PMC9154260 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The zonation of liver metabolic processes is well-characterized; however, little is known about the cell type-specificity and zonation of sexually dimorphic gene expression or its growth hormone (GH)-dependent transcriptional regulators. We address these issues using single-nucleus RNA-sequencing of 32 000 nuclei representing 9 major liver cell types. Nuclei were extracted from livers from adult male and female mice; from males infused with GH continuously, mimicking the female plasma GH pattern; and from mice exposed to TCPOBOP, a xenobiotic agonist ligand of the nuclear receptor CAR that perturbs sex-biased gene expression. Analysis of these rich transcriptomic datasets revealed the following: 1) expression of sex-biased genes and their GH-dependent transcriptional regulators is primarily restricted to hepatocytes and is not a feature of liver nonparenchymal cells; 2) many sex-biased transcripts show sex-dependent zonation within the liver lobule; 3) gene expression is substantially feminized both in periportal and pericentral hepatocytes when male mice are infused with GH continuously; 4) sequencing nuclei increases the sensitivity for detecting thousands of nuclear-enriched long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and enables determination of their liver cell type-specificity, sex-bias and hepatocyte zonation profiles; 5) the periportal to pericentral hepatocyte cell ratio is significantly higher in male than female liver; and 6) TCPOBOP exposure disrupts both sex-specific gene expression and hepatocyte zonation within the liver lobule. These findings highlight the complex interconnections between hepatic sexual dimorphism and zonation at the single-cell level and reveal how endogenous hormones and foreign chemical exposure can alter these interactions across the liver lobule with large effects both on protein-coding genes and lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine N Goldfarb
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Kritika Karri
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Bioinformatics Program Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Maxim Pyatkov
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - David J Waxman
- Correspondence: David J. Waxman, PhD, Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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39
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DiProspero TJ, Brown LG, Fachko TD, Lockett MR. HepaRG cells adopt zonal-like drug-metabolizing phenotypes under physiologically relevant oxygen tensions and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Drug Metab Dispos 2022; 50:DMD-AR-2022-000870. [PMID: 35701181 PMCID: PMC9341261 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.122.000870] [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: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular microenvironment plays an important role in liver zonation, the spatial distribution of metabolic tasks amongst hepatocytes lining the sinusoid. Standard tissue culture practices provide an excess of oxygen and a lack of signaling molecules typically found in the liver. We hypothesized that incorporating physiologically relevant environments would promote post-differentiation patterning of hepatocytes and result in zonal-like characteristics. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the transcriptional regulation and activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes in HepaRG cells exposed to three different oxygen tensions, in the presence or absence of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The drug-metabolizing activity of cells exposed to representative periportal (11% O2) or perivenous (5% O2) oxygen tensions were significantly less than cells exposed to ambient oxygen. A comparison of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, 2D6, and 3A4 activity at PP and PV oxygen tensions showed significant increases at the lower oxygen tension. The activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway only modestly impacted CYP activity at PV oxygen tension, despite a significant increase in CYP expression under this condition. Our results suggest oxygen tension is the major contributor to zonal patterning in HepaRG cells, with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway playing a lesser albeit important role. Our datasets also highlight the importance of including activity-based assays, as transcript data alone does not provide an accurate picture of metabolic competence. Significance Statement This work investigates the post-differentiation patterning of HepaRG cells cultured at physiologically relevant oxygen tensions, in the presence and absence of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. HepaRG cells exposed to periportal (11% O2) or perivenous (5% O2) oxygen tensions display zonation-like patterning of both cytochrome P450 (CYP) and glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes. These datasets also suggest that oxygen is a primary regulator of post-differentiation patterning, with Wnt/β-catenin having a lesser effect on activity but a significant effect on transcriptional regulation of these enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lauren G Brown
- Chemistry, Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Trevor D Fachko
- Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Matthew R Lockett
- Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
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40
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Verma A, Manchel A, Melunis J, Hengstler JG, Vadigepalli R. From Seeing to Simulating: A Survey of Imaging Techniques and Spatially-Resolved Data for Developing Multiscale Computational Models of Liver Regeneration. FRONTIERS IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2022; 2:917191. [PMID: 37575468 PMCID: PMC10421626 DOI: 10.3389/fsysb.2022.917191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Liver regeneration, which leads to the re-establishment of organ mass, follows a specifically organized set of biological processes acting on various time and length scales. Computational models of liver regeneration largely focused on incorporating molecular and signaling detail have been developed by multiple research groups in the recent years. These modeling efforts have supported a synthesis of disparate experimental results at the molecular scale. Incorporation of tissue and organ scale data using noninvasive imaging methods can extend these computational models towards a comprehensive accounting of multiscale dynamics of liver regeneration. For instance, microscopy-based imaging methods provide detailed histological information at the tissue and cellular scales. Noninvasive imaging methods such as ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging provide morphological and physiological features including volumetric measures over time. In this review, we discuss multiple imaging modalities capable of informing computational models of liver regeneration at the organ-, tissue- and cellular level. Additionally, we discuss available software and algorithms, which aid in the analysis and integration of imaging data into computational models. Such models can be generated or tuned for an individual patient with liver disease. Progress towards integrated multiscale models of liver regeneration can aid in prognostic tool development for treating liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aalap Verma
