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Pu TY, Chuang KC, Tung MC, Yen CC, Chen YH, Cidem A, Ko CH, Chen W, Chen CM. Lactoferrin as a therapeutic agent for attenuating hepatic stellate cell activation in thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 174:116490. [PMID: 38554526 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver disease caused by prolonged liver injuries. Excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix replaces the damaged hepatocytes, leading to fibrous scar formation and fibrosis induction. Lactoferrin (LF) is a glycoprotein with a conserved, monomeric signal polypeptide chain, exhibiting diverse physiological functions, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumoral activities. Previous study has shown LF's protective role against chemically-induced liver fibrosis in rats. However, the mechanisms of LF in liver fibrosis are still unclear. In this study, we investigated LF's mechanisms in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis in rats and TGF-β1-treated HSC-T6 cells. Using ultrasonic imaging, H&E, Masson's, and Sirius Red staining, we demonstrated LF's ability to improve liver tissue damage and fibrosis induced by TAA. LF reduced the levels of ALT, AST, and hydroxyproline in TAA-treated liver tissues, while increasing catalase levels. Additionally, LF treatment decreased mRNA expression of inflammatory factors such as Il-1β and Icam-1, as well as fibrogenic factors including α-Sma, Collagen I, and Ctgf in TAA-treated liver tissues. Furthermore, LF reduced TAA-induced ROS production and cell death in FL83B cells, and decreased α-SMA, Collagen I, and p-Smad2/3 productions in TGF-β1-treated HSC-T6 cells. Our study highlights LF's ability to ameliorate TAA-induced hepatocyte damage, oxidative stress, and liver fibrosis in rats, potentially through its inhibitory effect on HSC activation. These findings suggest LF's potential as a therapeutic agent for protecting against liver injuries and fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Yu Pu
- Department of Life Sciences, and Doctorial Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Cheng Chuang
- Department of Life Sciences, and Doctorial Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Min-Che Tung
- Department of Life Sciences, and Doctorial Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan; Department of Surgery, Tungs' Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital, Taichung 435, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ching Yen
- Department of Life Sciences, and Doctorial Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan; Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, and College of Health Care, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsuan Chen
- Department of Life Sciences, and Doctorial Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Abdulkadir Cidem
- Department of Life Sciences, and Doctorial Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum 25250, Turkey
| | - Chu-Hsun Ko
- Department of Life Sciences, and Doctorial Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Chuan-Mu Chen
- Department of Life Sciences, and Doctorial Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan; The iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, and Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
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