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Kurokawa M, Goya T, Kohjima M, Tanaka M, Iwabuchi S, Shichino S, Ueha S, Hioki T, Aoyagi T, Takahashi M, Imoto K, Tashiro S, Suzuki H, Kato M, Hashimoto S, Matsuda H, Matsushima K, Ogawa Y. Microcirculatory disturbance in acute liver injury is triggered by IFNγ-CD40 axis. J Inflamm (Lond) 2024; 21:23. [PMID: 38907339 PMCID: PMC11191181 DOI: 10.1186/s12950-024-00387-w] [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: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening disorder that progresses from self-limiting acute liver injury (ALI). Microcirculatory disturbance characterized by sinusoidal hypercoagulation and subsequent massive hypoxic hepatocyte damage have been proposed to be the mechanism by which ALI deteriorates to ALF; however, the precise molecular pathway of the sinusoidal hypercoagulation remains unknown. Here, we analyzed ALI patients and mice models to uncover the pathogenesis of ALI with microcirculatory disturbance. METHODS We conducted a single-center retrospective study for ALI and blood samples and liver tissues were analyzed to evaluate the microcirculatory disturbance in ALI patients (n = 120). Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis (scRNA-seq) was applied to the liver from the concanavalin A (Con A)‑induced mouse model of ALI. Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha knockout mice, and primary human liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) were used to assess the mechanism of microcirculatory disturbance. RESULTS The serum IFNγ concentrations were significantly higher in ALI patients with microcirculatory disturbance than in patients without microcirculatory disturbance, and the IFNγ was upregulated in the Con A mouse model which presented microcirculatory disturbance. Hepatic IFNγ expression was increased as early as 1 hour after Con A treatment prior to sinusoidal hypercoagulation and hypoxic liver damage. scRNA-seq revealed that IFNγ was upregulated in innate lymphoid cells and stimulated hepatic vascular endothelial cells at the early stage of liver injury. In IFNγ knockout mice treated with Con A, the sinusoidal hypercoagulation and liver damage were remarkably attenuated, concomitant with the complete inhibition of CD40 and tissue factor (TF) upregulation in vascular endothelial cells. By ligand-receptor analysis, CD40-CD40 ligand interaction was identified in vascular endothelial cells. In human LSECs, IFNγ upregulated CD40 expression and TF was further induced by increased CD40-CD40 ligand interaction. Consistent with these findings, hepatic CD40 expression was significantly elevated in human ALI patients with microcirculatory disturbance. CONCLUSION We identified the critical role of the IFNγ-CD40 axis as the molecular mechanism of microcirculatory disturbance in ALI. This finding may provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of ALI and potentially contribute to the emergence of new therapeutic strategies for ALI patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Kurokawa
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, NHO Fukuokahigashi Medical Center, 1-1-1 Chidori, Koga, 811-3195, Japan
| | - Takeshi Goya
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Kohjima
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
- Department of Gastroenterology, NHO Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-8563, Japan.
| | - Masatake Tanaka
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Sadahiro Iwabuchi
- Department of Molecular Pathophysiology, Institute of Advanced Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama-shi, 641-8509, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Shichino
- Division of Molecular Regulation of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ueha
- Division of Molecular Regulation of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Tomonobu Hioki
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Tomomi Aoyagi
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Motoi Takahashi
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Koji Imoto
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Shigeki Tashiro
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hideo Suzuki
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masaki Kato
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
- Graduate School of Nutritional Sciences, Nakamura Gakuen University, 5-7-1 Befu, Jounan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0198, Japan
| | - Shinichi Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular Pathophysiology, Institute of Advanced Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama-shi, 641-8509, Japan
| | - Hideo Matsuda
- Department of Bioinformatic Engineering, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kouji Matsushima
- Division of Molecular Regulation of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ogawa
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
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Zhou S, Zhong H, Wang Y, Wang X, Pan H, Liu X, Hu L. JNK/MAPK pathway regulation by BEX2 gene silencing in alcoholic hepatitis mice: Effects on oxidative stress. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:1869-1882. [PMID: 37864534 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a severe alcoholic-related liver disease that is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, for which effective treatments are lacking. Brain-expressed X-linked gene 2 (BEX2) has been implicated in various diseases, but its association with AH has received limited attention. Thus, this study investigated BEX2's impact on the progression of AH by affecting the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (JNK/MAPK) pathway. METHODS Microarray dataset GSE28619 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database was used to identify differentially expressed genes in AH. Immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), Western blot analysis, and flow cytometry were used to measure various factors in the liver tissue of AH mice. RESULTS BEX2 expression was significantly upregulated in the model. BEX2 gene silencing increased the levels of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase while decreasing malondialdehyde content; phosphorylation of JNK, c-JUN, and p38MAPK; apoptosis rate; and the extent of JNK/MAPK pathway activation. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying AH development and highlight the potential role of BEX2 gene expression as a promising therapeutic target for AH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hai Zhong
- Department of Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaoguang Wang
- Department of Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Hongtao Pan
