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de Jong IEM, Wells RG. In Utero Extrahepatic Bile Duct Damage and Repair: Implications for Biliary Atresia. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2024:10935266241247479. [PMID: 38762769 DOI: 10.1177/10935266241247479] [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] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a cholangiopathy affecting the extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) of newborns. The etiology and pathophysiology of BA are not fully understood; however, multiple causes of damage and obstruction of the neonatal EHBD have been identified. Initial damage to the EHBD likely occurs before birth. We discuss how different developmental stages in utero and birth itself could influence the susceptibility of the fetal EHBD to damage and a damaging wound-healing response. We propose that a damage-repair response of the fetal and neonatal EHBD involving redox stress and a program of fetal wound healing could-regardless of the cause of the initial damage-lead to either obstruction and BA or repair of the duct and recovery. This overarching concept should guide future research targeted toward identification of factors that contribute to recovery as opposed to progression of injury and fibrosis. Viewing BA through the lens of an in utero damage-repair response could open up new avenues for research and suggests exciting new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris E M de Jong
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca G Wells
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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2
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Trampert DC, Beuers U. A beneficial response of fetal wound healing gone bad in the bile duct: The overarching cause of biliary atresia? J Hepatol 2024; 80:387-389. [PMID: 38181824 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- David C Trampert
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism (AGEM), Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ulrich Beuers
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism (AGEM), Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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3
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Shimizu N, Shiraishi H, Hanada T. Zebrafish as a Useful Model System for Human Liver Disease. Cells 2023; 12:2246. [PMID: 37759472 PMCID: PMC10526867 DOI: 10.3390/cells12182246] [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] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver diseases represent a significant global health challenge, thereby necessitating extensive research to understand their intricate complexities and to develop effective treatments. In this context, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have emerged as a valuable model organism for studying various aspects of liver disease. The zebrafish liver has striking similarities to the human liver in terms of structure, function, and regenerative capacity. Researchers have successfully induced liver damage in zebrafish using chemical toxins, genetic manipulation, and other methods, thereby allowing the study of disease mechanisms and the progression of liver disease. Zebrafish embryos or larvae, with their transparency and rapid development, provide a unique opportunity for high-throughput drug screening and the identification of potential therapeutics. This review highlights how research on zebrafish has provided valuable insights into the pathological mechanisms of human liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyuki Shimizu
- Department of Cell Biology, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Oita, Japan;
| | | | - Toshikatsu Hanada
- Department of Cell Biology, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu 879-5593, Oita, Japan;
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Gupta K, Chen D, Wells RG. Microcystin-RR is a biliary toxin selective for neonatal cholangiocytes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.09.552661. [PMID: 37609158 PMCID: PMC10441435 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.09.552661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Biliary atresia is a fibrosing cholangiopathy affecting neonates that is thought to be caused by a prenatal environmental insult to the bile duct. Biliatresone, a plant toxin with an α-methylene ketone group, was previously implicated in toxin-induced biliary atresia in Australian livestock, but is found in a limited location and is highly unlikely to be a significant human toxin. We hypothesized that other molecules with α-methylene ketone groups, some with the potential for significant human exposure, might also be biliary toxins. APPROACH AND RESULTS We focused on the family of microcystins, cyclic peptide toxins from blue-green algae that have an α-methylene ketone group and are found worldwide, particularly during harmful algal blooms. We found that microcystin-RR, but not 6 other microcystins, caused damage to cell spheroids made using cholangiocytes isolated from 2-3-day-old mice, but not from adult mice. We also found that microcystin-RR caused occlusion of extrahepatic bile duct explants from 2-day-old mice, but not 18-day-old mice. Microcystin-RR caused elevated reactive oxygen species in neonatal cholangiocytes, and treatment with N-acetyl cysteine partially prevented microcystin-RRinduced lumen closure, suggesting a role for redox homeostasis in its mechanism of action. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the potential for environmental toxins to cause neonatal biliary disease and identifies microcystin-RR acting via increased redox stress as a possible neonatal bile duct toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kapish Gupta
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dongning Chen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca G. Wells
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Schmidt HC, Hagens J, Schuppert P, Appl B, Raluy LP, Trochimiuk M, Philippi C, Li Z, Reinshagen K, Tomuschat C. Biliatresone induces cholangiopathy in C57BL/6J neonates. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10574. [PMID: 37386088 PMCID: PMC10310722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37354-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: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to plant toxins or microbiota that are able to digest common food ingredients to toxic structures might be responsible for biliary atresia (BA). An isoflavonoid, biliatresone is known to effectively alter the extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) development in BALB/c mice. Biliatresone causes a reduction of Glutathione (GSH) levels, SOX17 downregulation and is effectively countered with N-Acetyl-L-cysteine treatment in vitro. Therefore, reversing GSH-loss appears to be a promising treatment target for a translational approach. Since BALB/c mice have been described as sensitive in various models, we evaluated the toxic effect of biliatresone in robust C57BL/6J mice and confirmed its toxicity. Comparison between BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice revealed similarity in the toxic model. Affected neonates exhibited clinical symptoms of BA, such as jaundice, ascites, clay-colored stools, yellow urine and impaired weight gain. The gallbladders of jaundiced neonates were hydropic and EHBD were twisted and enlarged. Serum and histological analysis proved cholestasis. No anomalies were seen in the liver and EHBD of control animals. With our study we join a chain of evidence confirming that biliatresone is an effective agent for cross-lineage targeted alteration of the EHBD system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Christian Schmidt
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Johanna Hagens
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Pauline Schuppert
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Birgit Appl
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Laia Pagerols Raluy
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Magdalena Trochimiuk
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Clara Philippi
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Zhongwen Li
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Konrad Reinshagen
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Tomuschat
- Research Laboratory W23, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
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Zhu B, Wang Z, Lei L, Guo Y, Han J, Zhou B. Transcriptome reveals overview of Ca 2+ dose-dependent metabolism disorders in zebrafish larvae after Cd 2+ exposure. J Environ Sci (China) 2023; 125:480-491. [PMID: 36375931 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2021.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd), a ubiquitous environmental hazardous heavy metal, poses a significant threat to the health of aquatic organisms, including teleosts. Although the toxic profile of Cd is well recognized, little is known regarding the overall view of toxic responses to varying aquatic environmental parameters (e.g., water hardness) at an individual level. Herein, differences in water hardness were partially mimicked by adjusting Ca2+ levels in E3 medium. As an in vivo model, zebrafish embryos were exposed to variable Ca2+ levels (NV, normal Ca2+; LV, low Ca2+; HV, high Ca2+) alone or combined with 30.7 µg/L Cd2+ (NC, LC, and HC, respectively) until 144 hr post-fertilization. The genome-wide transcriptome revealed differentially expressed genes between groups. Functional enrichment analysis found that biological processes related to metabolism, particularly lipid metabolism, were significantly disrupted in NC and LC treatments, while a remission was observed in the HC group. Biochemical assays confirmed that the decrease in Ca2+ enhanced synthesis, inhibited mobilization and increased the storage of lipids in Cd2+ treatments. This study suggests that the toxic effect of Cd on biological pathways will be influenced by Ca2+, which will improve the toxicological understanding and facilitate accurate assessment of Cd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biran Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Ziniu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lei Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yongyong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jian Han
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Bingsheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
