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Liu QQ, Chen J, Ma T, Huang W, Lu CH. DCDC2 inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation and ameliorates CCl 4-induced liver fibrosis by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9425. [PMID: 38658618 PMCID: PMC11043443 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59698-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis, as a consequence of chronic liver disease, involves the activation of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) caused by various chronic liver injuries. Emerging evidence suggests that activation of HSC during an inflammatory state can lead to abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Investigating novel strategies to inhibit HSC activation and proliferation holds significant importance for the treatment of liver fibrosis. As a member of the doublecortin domain-containing family, doublecortin domain containing 2 (DCDC2) mutations can lead to neonatal sclerosing cholangitis, but its involvement in liver fibrosis remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the role of DCDC2 in liver fibrosis. Our findings revealed a reduction in DCDC2 expression in both human fibrotic liver tissues and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced mouse liver fibrotic tissues. Furthermore, exposure to transforming growth factor beta-1(TGF-β1) stimulation resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in DCDC2 expression. The overexpression of DCDC2 inhibited the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and type I collagen alpha 1 (Col1α1), and reduced the activation of HSC stimulated with TGF-β1. Additionally, we provided evidence that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was involved in this process, wherein DCDC2 was observed to inhibit β-catenin activation, thereby preventing its nuclear translocation. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that DCDC2 could attenuate the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like processes of HSC. In vivo, exogenous DCDC2 could ameliorate CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. In summary, DCDC2 was remarkably downregulated in liver fibrotic tissues of both humans and mice, as well as in TGF-β1-activated HSC. DCDC2 inhibited the activation of HSC induced by TGF-β1 in vitro and fibrogenic changes in vivo, suggesting that it is a promising therapeutic target for liver fibrosis and warrants further investigation in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Qing Liu
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Tao Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
| | - Cui-Hua Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
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2
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Luo YQ, Zhang CY, Nong XZ, Gao Y, Wang L, Ji G, Wu T. Metabolomics in cirrhosis: Recent advances and opportunities. Clin Chim Acta 2024; 557:117886. [PMID: 38556135 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2024.117886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Liver cirrhosis (LC) represents a significant hepatic disorder that persistently commands the attention of the scientific community, especially concerning its pathogenesis and therapeutic approaches. Metabolomics, the comprehensive profiling of an organism's metabolome, has been increasingly applied in the research of cirrhosis over the past decade. This review summarizes the recent advancements and applications of metabolomics within the context of LC research, in recent five years. It highlights the role of metabolomics in the diagnosis of LC, the assessment of prognostic markers, and the evaluation of therapeutic outcomes. The discussion focuses on the potential and challenges of metabolomics in LC research, including the evolution of analytical technologies, advancements in bioinformatics, and the challenges impeding clinical implementation. Additionally, the review anticipates the forthcoming developments in metabolomics related to LC research, with the objective of facilitating innovative approaches for early detection and intervention in LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Qun Luo
- Department of Hepatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Cai-Yun Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xia-Zhen Nong
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Hepatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Guang Ji
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Tao Wu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
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3
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Lan T, Chen B, Hu X, Cao J, Chen S, Ding X, Li S, Fu Y, Liu H, Luo D, Rong X, Guo J. Tianhuang formula ameliorates liver fibrosis by inhibiting CCL2-CCR2 axis and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. J Ethnopharmacol 2024; 321:117516. [PMID: 38042390 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.117516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE In the progression of chronic liver diseases, liver fibrosis is a reversible pathophysiologic event for liver diseases prognosis and risk of cirrhosis. Liver injury factors of different etiologies mediate this process. There is still a lack of effective medications for treating liver fibrosis. Additionally, the ameliorative effects of traditional herbs on liver fibrosis have been commonly reported. Tianhuang formula (THF) is a drug combination consisting of 2 traditional Chinese herbs, which has been showing significant improvement in metabolic liver diseases. However, the hepatoprotective effect and mechanism of THF in ameliorating liver fibrosis are still unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aimed to investigate the effects of THF on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced and methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced liver fibrosis model and to reveal the potential mechanisms. It can provide experimental evidence for THF as a therapeutic candidate for liver fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, CCl4-induced mice were treated with THF (80 mg/kg, 160 mg/kg) or Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) capsules (4.8 g/kg) for 6 weeks. MCD-induced mice received the same doses of THF or FZHY for 4 weeks. FZHY is used as a comparative study in these two models. Following that, using kit reagents detected changes in relevant serum and liver biochemical indicators. Histological changes in mouse liver were measured by staining of H&E and Sirius Red. The markers expression of liver fibrosis and inflammation were detected using qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemical staining analysis. The potential regulatory mechanism of THF to ameliorate liver fibrosis was performed by RNA-sequencing analysis. Finally, the analysis results were verified by immunofluorescence co-staining, qRT-PCR and western blotting. RESULTS Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels in CCl4 and MCD-induced liver fibrosis mice were significantly improved after THF treatment. Meanwhile, the expression of fibrosis and inflammation markers were significantly suppressed. Furthermore, THF downregulated the expression of the macrophage marker CD68. According to RNA-sequencing analysis, we found the CCL2-CCR2 axis and MAPK/NF-κB as the potential signaling pathway for THF against liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION This study revealed that THF ameliorated liver injury, inflammation and fibrotic process by inhibiting CCL2-CCR2 axis and its downstream MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Lan
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Bo Chen
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Xianzhe Hu
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Jiafan Cao
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Shiyun Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Xin Ding
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Shengwen Li
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Yanfang Fu
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Huanle Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Duosheng Luo