- Department of General Surgery, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Department of Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Lingyu Hu
- Department of Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
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Kuwano A, Okui T, Kohjima M, Kurokawa M, Goya T, Tanaka M, Aoyagi T, Takahashi M, Imoto K, Tashiro S, Suzuki H, Fujita N, Ushijima Y, Ishigami K, Tokunaga S, Kato M, Ogawa Y. Transcatheter arterial steroid injection therapy improves the prognosis of patients with acute liver failure. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e33090. [PMID: 36897684 PMCID: PMC9997803 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000033090] [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: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute liver failure (ALF) is a disorder defined by coagulopathy and encephalopathy with a poor prognosis. No effective therapies have been established except for liver transplantation. We previously reported a subgroup of patients with acute liver injury who developed microcirculatory disturbance. We also established and reported transcatheter arterial steroid injection therapy (TASIT) as a new treatment of ALF. Here, we analyze the effectiveness of TASIT in a larger cohort and evaluate the impact on ALF patients with or without microcirculatory disturbance. We conducted a single-center retrospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of TASIT in patients with ALF admitted at Kyushu University Hospital between January 2005 and March 2018. TASIT is performed by injecting methylprednisolone via the proper hepatic artery for 3 days. One hundred ninety-4 patients with ALF were enrolled and analyzed in this study. Of the 87 patients given TASIT, 71 (81.6%) recovered without any complications and 16 (18.4%) died or underwent liver transplantation. Of the 107 patients not administered TASIT, 77 (72.0%) recovered and 30 (28.0%) progressed to irreversible liver failure. In the high-lactate dehydrogenase subgroup, 52 (86.7%) of the 60 patients with TASIT recovered, and the survival rate was significantly higher than that in patients who did not receive TASIT. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the TASIT procedure was one of the significant prognostic factors in the high-lactate dehydrogenase subgroup and was significantly associated with prothrombin activity percentage improvement. TASIT is an effective treatment for patients with ALF, especially in those with microcirculatory disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akifumi Kuwano
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tasuku Okui
- Medical Information Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Kohjima
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Miho Kurokawa
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Goya
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masatake Tanaka
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tomomi Aoyagi
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Motoi Takahashi
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koji Imoto
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shigeki Tashiro
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideo Suzuki
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Fujita
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Ushijima
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kousei Ishigami
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shoji Tokunaga
- Medical Information Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masaki Kato
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
- Graduate School of Nutritional Sciences, Nakamura Gakuen University, Jounan-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ogawa
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan
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Kuwano A, Kurokawa M, Kohjima M, Imoto K, Tashiro S, Suzuki H, Tanaka M, Okada S, Kato M, Ogawa Y. Microcirculatory disturbance in acute liver injury. Exp Ther Med 2021; 21:596. [PMID: 33884034 PMCID: PMC8056117 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microcirculatory disturbance is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of acute liver injury (ALI). The current study examined the pathophysiologic role of hepatic microcirculatory disturbance in patients with ALI and in mouse models of ALI. Using serum aminotransferase (ALT)/lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ratio as a hypoxic marker, 279 patients with ALI were classified into the low ALT/LDH ratio (ALT/LDH ≤1.5) and high ALT/LDH ratio group (ALT/LDH >1.5). In the low ALT/LDH ratio group, serum ALT, LDH, fibrinogen degradation products and prothrombin time-international normalized ratio were increased relative to the high ALT/LDH ratio group. Histologically, hepatic expression of tissue factor (TF) and hypoxia-related proteins was enhanced in the low ALT/LDH ratio group, and this was accompanied by sinusoidal fibrin deposition. Sinusoidal hypercoagulation and intrahepatic hypoxia was also analyzed in two different mouse models of ALI; Concanavalin A (ConA) mice and Galactosamine/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (G/T) mice. Serum ALT/LDH ratio in ConA mice was significantly lower compared with G/T mice. Pimonidazole staining revealed the upregulation of hypoxia-related proteins in ConA mice. Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin improved liver damage in ConA mice in association with reduced sinusoidal hypercoagulation and intrahepatic hypoxia. The present study provides evidence that serum ALT/LDH ratio aids in the identification of patients with ALI and intrahepatic hypoxia as a result of microcirculatory disturbance. The results facilitate the improved understanding of the pathogenesis of ALI, thereby offering a novel therapeutic strategy against ALI, which arises from sinusoidal hypercoagulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akifumi Kuwano
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Miho Kurokawa
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Kohjima
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Koji Imoto
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Shigeki Tashiro
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hideo Suzuki
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masatake Tanaka
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.,Department of Pathophysiology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Seiji Okada
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masaki Kato
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ogawa
- Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.,Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
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