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexandra Manchel
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Justin Melunis
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jan G. Hengstler
- IfADo-Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Rajanikanth Vadigepalli
- Daniel Baugh Institute for Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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41
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Mak KM, Kee D, Cheng CP. A review of hepatic fibrosis-associated histopathology in aged cadavers. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 306:1031-1053. [PMID: 35446463 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This article reviews hepatic fibrosis-associated histopathology of aged cadavers (mean age 82 years). A study of 68 livers identified steatosis in 35.5%, central vein fibrosis in 49.2%, perisinusoidal fibrosis in 63.2%, portal tract fibrosis in 47.7%, septa formation in 44.1%, bridging fibrosis in 30.8%, and cirrhosis in 4.4% of the samples as well as one hepatocellular carcinoma and six metastatic tumors. Other studies have revealed that collagens I, III, IV, V, and VI and fibronectin constitute the matrices of fibrous central veins, perisinusoidal space, portal tracts, and septa. Elastin is rich in portal tracts and fibrous septa but absent from the perisinusoidal space. Hepatic stellate cells are ubiquitous in the liver parenchyma while myofibroblasts localize in fibrotic foci. Factor VIII-related antigen expression signals sinusoidal to systemic vascular endothelium transformation while collagen IV and laminin codistribution indicates formation of perisinusoidal membranes. Their coincidence reflects focalized capillarization of sinusoids in the aged liver. In response to fibrogenesis, hepatic progenitor cells residing in the canal of Hering in the periportal parenchyma undergo expansion and migration deep into the lobule. Concomitantly, intermediate hepatocyte-like cells increase in advanced fibrosis stages, which is possibly related to hepatic regeneration. Metabolic zonation of glutamine synthetase expands from the perivenous to non-perivenous parenchyma in fibrosis progression but its expression is lost in cirrhosis, while cytochrome P-4502E1 expression is maintained in centrilobular and midlobular zones in fibrosis progression and expressed in cirrhosis. Hence, cadaveric livers provide a platform for further investigation of hepatic histopathologies associated with the aging liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki M Mak
- Department of Medical Education, Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Dustin Kee
- Department of Medical Education, Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christopher P Cheng
- Department of Medical Education, Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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42
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Wang C, Pai AK, Putra J. Paediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an approach to pathological evaluation. J Clin Pathol 2022; 75:443-451. [PMID: 35414523 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2022-208246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming an increasingly important healthcare issue along with the rising rates of obesity worldwide. It is the most common chronic liver disease in the paediatric population and the fastest growing indication for liver transplant in young adults. The pathogenesis is complex with contributions from multiple factors and genetic predisposition. While non-invasive laboratory tests and imaging modalities are being increasingly used, the liver biopsy continues to play a crucial role in the diagnosis and prognosis of NAFLD. Histologically, the assessment of paediatric fatty liver disease requires special considerations with respect to a periportal predominant pattern seen in prepubertal patients, as well as a different set of disease processes in the differential diagnosis. In this review, we provide a summary of current knowledge on the epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical course of paediatric NAFLD as well as the clinical guidelines on diagnosis and management. We discuss the indications and limitations of liver biopsy, histological patterns seen in paediatric NAFLD, other entities to be considered in the differential diagnosis, and conclude with appropriate triaging of liver biopsies and essential elements of pathology reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiyun Wang
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Anita K Pai
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Juan Putra
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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43
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Hepatic Positron Emission Tomography: Applications in Metabolism, Haemodynamics and Cancer. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12040321. [PMID: 35448508 PMCID: PMC9026326 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12040321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaluating in vivo the metabolic rates of the human liver has been a challenge due to its unique perfusion system. Positron emission tomography (PET) represents the current gold standard for assessing non-invasively tissue metabolic rates in vivo. Here, we review the existing literature on the assessment of hepatic metabolism, haemodynamics and cancer with PET. The tracer mainly used in metabolic studies has been [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG). Its application not only enables the evaluation of hepatic glucose uptake in a variety of metabolic conditions and interventions, but based on the kinetics of 18F-FDG, endogenous glucose production can also be assessed. 14(R,S)-[18F]fluoro-6-thia-Heptadecanoic acid (18F-FTHA), 11C-Palmitate and 11C-Acetate have also been applied for the assessment of hepatic fatty acid uptake rates (18F-FTHA and 11C-Palmitate) and blood flow and oxidation (11C-Acetate). Oxygen-15 labelled water (15O-H2O) has been used for the quantification of hepatic perfusion. 18F-FDG is also the most common tracer used for hepatic cancer diagnostics, whereas 11C-Acetate has also shown some promising applications in imaging liver malignancies. The modelling approaches used to analyse PET data and also the challenges in utilizing PET in the assessment of hepatic metabolism are presented.