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Wang D, Yang S, Zhao Y, Zhang Y, Hua K, Gu Y, Li S, Liao J, Yang T, Zhao J, Huang J. Identifying and validating molecular subtypes of biliary atresia using multiple high-throughput data integration analysis. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1008246. [PMID: 36713418 PMCID: PMC9878701 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1008246] [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: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common form of severe neonatal obstructive jaundice. The etiology and pathogenesis of BA are multifactorial, and different factors may interact to produce heterogeneous pathological features and clinical outcomes. Despite different pathological features, all patients received the same treatment strategy. This study performed integrative clustering analysis based on multiple high-throughput datasets to identify the molecular subtypes of BA and provide a new treatment strategy for personalized treatment of the different subtypes of BA. Methods The RNA sequence dataset GSE122340 in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was downloaded; 31 BA and 20 control normal liver tissues were collected at our center for transcriptome sequencing, and clinical and follow-up data of BA patients were available. Molecular subtypes were identified using integrated unsupervised cluster analysis involving gene expression, biliary fibrosis, and immune enrichment scores based on the transcriptome dataset, and the results were validated using independent datasets. Results Based on the results of the integrated unsupervised clustering analysis, four molecular subtypes were identified: autoimmune, inflammatory, virus infection-related, and oxidative stress. The autoimmune subtype with a moderate prognosis was dominated by autoimmune responses and morphogenesis, such as the Fc-gamma receptor and Wnt signaling pathway. The biological process of the inflammatory subtype was mainly the inflammatory response, with the best prognosis, youngest age at surgery, and lowest liver stiffness. The virus infection-related subtype had the worst prognosis and was enriched for a variety of biological processes such as viral infection, immunity, anatomical morphogenesis, and epithelial mesenchymal transition. The oxidative stress subtype was characterized by the activation of oxidative stress and various metabolic pathways and had a poor prognosis. The above results were verified independently in the validation sets. Conclusions This study identified four molecular subtypes of BA with distinct prognosis and biological processes. According to the pathological characteristics of the different subtypes, individualized perioperative and preoperative treatment may be a new strategy to improve the prognosis of BA.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Biliary atresia (BA) is one of the main causes of neonatal end-stage liver disease. Without timely diagnosis and treatment, most children with BA will develop irreversible liver fibrosis within the first two months. While current theorized causes of BA include viral infection, immune disorders, and genetic defects, the comprehensive etiology is still largely unknown. Recently, biliatresone attracted much interest for its ability to induce BA in both zebrafish and mice, so we summarized the latest progress of biliatresone research in BA and tried to answer the question of whether it could provide further clues to the etiology of human BA. DATA SOURCES We conducted a PubMed search for any published articles related to the topic using search terms including "biliary atresia", "biliatresone", "GSH", and "HSP90". Relevant data were extracted from the original text or supplementary materials of the corresponding articles. RESULTS Biliatresone had shown its unique toxicity in multiple species such as zebrafish and mice, and pathogenic factors involved included glutathione (GSH), heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and the related pathways. In combination with epidemiological evidence and recent studies on the intestinal flora in biliary atresia, a new pathogenic hypothesis that the occurrence of biliary atresia is partly due to biliatresone or its structure-like compounds depositing in human body via vegetables or/and the altered intestinal flora structure can be tentatively established. CONCLUSIONS Based on the existing evidence, we emphasized that GSH and HSP90 are involved in the development of BA, and the maternal diet, especially higher vegetable intake of Asian women of childbearing age, accompanied by the altered intestinal flora structure, may contribute to the occurrence of biliary atresia and the higher incidence in the Asia group. However, the evidence from large sample epidemiological research is necessary.
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Quelhas P, Cerski C, Dos Santos JL. Update on Etiology and Pathogenesis of Biliary Atresia. Curr Pediatr Rev 2022; 19:48-67. [PMID: 35538816 DOI: 10.2174/1573396318666220510130259] [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: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Biliary atresia is a rare inflammatory sclerosing obstructive cholangiopathy that initiates in infancy as complete choledochal blockage and progresses to the involvement of intrahepatic biliary epithelium. Growing evidence shows that biliary atresia is not a single entity with a single etiology but a phenotype resulting from multifactorial events whose common path is obliterative cholangiopathy. The etiology of biliary atresia has been explained as resulting from genetic variants, toxins, viral infection, chronic inflammation or bile duct lesions mediated by autoimmunity, abnormalities in the development of the bile ducts, and defects in embryogenesis, abnormal fetal or prenatal circulation and susceptibility factors. It is increasingly evident that the genetic and epigenetic predisposition combined with the environmental factors to which the mother is exposed are potential triggers for biliary atresia. There is also an indication that a progressive thickening of the arterial middle layer occurs in this disease, suggestive of vascular remodeling and disappearance of the interlobular bile ducts. It is suggested that the hypoxia/ischemia process can affect portal structures in biliary atresia and is associated with both the extent of biliary proliferation and the thickening of the medial layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Quelhas
- CICS-UBI - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Carlos Cerski
- Department of Pathology, University Federal Rio Grande do Sul, 90040-060, Porto Alegre, Brasil
| | - Jorge Luiz Dos Santos
- CICS-UBI - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal
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Amarachintha SP, Mourya R, Ayabe H, Yang L, Luo Z, Li X, Thanekar U, Shivakumar P, Bezerra JA. Biliary organoids uncover delayed epithelial development and barrier function in biliary atresia. Hepatology 2022; 75:89-103. [PMID: 34392560 PMCID: PMC9983428 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Biliary atresia is a severe inflammatory and fibrosing cholangiopathy of neonates of unknown etiology. The onset of cholestasis at birth implies a prenatal onset of liver dysfunction. Our aim was to investigate the mechanisms linked to abnormal cholangiocyte development. APPROACH AND RESULTS We generated biliary organoids from liver biopsies of infants with biliary atresia and normal and diseased controls. Organoids emerged from biliary atresia livers and controls and grew as lumen-containing spheres with an epithelial lining of cytokeratin-19pos albuminneg SOX17neg cholangiocyte-like cells. Spheres had similar gross morphology in all three groups and expressed cholangiocyte-enriched genes. In biliary atresia, cholangiocyte-like cells lacked a basal positioning of the nucleus, expressed fewer developmental and functional markers, and displayed misorientation of cilia. They aberrantly expressed F-actin, β-catenin, and Ezrin, had low signals for the tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and displayed increased permeability as evidenced by a higher Rhodamine-123 (R123) signal inside organoids after verapamil treatment. Biliary atresia organoids had decreased expression of genes related to EGF signaling and FGF2 signaling. When treated with EGF+FGF2, biliary atresia organoids expressed differentiation (cytokeratin 7 and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 homeobox B) and functional (somatostatin receptor 2, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator [CFTR], aquaporin 1) markers, restored polarity with improved localization of F-actin, β-catenin and ZO-1, increased CFTR function, and decreased uptake of R123. CONCLUSIONS Organoids from biliary atresia are viable and have evidence of halted epithelial development. The induction of developmental markers, improved cell-cell junction, and decreased epithelial permeability by EGF and FGF2 identifies potential strategies to promote epithelial maturation and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya P. Amarachintha
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Reena Mourya
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Hiroaki Ayabe
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Li Yang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Zhenhua Luo
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofeng Li
- Department of Pediatrics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Unmesha Thanekar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Pranavkumar Shivakumar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jorge A. Bezerra
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Jiang J, Wan R, He S, Wu Y, Shen Z, Chen G, Sun S, Yan W, Zheng S. Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of biliary atresia: a case-control study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e049354. [PMID: 34903536 PMCID: PMC8671910 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Biliary atresia (BA) is regarded as a serious neonatal hepatobiliary disease, and its aetiology and pathogenesis remain unclear. Epidemiological studies are limited, especially for the data from China. This study aims to explore risk factors of BA and provide new evidence to improve understanding of its aetiology. DESIGN This is a case-control study from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016. SETTING Cases were consecutively recruited from an urban tertiary care academic children's hospital in Shanghai, China, while the controls were recruited from a community hospital in Shanghai through a random sampling system. PARTICIPANTS 721 patients suspected for BA who planned to take the diagnostic surgery were enrolled preoperatively. 613 were diagnosed with BA and recruited into the case group. Meanwhile, 688 infants without any observed major congenital anomalies or jaundice were enrolled. Finally, 594 valid questionnaires from the case group and 681 from the control group were obtained. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Standardised questionnaires were used for data collection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate associations reported as ORs and precision, by adjusting covariates. RESULTS Anxiety or stress during pregnancy was strongly associated with increased risk of BA (OR 8.36 (95% CI: 4.08 to 17.15); p<0.001), respectively. Lower birth weight, fathers from ethnic minorities of China, older age of fathers, lower income of parents, and exposure to infection, diseases and medication during pregnancy all made differences. CONCLUSIONS Social factors including the educational and economic background and its related anxiety and stress during pregnancy might be noticed in the occurrence of BA. Maternal infections during pregnancy in the prevalence of BA were demonstrated. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ChiCTR-IPR-15005885.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingying Jiang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rou Wan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shiwei He
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Shen
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gong Chen
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Song Sun
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weili Yan
