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Shi L, Zhou L, Han M, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Yuan XX, Lu HP, Wang Y, Yang XL, Liu C, Wang J, Liang P, Liu SA, Liu XJ, Cheng J, Lin SM. Calcitriol attenuates liver fibrosis through hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3-transactivated protein 1-mediated TGF β1/Smad3 and NF-κB signaling pathways. World J Gastroenterol 2023; 29:2798-2817. [PMID: 37274069 PMCID: PMC10237113 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i18.2798] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatic fibrosis is a serious condition, and the development of hepatic fibrosis can lead to a series of complications. However, the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis remains unclear, and effective therapy options are still lacking. Our group identified hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3-transactivated protein 1 (NS3TP1) by suppressive subtractive hybridization and bioinformatics analysis, but its role in diseases including hepatic fibrosis remains undefined. Therefore, additional studies on the function of NS3TP1 in hepatic fibrosis are urgently needed to provide new targets for treatment.
AIM To elucidate the mechanism of NS3TP1 in hepatic fibrosis and the regulatory effects of calcitriol on NS3TP1.
METHODS Twenty-four male C57BL/6 mice were randomized and separated into three groups, comprising the normal, fibrosis, and calcitriol treatment groups, and liver fibrosis was modeled by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). To evaluate the level of hepatic fibrosis in every group, serological and pathological examinations of the liver were conducted. TGF-β1 was administered to boost the in vitro cultivation of LX-2 cells. NS3TP1, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, and collagen III in every group were examined using a Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The activity of the transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1)/Smad3 and NF-κB signaling pathways in each group of cells transfected with pcDNA-NS3TP1 or siRNA-NS3TP1 was detected. The statistical analysis of the data was performed using the Student’s t test.
RESULTS NS3TP1 promoted the activation, proliferation, and differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and enhanced hepatic fibrosis via the TGFβ1/Smad3 and NF-κB signaling pathways, as evidenced by the presence of α-SMA, collagen I, collagen III, p-smad3, and p-p65 in LX-2 cells, which were upregulated after NS3TP1 overexpression and downregulated after NS3TP1 interference. The proliferation of HSCs was lowered after NS3TP1 interference and elevated after NS3TP1 overexpression, as shown by the luciferase assay. NS3TP1 inhibited the apoptosis of HSCs. Moreover, both Smad3 and p65 could bind to NS3TP1, and p65 increased the promoter activity of NS3TP1, while NS3TP1 increased the promoter activity of TGFβ1 receptor I, as indicated by coimmunoprecipitation and luciferase assay results. Both in vivo and in vitro, treatment with calcitriol dramatically reduced the expression of NS3TP1. Calcitriol therapy-controlled HSCs activation, proliferation, and differentiation and substantially suppressed CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice. Furthermore, calcitriol modulated the activities of the above signaling pathways via downregulation of NS3TP1.
CONCLUSION Our results suggest that calcitriol may be employed as an adjuvant therapy for hepatic fibrosis and that NS3TP1 is a unique, prospective therapeutic target in hepatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Shi
- Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, The First Hospital Affiliated to Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Li Zhou
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Department of Infectious Disease China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Ming Han
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- The Division of Liver Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Xiao-Xue Yuan
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Hong-Ping Lu
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Beijing Pan-Asia Tongze Institute of Biomedicine Co., Ltd, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Yun Wang
- The Division of Liver Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Xue-Liang Yang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Chen Liu
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Pu Liang
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Shun-Ai Liu
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, The First Hospital Affiliated to Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jun Cheng
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China
| | - Shu-Mei Lin
- Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, The First Hospital Affiliated to Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
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