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44
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Ishida S. Research and Development of Microphysiological Systems in Japan Supported by the AMED-MPS Project. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 3:657765. [PMID: 35295097 PMCID: PMC8915811 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2021.657765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microphysiological systems (MPS) have been actively developed as a new technology for in vitro toxicity testing platforms in recent years. MPS are culture techniques for the reconstruction of the specific functions of human organs or tissues in a limited space to create miniaturized human test systems. MPS have great promise as next-generation in vitro toxicity assessment systems. Here, I will review the current status of MPS and discuss the requirements that must be met in order for MPS to be implemented in the field of drug discovery, presenting the example of an in vitro cell assay system for drug-induced liver injury, which is the research subject in our laboratory. Projects aimed at the development of MPS were implemented early in Europe and the United States, and the AMED-MPS project was launched in Japan in 2017. The AMED-MPS project involves industry, government, and academia. Researchers in the field of drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry also participate in the project. Based on the discussions made in the project, I will introduce the requirements that need to be met by liver-MPS as in vitro toxicity test platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiichi Ishida
- Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan.,Biological Safety Research Center, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Japan
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45
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Chan T, Grisch-Chan HM, Schmierer P, Subotic U, Rimann N, Scherer T, Hetzel U, Bozza M, Harbottle R, Williams JA, Steblaj B, Ringer SK, Häberle J, Sidler X, Thöny B. Delivery of non-viral naked DNA vectors to liver in small weaned pigs by hydrodynamic retrograde intrabiliary injection. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 24:268-279. [PMID: 35211639 PMCID: PMC8829443 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Hepatic gene therapy by delivering non-integrating therapeutic vectors in newborns remains challenging due to the risk of dilution and loss of efficacy in the growing liver. Previously we reported on hepatocyte transfection in piglets by intraportal injection of naked DNA vectors. Here, we established delivery of naked DNA vectors to target periportal hepatocytes in weaned pigs by hydrodynamic retrograde intrabiliary injection (HRII). The surgical procedure involved laparotomy and transient isolation of the liver. For vector delivery, a catheter was placed within the common bile duct by enterotomy. Under optimal conditions, no histological abnormalities were observed in liver tissue upon pressurized injections. The transfection of hepatocytes in all tested liver samples was observed with vectors expressing luciferase from a liver-specific promoter. However, vector copy number and luciferase expression were low compared to hydrodynamic intraportal injection. A 10-fold higher number of vector genomes and luciferase expression was observed in pigs using a non-integrating naked DNA vector with the potential for replication. In summary, the HRII application was less efficient (i.e., lower luciferase activity and vector copy numbers) than the intraportal delivery method but was significantly less distressful for the piglets and has the potential for injection (or re-injection) of vector DNA by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Chan
- Department of Farm Animals, Division of Swine Medicine of the Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hiu Man Grisch-Chan
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Schmierer
- Department of Small Animal Surgery, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Subotic
- Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Rimann
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Scherer
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Udo Hetzel
- Department of Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Bozza
- DNA Vector Laboratory, DKFZ Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Barbara Steblaj
- Department of Diagnostics and Clinical Services, Section of Anesthesiology, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simone K Ringer
- Department of Diagnostics and Clinical Services, Section of Anesthesiology, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Häberle
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xaver Sidler
- Department of Farm Animals, Division of Swine Medicine of the Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Thöny
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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46