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Clinical Trial Unit (CTU), Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan Zheng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Lendahl U, Lui VCH, Chung PHY, Tam PKH. Biliary Atresia - emerging diagnostic and therapy opportunities. EBioMedicine 2021; 74:103689. [PMID: 34781099 PMCID: PMC8604670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Biliary Atresia is a devastating pediatric cholangiopathy affecting the bile ducts of the liver. In this review, we describe recent progress in the understanding of liver development with a focus on cholangiocyte differentiation and how use of technical platforms, including rodent, zebrafish and organoid models, advances our understanding of Biliary Atresia. This is followed by a description of potential pathomechanisms, such as autoimmune responses, inflammation, disturbed apical-basal cell polarity, primary cilia dysfunction as well as beta-amyloid accumulation. Finally, we describe current and emerging diagnostic opportunities and recent translation breakthroughs for Biliary Atresia in the area of emerging therapy development, including immunomodulation and organoid-based systems for liver and bile duct repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urban Lendahl
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Vincent C H Lui
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Patrick H Y Chung
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Paul K H Tam
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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13
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Malik A, Thanekar U, Mourya R, Shivakumar P. Recent developments in etiology and disease modeling of biliary atresia: a narrative review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 3. [PMID: 33615212 PMCID: PMC7891552 DOI: 10.21037/dmr-20-97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare but severe fibroinflammatory disease of the extrahepatic and the intrahepatic bile ducts. Without prompt interventions, BA has fatal outcomes and is the most common indicator for pediatric liver transplantation (LTx). While the mainstay of treatment involves surgically correcting the extrahepatic biliary obstruction via Kasai hepato-portoenterostomy (KHPE), activation of a multitude of biological pathways and yet-to-be-determined etiology in BA continue to foster liver inflammation, cirrhosis and need for LTx. However, important caveats still exist in our understandings of the biliary pathophysiology, the rapidity of liver fibrosis and progression to liver failure, largely due to limited knowledge of the triggers of biliary injury and the inability to accurately model human BA. Although inconclusive, a large body of existing literature points to a potential viral infection in the early peri- or postnatal period as triggers of epithelial injury that perpetuates the downstream biliary disease. Further confounding this issue, are the lack of in-vivo and in-vitro models to efficiently recapitulate the cardinal features of BA, primarily liver fibrosis. To overcome these barriers in BA research, new directions in recent years have enabled (I) identification of additional triggers of biliary injury linked mostly to environmental toxins, (II) development of models to investigate liver fibrogenesis, and (III) translational research using patient-derived organoids. Here, we discuss recent advances that undoubtedly will stimulate future efforts investigating these new and exciting avenues towards mechanistic and drug discovery efforts and disease-preventive measures. The implications of these emerging scientific investigations and disease modeling in severe fibrosing cholangiopathies like BA are enormous and contribute substantially in our understandings of this rare but deadly disease. These findings are also expected to facilitate expeditious identification of translationally targetable pathways and bring us one step closer in treating an infant with BA, a population highly vulnerable to life-long liver related complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astha Malik
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Unmesha Thanekar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Reena Mourya
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Pranavkumar Shivakumar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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14
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Chusilp S, Lee C, Li B, Lee D, Yamoto M, Ganji N, Vejchapipat P, Pierro A. A novel model of injured liver ductal organoids to investigate cholangiocyte apoptosis with relevance to biliary atresia. Pediatr Surg Int 2020; 36:1471-1479. [PMID: 33084932 DOI: 10.1007/s00383-020-04765-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The fibrogenic process in cholangiopathic diseases such as biliary atresia (BA) involves bile duct injury and apoptosis of cholangiocytes, which leads to the progression of liver fibrosis into liver cirrhosis and can result in end-staged liver disease. Recent advances in the development of organoids or mini-organ structures have allowed us to create an ex vivo injury model of the bile duct that mimics bile duct injury in BA. The aim of this experimental study was to develop a novel model of injured intrahepatic cholangiocytes as this can be relevant to BA. Our new model is important for studying the pathophysiological response of bile ducts to injury and the role of cholangiocytes in initiating the fibrogenic cascade. In addition, it has the potential to be used as a tool for developing new treatment strategies for BA. METHODS Liver ductal organoids were generated from the liver of healthy neonatal mouse pups. Intrahepatic bile duct fragments were isolated and cultured in Matrigel dome. Injury was induced in the organoids by administration of acetaminophen in culture medium. The organoids were then evaluated for fibrogenic cytokines expression, cell apoptosis marker and cell proliferation marker. RESULTS Organoids generated from intrahepatic bile duct fragments organized themselves into single-layer epithelial spheroids with lumen on the inside mimicking in vivo bile ducts. After 24-h exposure to acetaminophen, cholangiocytes in the organoids responded to the injury by increasing expression of fibrogenic cytokines, transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). This fibrogenic response of injured organoids was associated with increased cholangiocyte apoptosis and decreased cholangiocyte proliferation. CONCLUSION To our knowledge this is the first description of cholangiocyte injury in the organoids derived from intrahepatic bile ducts. Our injury model demonstrated that cholangiocyte apoptosis and its fibrogenic response may play a role in initiation of the fibrogenic process in cholangiopathic diseases such as BA. These findings are important for the development of novel therapy to reduce cholangiocyte apoptosis and to halt the early fibrogenic cascade in liver fibrogenesis. This novel injury model can prove very valuable for future research in biliary atresia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinobol Chusilp
- Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 1526-555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.,Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Carol Lee
- Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 1526-555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Bo Li
- Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 1526-555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Dorothy Lee
- Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 1526-555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Masaya Yamoto
- Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 1526-555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Niloofar Ganji
- Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 1526-555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Paisarn Vejchapipat
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Agostino Pierro
- Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 1526-555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
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15
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Isaeva MK, Belova VA, Korostin DO, Degtyareva AV. Genetic aspects of biliary atresia etiology. BULLETIN OF RUSSIAN STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.24075/brsmu.2020.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a cholestatic disorder of infancy that is fatal if untreated. Despite years of study the etiology of BA remains unknown. Three etiopathogenic mechanisms may be involved, such as immune dysregulation, environmental factors and genetic susceptibility. Genetic predisposition is being actively studied. Candidate genes associated with BA in certain populations, genes affecting the cholangiocyte cilia function, as well as genes involved in stress responses have been identified. However, the long-term follow-up of twins with BA suggests that genotype is not of paramount importance for the disease development. Both epigenetic patterns and postzygotic somatic mutations may contribute to etiology of the disease. Recently, some evidence is being accumulated on the possible genetic predisposition to certain outcome of Kasai portoenterostomy performed in patients with BA. However, the presence of a number of factors contributing to the development of the disease makes it difficult to identify the genetic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- MKh Isaeva
- Academician V. I. Kulakov Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Moscow, Russia
| | - VA Belova
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - DO Korostin
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - AV Degtyareva
- Academician V. I. Kulakov Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Moscow, Russia; I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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16
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The synthetic toxin biliatresone causes biliary atresia in mice. J Transl Med 2020; 100:1425-1435. [PMID: 32681026 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-020-0467-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to environmental toxins may be responsible for biliary atresia. The focus of this study was to investigate the effect of biliatresone on the development of the hepatobiliary system in mice. We successfully synthesized biliatresone with a purity of 98% and confirmed its biliary toxicity. Exposure to high doses of biliatresone caused abortion or death in pregnant mice. Neonatal mice injected with biliatresone developed clinical signs of biliary obstruction, and dysplasia or the absence of extrahepatic biliary tract lumen, which confirmed the occurrence of biliary atresia. In the portal tract of biliary atresia mice, signs of infiltration of inflammatory cells and liver fibrosis were observed. The signature of extrahepatic biliary gene expression in these mice mainly involved the cell adhesion process, and hepatic RNA-seq was highly linked to transcriptional evidence of oxidative stress. When compared with the control group, hepatic glutathione levels were markedly reduced after biliatresone injection. Taken together, these data confirm that biliatresone causes severe developmental abnormalities of the hepatobiliary system in mice. Furthermore, decreased levels of glutathione may play a mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis in biliatresone-induced experimental biliary atresia.
