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Kreisel W, Schaffner D, Lazaro A, Trebicka J, Merfort I, Schmitt-Graeff A, Deibert P. Phosphodiesterases in the Liver as Potential Therapeutic Targets of Cirrhotic Portal Hypertension. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6223. [PMID: 32872119 PMCID: PMC7503357 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cirrhosis is a frequent condition with high impact on patients' life expectancy and health care systems. Cirrhotic portal hypertension (PH) gradually develops with deteriorating liver function and can lead to life-threatening complications. Other than an increase in intrahepatic flow resistance due to morphological remodeling of the organ, a functional dysregulation of the sinusoids, the smallest functional units of liver vasculature, plays a pivotal role. Vascular tone is primarily regulated by the nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) pathway, wherein soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) are key enzymes. Recent data showed characteristic alterations in the expression of these regulatory enzymes or metabolite levels in liver cirrhosis. Additionally, a disturbed zonation of the components of this pathway along the sinusoids was detected. This review describes current knowledge of the pathophysiology of PH with focus on the enzymes regulating cGMP availability, i.e., sGC and PDE-5. The results have primarily been obtained in animal models of liver cirrhosis. However, clinical and histochemical data suggest that the new biochemical model we propose can be applied to human liver cirrhosis. The role of PDE-5 as potential target for medical therapy of PH is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Kreisel
- Department of Medicine II, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology, and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Denise Schaffner
- Institute for Exercise and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; (D.S.); (A.L.); (P.D.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany;
- Department of Radiology–Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Adhara Lazaro
- Institute for Exercise and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; (D.S.); (A.L.); (P.D.)
| | - Jonel Trebicka
- Translational Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine I, Goethe University Clinic Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany;
| | - Irmgard Merfort
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany;
| | | | - Peter Deibert
- Institute for Exercise and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; (D.S.); (A.L.); (P.D.)
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Zhu J, Song W, Xu S, Ma Y, Wei B, Wang H, Hua S. Shenfu Injection Promotes Vasodilation by Enhancing eNOS Activity Through the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway In Vitro. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:121. [PMID: 32161546 PMCID: PMC7054240 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vasomotor dysfunction is one of the key pathological aspects of shock and heart failure (HF). Shenfu injection (SFI) has been widely used for the treatment of shock and HF in China. Pharmacological studies have suggested that SFI can reduce peripheral circulation resistance and improve microcirculation. However, whether it has a regulatory effect on macrovascular has not been elucidated. In this study, we used thoracic aorta rings isolated from Wistar rats and the human umbilical vein cell line (EA.hy926) to explore the vasodilative activity of SFI and its potential mechanisms. The relaxation due to SFI was measured after pre-treatment with selective soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) inhibitor or cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor and compared with the vasodilation effect of SFI only treated with norepinephrine (NE). The contents of NO, endothelin-1 (ET-1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), COX-1, 6-K-PGF1α, and caveolin-1 were evaluated respectively. Additionally, the level of eNOS mRNA and total eNOS and its phosphorylation were studied to investigate the potential mechanisms involved. Experimental results showed that SFI markedly attenuated NE-induced vasoconstriction but that this effect was significantly eliminated after pre-incubation with the selective sGC inhibitor 1-H-[1, 2, 4] oxadiazolo [4, 3-α] quinoxaline-1-one (ODQ), instead of the COX inhibitor indomethacin (INDO). SFI significantly increased the eNOS content and up-regulated the eNOS mRNA expression, while it did not affect the content of COX-1 and 6-K-PGF1α. SFI also markedly increased NO content but significantly reduced the content of ET-1 and caveolin-1 in the cell supernatant. Furthermore, it promoted the expression of total eNOS and the phosphorylation of eNOS at serine (Ser) 1177 but inhibited the phosphorylation at threonine (Thr) 495, which was significantly reversed by PI3K-specific inhibitor LY294002. In conclusion, our study showed the vasodilation effect of SFI in thoracic aorta is mediated entirely by enhancing eNOS activity through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, providing novel knowledge on the effect of SFI on shock and HF for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinqiang Zhu
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Wanshan Song
- Encephalopathy Acupuncture Department, Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shixin Xu
- Medical Experiment Center, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Translational Research of TCM Prescription and Syndrome, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan Ma
- Encephalopathy Acupuncture Department, Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Baoyu Wei
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongwu Wang
- Public Health Science and Engineering College, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shengyu Hua
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,College of Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
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Weng X, He Y, Visvabharathy L, Liao CM, Tan X, Balakumar A, Wang CR. Crosstalk between type II NKT cells and T cells leads to spontaneous chronic inflammatory liver disease. J Hepatol 2017; 67:791-800. [PMID: 28596110 PMCID: PMC5605413 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2017.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIM Natural killer T (NKT) cells are CD1d-restricted innate-like T cells that modulate innate and adaptive immune responses. Unlike the well-characterized invariant/type I NKT cells, type II NKT cells with a diverse T cell receptor repertoire are poorly understood. This study defines the pathogenic role of type II NKT cells in the etiology of chronic liver inflammation. METHODS Transgenic mice with the Lck promoter directing CD1d overexpression on T cells in Jα18 wild-type (Lck-CD1dTgJα18+; type I NKT cell sufficient) and Jα18-deficient (Lck-CD1dTgJα18o, type I NKT cell deficient) mice were analyzed for liver pathology and crosstalk between type II NKT cells and conventional T cells. CD1d expression on T cells in peripheral blood samples and liver sections from autoimmune hepatitis patients and healthy individuals were also examined. RESULTS Lck-CD1dTgJα18o and Lck-CD1dTgJα18+ mice developed similar degrees of liver pathology resembling chronic autoimmune hepatitis in humans. Increased CD1d expression on T cells promoted the activation of type II NKT cells and other T cells. This resulted in Th1-skewing and impaired Th2 cytokine production in type II NKT cells. Dysfunction of type II NKT cells was accompanied by conventional T cell activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, leading to a hepatic T/B lymphocyte infiltration, elevated autoantibodies and hepatic injury in Lck-CD1dTg mice. A similar mechanism could be extended to humans as CD1d expression is upregulated on activated human T cells and increased presence of CD1d-expressing T cells was observed in autoimmune hepatitis patients. CONCLUSIONS Our data reveals enhanced crosstalk between type II NKT cells and conventional T cells, leading to a Th1-skewed inflammatory milieu, and consequently, to the development of chronic autoimmune liver disease. Lay summary: CD1d overexpression on T cells enhances crosstalk between type II NKT cells and T cells, resulting in their aberrant activation and leading to the development of chronic autoimmune liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufang Weng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States; Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ying He
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Lavanya Visvabharathy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Chia-Min Liao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Xiaosheng Tan
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Arjun Balakumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Chyung-Ru Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States.
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