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Budelmann D, Laue H, Weiss N, Dahmen U, D'Alessandro LA, Biermayer I, Klingmüller U, Ghallab A, Hassan R, Begher-Tibbe B, Hengstler JG, Schwen LO. Automated Detection of Portal Fields and Central Veins in Whole-Slide Images of Liver Tissue. J Pathol Inform 2022; 13:100001. [PMID: 35242441 PMCID: PMC8860737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpi.2022.100001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many physiological processes and pathological phenomena in the liver tissue are spatially heterogeneous. At a local scale, biomarkers can be quantified along the axis of the blood flow, from portal fields (PFs) to central veins (CVs), i.e., in zonated form. This requires detecting PFs and CVs. However, manually annotating these structures in multiple whole-slide images is a tedious task. We describe and evaluate a fully automated method, based on a convolutional neural network, for simultaneously detecting PFs and CVs in a single stained section. Trained on scans of hematoxylin and eosin-stained liver tissue, the detector performed well with an F1 score of 0.81 compared to annotation by a human expert. It does, however, not generalize well to previously unseen scans of steatotic liver tissue with an F1 score of 0.59. Automated PF and CV detection eliminates the bottleneck of manual annotation for subsequent automated analyses, as illustrated by two proof-of-concept applications: We computed lobulus sizes based on the detected PF and CV positions, where results agreed with published lobulus sizes. Moreover, we demonstrate the feasibility of zonated quantification of biomarkers detected in different stainings based on lobuli and zones obtained from the detected PF and CV positions. A negative control (hematoxylin and eosin) showed the expected homogeneity, a positive control (glutamine synthetase) was quantified to be strictly pericentral, and a plausible zonation for a heterogeneous F4/80 staining was obtained. Automated detection of PFs and CVs is one building block for automatically quantifying physiologically relevant heterogeneity of liver tissue biomarkers. Perspectively, a more robust and automated assessment of zonation from whole-slide images will be valuable for parameterizing spatially resolved models of liver metabolism and to provide diagnostic information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Uta Dahmen
- Experimental Transplantation Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Lorenza A D'Alessandro
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ina Biermayer
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ursula Klingmüller
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Systems Biology of Signal Transduction, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ahmed Ghallab
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.,Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Reham Hassan
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.,Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Brigitte Begher-Tibbe
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
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47
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Christ B, Dahmen U, Radde N, Ricken T. Editorial: Computational Modeling for Liver Surgery and Interventions. Front Physiol 2022; 13:859522. [PMID: 35242057 PMCID: PMC8886156 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.859522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Christ
- Cell Transplantation/Molecular Hepatology Lab, Department of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Uta Dahmen
- Experimental Transplantation Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Nicole Radde
- Institute for Systems Theory and Automatic Control, Faculty of Engineering Design, Production Engineering and Automotive Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Tim Ricken
- Institute of Mechanics, Structural Analysis and Dynamics, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering and Geodesy, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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48
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Zhu S, Rao X, Qian Y, Chen J, Song R, Yan H, Yang X, Hu J, Wang X, Han Z, Zhu Y, Liu R, Jong-Leong Wong J, McCaughan GW, Zheng X. Liver Endothelial Heg Regulates Vascular/Biliary Network Patterning and Metabolic Zonation Via Wnt Signaling. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 13:1757-1783. [PMID: 35202885 PMCID: PMC9059100 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The liver has complex interconnecting blood vessel and biliary networks; however, how the vascular and biliary network form and regulate each other and liver function are not well-understood. We aimed to examine the role of Heg in mammalian liver development and functional maintenance. METHODS Global (Heg-/-) or liver endothelial cell (EC)-specific deletion of Heg (Lyve1-Cre;Hegfl/fl ) mice were used to study the in vivo function of Heg in the liver. Carbon-ink anterograde and retrograde injection were used to visualize the 3-dimensional patterning of liver portal and biliary networks, respectively. RNA sequencing, histology, and molecular and biochemical assays were used to assess liver gene expression, protein distribution, liver injury response, and function. RESULTS Heg deficiency in liver ECs led to a sparse liver vascular and biliary network. This network paucity does not compromise liver function under baseline conditions but did alter liver zonation. Molecular analysis revealed that endothelial Heg deficiency decreased expression of Wnt ligands/agonists including Wnt2, Wnt9b, and Rspo3 in ECs, which limits Axin2 mediated canonical Wnt signaling and the expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes in hepatocytes. Under chemical-induced stressed conditions, Heg-deficiency in liver ECs protected mice from drug-induced liver injuries. CONCLUSION Our study found that endothelial Heg is essential for the 3-D patterning of the liver vascular and indirectly regulates biliary networks and proper liver zonation via its regulation of Wnt ligand production in liver endothelial cells. The endothelial Heg-initiated changes of the liver metabolic zonation and metabolic enzyme expression in hepatocytes was functionally relevant to xenobiotic metabolism and drug induced liver toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichao Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiyun Rao
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yude Qian