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17
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Zhao X, Lorent K, Escobar-Zarate D, Rajagopalan R, Loomes KM, Gillespie K, Mesaros C, Estrada MA, Blair I, Winkler JD, Spinner NB, Devoto M, Pack M. Impaired Redox and Protein Homeostasis as Risk Factors and Therapeutic Targets in Toxin-Induced Biliary Atresia. Gastroenterology 2020; 159:1068-1084.e2. [PMID: 32505743 PMCID: PMC7856536 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.05.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Extrahepatic biliary atresia (BA) is a pediatric liver disease with no approved medical therapy. Recent studies using human samples and experimental modeling suggest that glutathione redox metabolism and heterogeneity play a role in disease pathogenesis. We sought to dissect the mechanistic basis of liver redox variation and explore how other stress responses affect cholangiocyte injury in BA. METHODS We performed quantitative in situ hepatic glutathione redox mapping in zebrafish larvae carrying targeted mutations in glutathione metabolism genes and correlated these findings with sensitivity to the plant-derived BA-linked toxin biliatresone. We also determined whether genetic disruption of HSP90 protein quality control pathway genes implicated in human BA altered biliatresone toxicity in zebrafish and human cholangiocytes. An in vivo screening of a known drug library was performed to identify novel modifiers of cholangiocyte injury in the zebrafish experimental BA model, with subsequent validation. RESULTS Glutathione metabolism gene mutations caused regionally distinct changes in the redox potential of cholangiocytes that differentially sensitized them to biliatresone. Disruption of human BA-implicated HSP90 pathway genes sensitized zebrafish and human cholangiocytes to biliatresone-induced injury independent of glutathione. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and other cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling activators worked synergistically with the glutathione precursor N-acetylcysteine in preventing biliatresone-induced injury in zebrafish and human cholangiocytes. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors enhanced proteasomal degradation and required intact HSP90 chaperone. CONCLUSION Regional variation in glutathione metabolism underlies sensitivity to the biliary toxin biliatresone and may account for the reported association between BA transplant-free survival and glutathione metabolism gene expression. Human BA can be causatively linked to genetic modulation of protein quality control. Combined treatment with N-acetylcysteine and cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling enhancers warrants further investigation as therapy for BA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zhao
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kristin Lorent
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Diana Escobar-Zarate
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ramakrishnan Rajagopalan
- Division of Genomic Diagnostics, Department of Pathology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Loomes
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kevin Gillespie
- Department of System Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Clementina Mesaros
- Department of System Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Ian Blair
- Department of System Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Winkler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nancy B. Spinner
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marcella Devoto
- Division of Human Genetics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Departments of Pediatrics and of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael Pack
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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18
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Fried S, Gilboa D, Har-Zahav A, Lavrut PM, Du Y, Karjoo S, Russo P, Shamir R, Wells RG, Waisbourd-Zinman O. Extrahepatic cholangiocyte obstruction is mediated by decreased glutathione, Wnt and Notch signaling pathways in a toxic model of biliary atresia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7599. [PMID: 32371929 PMCID: PMC7200694 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64503-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biliary atresia is a neonatal liver disease with extrahepatic bile duct obstruction and progressive liver fibrosis. The etiology and pathogenesis of the disease are unknown. We previously identified a plant toxin, biliatresone, responsible for biliary atresia in naturally-occurring animal models, that causes cholangiocyte destruction in in-vitro models. Decreases in reduced glutathione (GSH) mimic the effects of biliatresone, and agents that replenish cellular GSH ameliorate the effects of the toxin. The goals of this study were to define signaling pathways downstream of biliatresone that lead to cholangiocyte destruction and to determine their relationship to GSH. Using cholangiocyte culture and 3D cholangiocyte spheroid cultures, we found that biliatresone and decreases in GSH upregulated RhoU/Wrch1, a Wnt signaling family member, which then mediated an increase in Hey2 in the NOTCH signaling pathway, causing downregulation of the transcription factor Sox17. When these genes were up- or down-regulated, the biliatresone effect on spheroids was phenocopied, resulting in lumen obstruction. Biopsies of patients with biliary atresia demonstrated increased RhoU/Wrch1 and Hey2 expression in cholangiocytes. We present a novel pathway of cholangiocyte injury in a model of biliary atresia, which is relevant to human BA and may suggest potential future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Fried
- Institute for Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Dafna Gilboa
- Institute for Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Adi Har-Zahav
- Institute for Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Yu Du
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sara Karjoo
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Pierre Russo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Raanan Shamir
- Institute for Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Rebecca G Wells
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Orith Waisbourd-Zinman
- Institute for Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel. .,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. .,Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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19
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Rajagopalan R, Tsai EA, Grochowski CM, Kelly SM, Loomes KM, Spinner NB, Devoto M. Exome Sequencing in Individuals with Isolated Biliary Atresia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2709. [PMID: 32066793 PMCID: PMC7026070 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59379-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a severe pediatric liver disease resulting in necroinflammatory obliteration of the extrahepatic biliary tree. BA presents within the first few months of life as either an isolated finding or with additional syndromic features. The etiology of isolated BA is unknown, with evidence for infectious, environmental, and genetic risk factors described. However, to date, there are no definitive causal genes identified for isolated BA in humans, and the question of whether single gene defects play a major role remains open. We performed exome-sequencing in 101 North American patients of European descent with isolated BA (including 30 parent-child trios) and considered several experimental designs to identify potentially deleterious protein-altering variants that may be involved in the disease. In a case-only analysis, we did not identify genes with variants shared among more than two probands, and burden tests of rare variants using a case-case control design did not yield significant results. In the trio analysis of 30 simplex families (patient and parent trios), we identified 66 de novo variants in 66 genes including potentially deleterious variants in STIP1 and REV1. STIP1 is a co-chaperone for the heat-shock protein, HSP90, and has been shown to have diverse functions in yeast, flies and mammals, including stress-responses. REV1 is known to be a key player in DNA repair pathway and to interact with HSP90. In conclusion, our results do not support the hypothesis that a simple genetic model is responsible for the majority of cases of isolated BA. Our finding of de novo variants in genes linked to evolutionarily conserved stress responses (STIP1 and REV1) suggests that exploration of how genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure may interact to cause BA is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramakrishnan Rajagopalan
- Division of Genomic Diagnostics, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ellen A Tsai
- Division of Genomic Diagnostics, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Genomics and Computational Biology Graduate Group, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Genetic Epidemiology Group, Department of Translational Biology, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christopher M Grochowski
- Division of Genomic Diagnostics, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Susan M Kelly
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kathleen M Loomes
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nancy B Spinner
- Division of Genomic Diagnostics, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marcella Devoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
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20
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Huang S, Zhou C, Zeng T, Li Y, Lai Y, Mo C, Chen Y, Huang S, Lv Z, Gao L. P-Hydroxyacetophenone Ameliorates Alcohol-Induced Steatosis and Oxidative Stress via the NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Zebrafish and Hepatocytes. Front Pharmacol 2020; 10:1594. [PMID: 32047433 PMCID: PMC6997130 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which is recognized as an important health problem worldwide, is a direct consequence of alcohol consumption, which can induce alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. P-Hydroxyacetophenone (p-HAP) is mainly used as a choleretic and hepatoprotective compound and has anti-hepatitis B, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. However, no experimental report has focused on p-HAP in ALD, and the effect and mechanism of p-HAP in ALD remain unknown. In addition, there is no research on p-HAP in the treatment of ALD. The potential molecular mechanisms of p-HAP against acute alcoholic liver injury remain unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether p-HAP alleviates ALD and to clarify the potential molecular mechanisms. Zebrafish larvae were soaked in 350 mmol/l ethanol for 32 h at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) and then treated with p-HAP for 48 h. We chose various outcome measures, such as liver histomorphological changes, antioxidation and antiapoptosis capability and expression of inflammation-related proteins, to elucidate the essential mechanism of p-HAP in the treatment of alcohol-induced liver damage. Subsequently, we applied pathological hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Nile red staining and oil red O staining to detect the histomorphological and lipid changes in liver tissues. We also used TUNEL staining, immunochemistry and Western blot analysis to reveal the changes in apoptosis- and inflammation-related proteins. In particular, we used a variety of fluorescent probes to detect the antioxidant capacity of p-HAP in live zebrafish larvae in vivo. In addition, we discovered that p-HAP treatment relieved alcoholic hepatic steatosis in a dose-dependent manner and that the 50 μM dose had the best therapeutic effect. Generally, this research indicated that p-HAP might reduce oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in vivo and in vitro via the NF-κB signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Huang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuying Zhou
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Zeng
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yujia Li
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuqi Lai
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chan Mo
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuyao Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaohui Huang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiping Lv
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Gao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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21
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Khandekar G, Llewellyn J, Kriegermeier A, Waisbourd-Zinman O, Johnson N, Du Y, Giwa R, Liu X, Kisseleva T, Russo PA, Theise ND, Wells RG. Coordinated development of the mouse extrahepatic bile duct: Implications for neonatal susceptibility to biliary injury. J Hepatol 2020; 72:135-145. [PMID: 31562906 PMCID: PMC7079197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The extrahepatic bile duct is the primary tissue initially affected by biliary atresia. Biliary atresia is a cholangiopathy which exclusively affects neonates. Current animal models suggest that the developing bile duct is uniquely susceptible to damage. In this study, we aimed to define the anatomical and functional differences between the neonatal and adult mouse extrahepatic bile ducts. METHODS We studied mouse passaged cholangiocytes, mouse BALB/c neonatal and adult primary cholangiocytes, as well as isolated extrahepatic bile ducts, and a collagen reporter mouse. The methods used included transmission electron microscopy, lectin staining, immunostaining, rhodamine uptake assays, bile acid toxicity assays, and in vitro modeling of the matrix. RESULTS The cholangiocyte monolayer of the neonatal extrahepatic bile duct was immature, lacking the uniform apical glycocalyx and mature cell-cell junctions typical of adult cholangiocytes. Functional studies showed that the glycocalyx protected against bile acid injury and that neonatal cholangiocyte monolayers were more permeable than adult monolayers. In adult ducts, the submucosal space was filled with collagen I, elastin, hyaluronic acid, and proteoglycans. In contrast, the neonatal submucosa had little collagen I and elastin, although both increased rapidly after birth. In vitro modeling of the matrix suggested that the composition of the neonatal submucosa relative to the adult submucosa led to increased diffusion of bile. A Col-GFP reporter mouse showed that cells in the neonatal but not adult submucosa were actively producing collagen. CONCLUSION We identified 4 key differences between the neonatal and adult extrahepatic bile duct. We showed that these features may have functional implications, suggesting the neonatal extrahepatic bile ducts are particularly susceptible to injury and fibrosis. LAY SUMMARY Biliary atresia is a disease that affects newborns and is characterized by extrahepatic bile duct injury and obstruction, resulting in liver injury. We identify 4 key differences between the epithelial and submucosal layers of the neonatal and adult extrahepatic bile duct and show that these may render the neonatal duct particularly susceptible to injury.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic/cytology
- Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic/diagnostic imaging
- Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic/embryology
- Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic/growth & development
- Biliary Atresia
- Cell Survival
- Cells, Cultured
- Collagen Type I/metabolism
- Collagen Type I, alpha 1 Chain
- Disease Models, Animal
- Elastin/metabolism
- Epithelial Cells/metabolism
- Female
- Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism
- Humans
- Hyaluronic Acid/metabolism
- Immunohistochemistry
- Intercellular Junctions/metabolism
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
- Mucous Membrane/metabolism
- Proteoglycans/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauri Khandekar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jessica Llewellyn
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alyssa Kriegermeier
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Orith Waisbourd-Zinman
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Schneider Children's Hospital, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nicolette Johnson
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yu Du
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Roquibat Giwa
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Surgery University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Tatiana Kisseleva
- Department of Surgery University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Pierre A Russo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Neil D Theise
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rebecca G Wells
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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22
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A morphogenetic EphB/EphrinB code controls hepatopancreatic duct formation. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5220. [PMID: 31745086 PMCID: PMC6864101 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13149-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The hepatopancreatic ductal (HPD) system connects the intrahepatic and intrapancreatic ducts to the intestine and ensures the afferent transport of the bile and pancreatic enzymes. Yet the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling their differentiation and morphogenesis into a functional ductal system are poorly understood. Here, we characterize HPD system morphogenesis by high-resolution microscopy in zebrafish. The HPD system differentiates from a rod of unpolarized cells into mature ducts by de novo lumen formation in a dynamic multi-step process. The remodeling step from multiple nascent lumina into a single lumen requires active cell intercalation and myosin contractility. We identify key functions for EphB/EphrinB signaling in this dynamic remodeling step. Two EphrinB ligands, EphrinB1 and EphrinB2a, and two EphB receptors, EphB3b and EphB4a, control HPD morphogenesis by remodeling individual ductal compartments, and thereby coordinate the morphogenesis of this multi-compartment ductal system.