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinbiao Chen
- Liver Injury and Cancer Program Centenary Institute and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, A.W Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Center, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Renhua Song
- Epigenetics and RNA Biology Program Centenary Institute and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Huili Yan
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Junhao Hu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhiming Han
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Renjing Liu
- Vascular Epigenetics Laboratory, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin Jong-Leong Wong
- Epigenetics and RNA Biology Program Centenary Institute and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Geoffrey W. McCaughan
- Liver Injury and Cancer Program Centenary Institute and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, A.W Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Center, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiangjian Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Dr Xiangjian Zheng, Pharmacology, Tianjin Medical University, No 22 Qi Xiang Tai Rd, Tianjin 300070, China. tel: 86-22-8333-6835.
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49
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From organ-on-chip to body-on-chip: The next generation of microfluidics platforms for in vitro drug efficacy and toxicity testing. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2022; 187:41-91. [PMID: 35094781 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The high failure rate in drug development is often attributed to the lack of accurate pre-clinical models that may lead to false discoveries and inconclusive data when the compounds are eventually tested in clinical phase. With the evolution of cell culture technologies, drug testing systems have widely improved, and today, with the emergence of microfluidics devices, drug screening seems to be at the dawn of an important revolution. An organ-on-chip allows the culture of living cells in continuously perfused microchambers to reproduce physiological functions of a particular tissue or organ. The advantages of such systems are not only their ability to recapitulate the complex biochemical interactions between different human cell types but also to incorporate physical forces, including shear stress and mechanical stretching or compression. To improve this model, and to reproduce the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination process of an exogenous compound, organ-on-chips can even be linked fluidically to mimic physiological interactions between different organs, leading to the development of body-on-chips. Although these technologies are still at a young age and need to address a certain number of limitations, they already demonstrated their relevance to study the effect of drugs or toxins on organs, displaying a similar response to what is observed in vivo. The purpose of this review is to present the evolution from organ-on-chip to body-on-chip, examine their current use for drug testing and discuss their advantages and future challenges they will face in order to become an essential pillar of pharmaceutical research.
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Goel C, Monga SP, Nejak-Bowen K. Role and Regulation of Wnt/β-Catenin in Hepatic Perivenous Zonation and Physiological Homeostasis. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2022; 192:4-17. [PMID: 34924168 PMCID: PMC8747012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic heterogeneity or functional zonation is a key characteristic of the liver that allows different metabolic pathways to be spatially regulated within the hepatic system and together contribute to whole body homeostasis. These metabolic pathways are segregated along the portocentral axis of the liver lobule into three hepatic zones: periportal, intermediate or midzonal, and perivenous. The liver performs complementary or opposing metabolic functions within different hepatic zones while synergistic functions are regulated by overlapping zones, thereby maintaining the overall physiological stability. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is well known for its role in liver growth, development, and regeneration. In addition, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a fundamental and dominant role in hepatic zonation and signals to orchestrate various functions of liver metabolism and pathophysiology. The β-catenin protein is the central player in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade, and its activation is crucial for metabolic patterning of the liver. However, dysregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is also implicated in different liver pathologies, including those associated with metabolic syndrome. β-Catenin is preferentially localized in the central region of the hepatic lobule surrounding the central vein and regulates multiple functions of this region. This review outlines the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in controlling the different metabolic processes surrounding the central vein and its relation to liver homeostasis and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chhavi Goel
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Satdarshan P. Monga
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Kari Nejak-Bowen
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,Address correspondence to Kari Nejak-Bowen, Ph.D., Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, 200 Lothrop Street, S405A Biomedical Science Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.
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