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23
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Cassar S, Adatto I, Freeman JL, Gamse JT, Iturria I, Lawrence C, Muriana A, Peterson RT, Van Cruchten S, Zon LI. Use of Zebrafish in Drug Discovery Toxicology. Chem Res Toxicol 2019; 33:95-118. [PMID: 31625720 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Unpredicted human safety events in clinical trials for new drugs are costly in terms of human health and money. The drug discovery industry attempts to minimize those events with diligent preclinical safety testing. Current standard practices are good at preventing toxic compounds from being tested in the clinic; however, false negative preclinical toxicity results are still a reality. Continual improvement must be pursued in the preclinical realm. Higher-quality therapies can be brought forward with more information about potential toxicities and associated mechanisms. The zebrafish model is a bridge between in vitro assays and mammalian in vivo studies. This model is powerful in its breadth of application and tractability for research. In the past two decades, our understanding of disease biology and drug toxicity has grown significantly owing to thousands of studies on this tiny vertebrate. This Review summarizes challenges and strengths of the model, discusses the 3Rs value that it can deliver, highlights translatable and untranslatable biology, and brings together reports from recent studies with zebrafish focusing on new drug discovery toxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Cassar
- Preclinical Safety , AbbVie , North Chicago , Illinois 60064 , United States
| | - Isaac Adatto
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology , Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
| | - Jennifer L Freeman
- School of Health Sciences , Purdue University , West Lafayette , Indiana 47907 , United States
| | - Joshua T Gamse
- Drug Safety Evaluation , Bristol-Myers Squibb , New Brunswick , New Jersey 08901 , United States
| | | | - Christian Lawrence
- Aquatic Resources Program , Boston Children's Hospital , Boston , Massachusetts 02115 , United States
| | | | - Randall T Peterson
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , Utah 84112 , United States
| | | | - Leonard I Zon
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department , Harvard University , Boston , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
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24
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Gallengangsatresie. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00112-019-00768-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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25
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Luo Z, Shivakumar P, Mourya R, Gutta S, Bezerra JA. Gene Expression Signatures Associated With Survival Times of Pediatric Patients With Biliary Atresia Identify Potential Therapeutic Agents. Gastroenterology 2019; 157:1138-1152.e14. [PMID: 31228442 PMCID: PMC6756963 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Little is known about the factors that affect outcomes of patients with biliary atresia and there are no medical therapies that increase biliary drainage. METHODS Liver biopsies and clinical data were obtained from infants with cholestasis and from children without liver disease (controls); messenger RNA (mRNA) was isolated, randomly assigned to discovery (n = 121) and validation sets (n = 50), and analyzed by RNA sequencing. Using the Superpc R package followed by Cox regression analysis, we sought to identify gene expression profiles that correlated with survival without liver transplantation at 24 months of age. We also searched for combinations of gene expression patterns, clinical factors, and laboratory results obtained at diagnosis and at 1 and 3 months after surgery that associated with transplant-free survival for 24 months of age. We induced biliary atresia in BALB/c mice by intraperitoneal administration of Rhesus rotavirus type A. Mice were given injections of the antioxidants N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) or manganese (III) tetrakis-(4-benzoic acid)porphyrin. Blood and liver tissues were collected and analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS We identified a gene expression pattern of 14 mRNAs associated with shorter vs longer survival times in the discovery and validation sets (P < .001). This gene expression signature, combined with level of bilirubin 3 months after hepatoportoenterostomy, identified children who survived for 24 months with an area under the curve value of 0.948 in the discovery set and 0.813 in the validation set (P < .001). Computer models correlated a cirrhosis-associated transcriptome with decreased times of transplant-free survival; this transcriptome included activation of genes that regulate the extracellular matrix and numbers of activated stellate cells and portal fibroblasts. Many mRNAs expressed at high levels in liver tissues from patients with 2-year transplant-free survival had enriched scores for glutathione metabolism. Among mice with biliary atresia given injections of antioxidants, only NAC reduced histologic features of liver damage and serum levels of aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and bilirubin. NAC also reduced bile duct obstruction and liver fibrosis and increased survival times. CONCLUSIONS In studies of liver tissues from infants with cholestasis, we identified a 14-gene expression pattern that associated with transplant-free survival for 2 years. mRNAs encoding proteins that regulate fibrosis genes were increased in liver tissues from infants who did not survive for 2 years, whereas mRNAs that encoded proteins that regulate glutathione metabolism were increased in infants who survived for 2 years. NAC reduced liver injury and fibrosis in mice with biliary atresia, and increased survival times. Agents such as NAC that promote glutathione metabolism might be developed for treatment of biliary atresia.
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26
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Biliary Atresia as a Disease Starting In Utero: Implications for Treatment, Diagnosis, and Pathogenesis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2019; 69:396-403. [PMID: 31335837 PMCID: PMC6942669 DOI: 10.1097/mpg.0000000000002450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common reason for pediatric liver transplant. BA's varied presentation, natural history, and treatment with the Kasai portoenterostomy have been well described; however, when BA starts relative to birth has not been clearly defined. In this review, we discuss laboratory, imaging, and clinical data which suggest that most if not all forms of BA may start before birth. This early onset has implications in terms of delivering treatments earlier and identifying possible factors underlying BA's etiology.
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27
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Wang AW, Zahm AM, Wangensteen KJ. Cell Type-specific Gene Expression Profiling in the Mouse Liver. J Vis Exp 2019:10.3791/60242. [PMID: 31609340 PMCID: PMC7507956 DOI: 10.3791/60242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver repopulation after injury is a crucial feature of mammals which prevents immediate organ failure and death after exposure of environmental toxins. A deeper understanding of the changes in gene expression that occur during repopulation could help identify therapeutic targets to promote the restoration of liver function in the setting of injuries. Nonetheless, methods to isolate specifically the repopulating hepatocytes are inhibited by a lack of cell markers, limited cell numbers, and the fragility of these cells. The development of translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) technology in conjunction with the Fah-/- mouse model to recapitulate repopulation in the setting of liver injury allows gene expression profiling of the repopulating hepatocytes. With TRAP, cell type-specific translating mRNA is rapidly and efficiently isolated. We developed a method that utilizes TRAP with affinity-based isolation of translating mRNA from hepatocytes that selectively express the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged ribosomal protein (RP), GFP:RPL10A. TRAP circumvents the long time period required for fluorescence-activated cell sorting that could change the gene expression profile. Furthermore, since only the repopulating hepatocytes express the GFP:RPL10A fusion protein, the isolated mRNA is devoid of contamination from the surrounding injured hepatocytes and other cell types in the liver. The affinity-purified mRNA is of high quality and allows downstream PCR- or high-throughput sequencing-based analysis of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber W Wang
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Adam M Zahm
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Kirk J Wangensteen
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania;
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28
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Lemaigre FP. Development of the Intrahepatic and Extrahepatic Biliary Tract: A Framework for Understanding Congenital Diseases. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2019; 15:1-22. [PMID: 31299162 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-012418-013013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The involvement of the biliary tract in the pathophysiology of liver diseases and the increased attention paid to bile ducts in the bioconstruction of liver tissue for regenerative therapy have fueled intense research into the fundamental mechanisms of biliary development. Here, I review the molecular, cellular and tissular mechanisms driving differentiation and morphogenesis of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. This review focuses on the dynamics of the transcriptional and signaling modules that promote biliary development in human and mouse liver and discusses studies in which the use of zebrafish uncovered unexplored processes in mammalian biliary development. The review concludes by providing a framework for interpreting the mechanisms that may help us understand the origin of congenital biliary diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric P Lemaigre
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
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29
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Rastogi A, Clark CW, Conlin SM, Brown SE, Timme-Laragy AR. Mapping glutathione utilization in the developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo. Redox Biol 2019; 26:101235. [PMID: 31202080 PMCID: PMC6581987 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutathione (GSH), the most abundant vertebrate endogenous redox buffer, plays key roles in organogenesis and embryonic development, however, organ-specific GSH utilization during development remains understudied. Monochlorobimane (MCB), a dye conjugated with GSH by glutathione-s-transferase (GST) to form a fluorescent adduct, was used to visualize organ-specific GSH utilization in live developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Embryos were incubated in 20 μM MCB for 1 h and imaged on an epifluorescence microscope. GSH conjugation with MCB was high during early organogenesis, decreasing as embryos aged. The heart had fluorescence 21-fold above autofluorescence at 24 hpf, dropping to 8.5-fold by 48 hpf; this increased again by 72 hpf to 23.5-fold, and stayed high till 96 hpf (18-fold). The brain had lower fluorescence (10-fold) at 24 and 48 hpf, steadily increasing to 30-fold by 96 hpf. The sensitivity and specificity of MCB staining was then tested with known GSH modulators. A 10-min treatment at 48 hpf with 750 μM tert-butylhydroperoxide, caused organ-specific reductions in staining, with the heart losing 30% fluorescence, and, the brain ventricle losing 47% fluorescence. A 24 h treatment from 24-48 hpf with 100 μM of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) resulted in significantly increased fluorescence, with the brain ventricle and heart showing 312% and 240% increases respectively, these were abolished upon co-treatment with 5 μM BSO, an inhibitor of the enzyme that utilizes NAC to synthesize GSH. A 60 min 100 μM treatment with ethacrynic acid, a specific GST inhibitor, caused 30% reduction in fluorescence across all measured structures. MCB staining was then applied to test for GSH disruptions caused by the toxicants perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and mono-(2-ethyl-hexyl)phthalate; MCB fluorescence responded in a dose, structure and age-dependent manner. MCB staining is a robust, sensitive method to detect spatiotemporal changes in GSH utilization, and, can be applied to identify sensitive target tissues of toxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archit Rastogi
- Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Christopher W Clark
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Sarah M Conlin
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Sarah E Brown
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Alicia R Timme-Laragy
- Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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30
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Friedmacher F, Ford K, Davenport M. Biliary atresia: a scientometric analysis of the global research architecture and scientific developments. JOURNAL OF HEPATO-BILIARY-PANCREATIC SCIENCES 2019; 26:201-210. [PMID: 30980482 DOI: 10.1002/jhbp.628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare cholangiopathy of largely unknown etiology and unpredictable outcome. There has been an increasing number of BA-related publications, which may challenge researchers to determine their actual scientific value. This study aimed to evaluate the global research activity and developments relating to BA using a combination of scientometric methodologies and visualization tools. A comprehensive search strategy for the Web of Science™ database was designed to obtain bibliographic data on scientific BA publications for the timespan 1900-2018. Research output of countries, institutions, individual authors and collaborative networks was analyzed. Semi-qualitative research measures including citation rate and h-index were assessed. Choropleth mapping and network diagrams were used to visualize results. In total, 4,459 publications on BA were identified (88.5% in English), originating from 63 countries. The largest number was published by the USA (n = 991; 22.2%), Japan (n = 667; 15.0%) and the UK (n = 294; 6.6%). The USA combined the highest number of cooperation articles (n = 140). The most productive collaborative network was established between the USA and Canada (n = 17). Scientific papers from the UK received the highest average citation rate (16.7), whereas the USA had the highest country-specific h-index (59). Eighty-eight (2.0%) items were published under the auspices of multicenter consortiums and registries. The most productive institutions and authors were based in the USA, the UK, Japan, France, Canada and Taiwan. BA-related research has constantly been progressing, becoming more multidisciplinary but with main research endeavors concentrated in a few high-income countries. Studies into pathogenesis of BA remain uncommon, but are sorely needed to foster true scientific progress with this rare disease. Hence, international collaborative and translational research should be strengthened to allow further evolution in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Friedmacher
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Royal London Hospital, London, UK
| | - Kathryn Ford
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK.,Department of Specialist Neonatal and Pediatric Surgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
| | - Mark Davenport
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK
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31
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A phase 2 trial of N-Acetylcysteine in Biliary atresia after Kasai portoenterostomy. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2019; 15:100370. [PMID: 31193715 PMCID: PMC6542754 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Biliary atresia (BA) is a life-threatening liver disease of infancy, characterized by extrahepatic biliary obstruction, bile retention, and progressive liver injury. The Kasai portoenterostomy (KP) is BA's only nontransplant treatment. Its success is variable and depends on restoration of hepatic bile flow. Many adjunctive therapeutics have been studied to improve outcomes after the KP, but none demonstrate effectiveness. This study tests if N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor to the choleretic glutathione, improves bile flow after KP. Methods This report describes the design of an open-label, single center, Phase 2 study to determine the effect of NAC following KP on markers of bile flow and outcomes in BA. The intervention is intravenous NAC (150 mg/kg/day) administered continuously for seven days starting 0-24 h after KP. The primary outcome is normalization of total serum bile acid (TSBA) concentrations within 24 weeks of KP. The secondary objectives are to describe NAC therapy's effect on other clinical parameters followed in BA for 24 months and to report adverse events occurring with therapy. This study follows the "minimax" clinical trial design. Discussion This is the first clinical trial to test NAC's effectiveness in improving bile flow after KP in BA. It introduces three important concepts for future BA therapeutic trials: (1) the "minimax" study design, a pertinent design for rare diseases because it detects potential effects quickly with small subject size; (2) the more sensitive bile flow marker, TSBAs, which may correlate with positive long-term outcomes better than traditional bile flow markers such as serum bilirubin; and (3) liver enzyme changes immediately after KP, which can be a guideline for potential drug-induced liver injury in other BA peri-operative adjunctive therapeutic trials.
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Key Words
- ALT, Alanine transaminase
- AST, Aspartate aminotransferase
- BA, Biliary atresia
- Bc, Conjugated bilirubin
- Biliary atresia
- DILI, Drug-induced liver injury
- DSMB, Data and Safety Monitoring Board
- DoL, Day of life
- Drug-induced liver injury
- FDA, Food and Drug administration
- GGT, Gamma-glutamlytransferase
- IOC, Intraoperative cholangiogram
- KP, Kasai portoenterostomy
- Kasai portoenterostomy
- Minimax design
- N-acetylcysteine
- NAC, N-acetylcysteine
- START, Steroids in Biliary Atresia Randomized Trial
- Serum bile acids
- TB, Total bilirubin
- TCH, Texas Children's Hospital
- TSBA, Total serum bile acids
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Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a neonatal liver disease characterized by progressive obstruction and fibrosis of the extrahepatic biliary tree as well as fibrosis and inflammation of the liver parenchyma. Recent studies found that infants who will go on to develop BA have elevated direct bilirubin levels in the first few days of life, suggesting that the disease starts in utero. The etiology and pathogenesis of BA, however, remain unknown. Here, we discuss recent studies examining potential pathogenetic mechanisms of BA, including genetic susceptibility, involvement of the immune system, and environmental insults such as viruses and toxins, although it is possible that there is not a single etiological agent but rather a large group of injurious insults that result in a final common pathway of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction and liver fibrosis. The management and diagnosis of BA have not advanced significantly in the past decade, but given recent advances in understanding the timing and potential pathogenesis of BA, we are hopeful that the next decade will bring early diagnostics and novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Wehrman
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Orith Waisbourd-Zinman
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach-Tiqva, Israel
| | - Rebecca G Wells
- Medicine and Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Abstract
Cholestasis is a condition that impairs bile flow, resulting in retention of bile fluid in the liver. It may cause significant morbidity and mortality due to pruritus, malnutrition, and complications from portal hypertension secondary to biliary cirrhosis. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a valuable model organism for studying cholestasis that complements with the in vitro systems and rodent models. Its main advantages include conserved mechanisms of liver development and bile formation, rapid external development, ease of monitoring hepatobiliary morphology and function in live larvae, and accessibility to genetic and chemical manipulations. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the existing zebrafish models of cholestatic liver diseases. We discuss the strengths and limitations of using zebrafish to study cholestasis. We also provide step-by-step descriptions of the methodologies for analyzing cholestatic phenotypes in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc-Hung Pham
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. .,Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Bezerra JA, Wells RG, Mack CL, Karpen SJ, Hoofnagle J, Doo E, Sokol RJ. Biliary Atresia: Clinical and Research Challenges for the Twenty-First Century. Hepatology 2018; 68:1163-1173. [PMID: 29604222 PMCID: PMC6167205 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Biliary atresia (BA) is a fibroinflammatory disease of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary tree. Surgical hepatic portoenterostomy (HPE) may restore bile drainage, but progression of the intrahepatic disease results in complications of portal hypertension and advanced cirrhosis in most children. Recognizing that further progress in the field is unlikely without a better understanding of the underlying cause(s) and pathogenesis of the disease, the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) sponsored a research workshop focused on innovative and promising approaches and on identifying future areas of research. Investigators discussed recent advances using gestational ultrasound and results of newborn BA screening with serum direct (conjugated) bilirubin that support a prenatal onset of biliary injury. Experimental and human studies implicate the toxic properties of environmental toxins (e.g., biliatresone) and of viruses (e.g., cytomegalovirus) to the biliary system. Among host factors, sequence variants in genes related to biliary development and ciliopathies, a notable lack of a cholangiocyte glycocalyx and of submucosal collagen bundles in the neonatal extrahepatic bile ducts, and an innate proinflammatory bias of the neonatal immune system contribute to an increased susceptibility to damage and obstruction following epithelial injury. These advances form the foundation for a future research agenda focused on identifying the environmental and host factor(s) that cause BA, the potential use of population screening, studies of the mechanisms of prominent fibrosis in young infants, determinations of clinical surrogates of disease progression, and the design of clinical trials that target subgroups of patients with initial drainage following HPE. (Hepatology 2018; 00:000-000).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A. Bezerra
- Liver Care Center of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rebecca G. Wells
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cara L. Mack
- Pediatric Liver Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado and Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Saul J. Karpen
- Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jay Hoofnagle
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Edward Doo
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ronald J. Sokol
- Pediatric Liver Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado and Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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35
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Ober EA, Lemaigre FP. Development of the liver: Insights into organ and tissue morphogenesis. J Hepatol 2018; 68:1049-1062. [PMID: 29339113 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent development of improved tools and methods to analyse tissues at the three-dimensional level has expanded our capacity to investigate morphogenesis of foetal liver. Here, we review the key morphogenetic steps during liver development, from the prehepatic endoderm stage to the postnatal period, and consider several model organisms while focussing on the mammalian liver. We first discuss how the liver buds out of the endoderm and gives rise to an asymmetric liver. We next outline the mechanisms driving liver and lobe growth, and review morphogenesis of the intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts; morphogenetic responses of the biliary tract to liver injury are discussed. Finally, we describe the mechanisms driving formation of the vasculature, namely venous and arterial vessels, as well as sinusoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke A Ober
- Novo Nordisk Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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36
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Pham DH, Zhang C, Yin C. Using zebrafish to model liver diseases-Where do we stand? CURRENT PATHOBIOLOGY REPORTS 2017; 5:207-221. [PMID: 29098121 DOI: 10.1007/s40139-017-0141-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review The liver is the largest internal organ and performs both exocrine and endocrine function that is necessary for survival. Liver failure is among the leading causes of death and represents a major global health burden. Liver transplantation is the only effective treatment for end-stage liver diseases. Animal models advance our understanding of liver disease etiology and hold promise for the development of alternative therapies. Zebrafish has become an increasingly popular system for modeling liver diseases and complements the rodent models. Recent Findings The zebrafish liver contains main cell types that are found in mammalian liver and exhibits similar pathogenic responses to environmental insults and genetic mutations. Zebrafish have been used to model neonatal cholestasis, cholangiopathies, such as polycystic liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It also provides a unique opportunity to study the plasticity of liver parenchymal cells during regeneration. Summary In this review, we summarize the recent work of building zebrafish models of liver diseases. We highlight how these studies have brought new knowledge of disease mechanisms. We also discuss the advantages and challenges of using zebrafish to model liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc-Hung Pham
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Changwen Zhang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
| | - Chunyue Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA.,Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, USA
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37
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Wang S, Miller SR, Ober EA, Sadler KC. Making It New Again: Insight Into Liver Development, Regeneration, and Disease From Zebrafish Research. Curr Top Dev Biol 2017; 124:161-195. [PMID: 28335859 PMCID: PMC6450094 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The adult liver of most vertebrates is predominantly comprised of hepatocytes. However, these cells must work in concert with biliary, stellate, vascular, and immune cells to accomplish the vast array of hepatic functions required for physiological homeostasis. Our understanding of liver development was accelerated as zebrafish emerged as an ideal vertebrate system to study embryogenesis. Through work in zebrafish and other models, it is now clear that the cells in the liver develop in a coordinated fashion during embryogenesis through a complex yet incompletely understood set of molecular guidelines. Zebrafish research has uncovered many key players that govern the acquisition of hepatic potential, cell fate, and plasticity. Although rare, some hepatobiliary diseases-especially biliary atresia-are caused by developmental defects; we discuss how research using zebrafish to study liver development has informed our understanding of and approaches to liver disease. The liver can be injured in response to an array of stressors including viral, mechanical/surgical, toxin-induced, immune-mediated, or inborn defects in metabolism. The liver has thus evolved the capacity to efficiently repair and regenerate. We discuss the emerging field of using zebrafish to study liver regeneration and highlight recent advances where zebrafish genetics and imaging approaches have provided novel insights into how cell plasticity contributes to liver regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wang
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sophie R Miller
- Danish Stem Cell Center (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Elke A Ober
- Danish Stem Cell Center (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kirsten C Sadler
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Waisbourd‐Zinman O, Koh H, Tsai S, Lavrut P, Dang C, Zhao X, Pack M, Cave J, Hawes M, Koo KA, Porter JR, Wells RG. The toxin biliatresone causes mouse extrahepatic cholangiocyte damage and fibrosis through decreased glutathione and SOX17. Hepatology 2016; 64:880-93. [PMID: 27081925 PMCID: PMC4992464 DOI: 10.1002/hep.28599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Revised: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Biliary atresia, the most common indication for pediatric liver transplantation, is a fibrotic disease of unknown etiology affecting the extrahepatic bile ducts of newborns. The recently described toxin biliatresone causes lumen obstruction in mouse cholangiocyte spheroids and represents a new model of biliary atresia. The goal of this study was to determine the cellular changes caused by biliatresone in mammalian cells that ultimately lead to biliary atresia and extrahepatic fibrosis. We treated mouse cholangiocytes in three-dimensional (3D) spheroid culture and neonatal extrahepatic duct explants with biliatresone and compounds that regulate glutathione (GSH). We examined the effects of biliatresone on SOX17 levels and determined the effects of Sox17 knockdown on cholangiocytes in 3D culture. We found that biliatresone caused disruption of cholangiocyte apical polarity and loss of monolayer integrity. Spheroids treated with biliatresone had increased permeability as shown by rhodamine efflux within 5 hours compared with untreated spheroids, which retained rhodamine for longer than 12 hours. Neonatal bile duct explants treated with the toxin showed lumen obstruction with increased subepithelial staining for α-smooth muscle actin and collagen, consistent with fibrosis. Biliatresone caused a rapid and transient decrease in GSH, which was both necessary and sufficient to mediate its effects in cholangiocyte spheroid and bile duct explant systems. It also caused a significant decrease in cholangiocyte levels of SOX17, and Sox17 knockdown in cholangiocyte spheroids mimicked the effects of biliatresone. CONCLUSION Biliatresone decreases GSH and SOX17 in mouse cholangiocytes. In 3D cell systems, this leads to cholangiocyte monolayer damage and increased permeability; in extrahepatic bile duct explants, it leads to disruption of the extrahepatic biliary tree and subepithelial fibrosis. This mechanism may be important in understanding human biliary atresia. (Hepatology 2016;64:880-893).
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Affiliation(s)
- Orith Waisbourd‐Zinman
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and NutritionThe Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Hong Koh
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA,Department of PediatricsYonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's HospitalSeoulSouth Korea
| | - Shannon Tsai
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Pierre‐Marie Lavrut
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Christine Dang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of the SciencesPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Xiao Zhao
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Michael Pack
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Jeff Cave
- Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and ResourcesGovernment of VictoriaVictoriaAustralia
| | - Mark Hawes
- Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and ResourcesGovernment of VictoriaVictoriaAustralia
| | - Kyung A. Koo
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of the SciencesPhiladelphiaPA
| | - John R. Porter
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of the SciencesPhiladelphiaPA
| | - Rebecca G. Wells
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA
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Walesky C, Goessling W. Nature and nurture: Environmental toxins and biliary atresia. Hepatology 2016; 64:717-9. [PMID: 27349921 DOI: 10.1002/hep.28701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chad Walesky
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Wolfram Goessling
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Gastroenterology Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.,Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA
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