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Xianglu Rong
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Jiao Guo
- Guangdong Metabolic Diseases Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong TCM Key Laboratory for Metabolic Diseases, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Institute of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 280 Wai Huan Dong Road, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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Li Y, Chen Y, Kuang J, Deng S, Wang Y. Intermittent hypoxia induces hepatic senescence through promoting oxidative stress in a mouse model. Sleep Breath 2024; 28:183-191. [PMID: 37453998 DOI: 10.1007/s11325-023-02878-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is an aging-related disease. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may cause MAFLD. This study aimed to explore whether or not intermittent hypoxia (IH), the hallmark of OSA, induces liver aging through oxidative stress. METHODS C57BL/6J male mice were administered normal air (control), IH, or antioxidant tempol + IH daily for 6 weeks before the collection of serum and liver tissue samples. A histological examination was conducted to assess liver aging. ELISA was performed to measure liver function indicator levels in the serum and oxidative stress indicator activities in the liver. Western blot analysis was carried out to determine the protein expression of the markers related to oxidative stress, inflammation, and senescence. RESULTS Compared with control, IH resulted in significant increases in serum ALT, AST, and TG levels in mice (all P < 0.001), along with lobular inflammation and accumulation of collagen and fat in the liver. The protein levels of inflammatory factors and senescent markers were significantly increased in the IH mouse liver compared with those in the control mouse liver. Meanwhile, IH significantly reduced SOD and CAT activities while enhancing p22phox and Nrf2 protein expression in mouse liver compared with control. Importantly, antioxidant therapy with tempol effectively abrogated the effects of IH on oxidative stress response and aging-related liver injury. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that IH induces liver inflammation and aging through oxidative stress. OSA may exacerbate target organ aging and participate in target organ damage. Strategies targeting oxidative stress may prevent and treat OSA-related MAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayong Li
- Department of Emergency, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yuanguo Chen
- Department of Emergency, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jingjie Kuang
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Silei Deng
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yina Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Kovner AV, Kapushchak YK, Zaparina O, Mordvinov VA, Pakharukova MY. Hepatic vascular changes associated with Opisthorchis felineus infection in Syrian hamsters and humans. Acta Trop 2024; 250:107100. [PMID: 38101765 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The liver fluke Opisthorchis felineus is a foodborne zoonotic pathogen endemic to Russia, Kazakhstan, and several European countries. The adult flukes affect the hepatobiliary system of piscivorous mammals and humans, thereby causing numerous complications, including liver fibrosis. Detailing the mechanisms of progression of the fibrotic complications is a hot topic in the field of research on opisthorchiasis pathogenesis. Pathologic angiogenesis appears to be associated with the fibrogenic progression due to active participation in the recruitment of inflammatory cells and many factors involved in the modulation of the extracellular matrix. The aim of the study was to evaluate neoangiogenesis and amyloid deposits in liver tissues of model animals and patients with confirmed chronic opisthorchiasis. In addition, we assessed a possible correlation of neoangiogenesis with liver fibrosis. We found a significant increase in the number of newly formed vessels and amyloid deposits in the liver of people with chronic opisthorchiasis compared to that of uninfected ones. Thus, for the first time we have demonstrated neoangiogenesis and amyloid deposits during O. felineus infection in a Mesocricetus auratus model. Regression analysis showed that CD34+ newly formed vessels correlate with fibrosis severity in the course of the infection. Our results indicate the potential contribution of angiogenesis to the progression of liver fibrosis, associated with O. felineus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V Kovner
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics (ICG), Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), 10 Ak. Lavrentiev Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Yaroslav K Kapushchak
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics (ICG), Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), 10 Ak. Lavrentiev Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Oxana Zaparina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics (ICG), Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), 10 Ak. Lavrentiev Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Viatcheslav A Mordvinov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics (ICG), Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), 10 Ak. Lavrentiev Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Maria Y Pakharukova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics (ICG), Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), 10 Ak. Lavrentiev Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova Str., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 2 Ak. Timakova Str., Novosibirsk, 630117, Russia
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6
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Parola M, Pinzani M. Liver fibrosis in NAFLD/NASH: from pathophysiology towards diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Mol Aspects Med 2024; 95:101231. [PMID: 38056058 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis, as an excess deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, results from chronic liver injury as well as persistent activation of inflammatory response and of fibrogenesis. Liver fibrosis is a major determinant for chronic liver disease (CLD) progression and in the last two decades our understanding on the major molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the fibrogenic progression of CLD has dramatically improved, boosting pre-clinical studies and clinical trials designed to find novel therapeutic approaches. From these studies several critical concepts have emerged, starting to reveal the complexity of the pro-fibrotic microenvironment which involves very complex, dynamic and interrelated interactions between different hepatic and extrahepatic cell populations. This review will offer first a recapitulation of established and novel pathophysiological basic principles and concepts by intentionally focus the attention on NAFLD/NASH, a metabolic-related form of CLD with a high impact on the general population and emerging as a leading cause of CLD worldwide. NAFLD/NASH-related pro-inflammatory and profibrogenic mechanisms will be analysed as well as novel information on cells, mediators and signalling pathways which have taken advantage from novel methodological approaches and techniques (single cell genomics, imaging mass cytometry, novel in vitro two- and three-dimensional models, etc.). We will next offer an overview on recent advancement in diagnostic and prognostic tools, including serum biomarkers and polygenic scores, to support the analysis of liver biopsies. Finally, this review will provide an analysis of current and emerging therapies for the treatment of NAFLD/NASH patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Parola
- Dept. Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Torino, Corso Raffaello 30, 10125, Torino, Italy.
| | - Massimo Pinzani
- UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Division of Medicine - Royal Free Hospital, London, NW32PF, United Kingdom.
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7
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Chen S, Zhu B, Luo Z, Wang Y, Hu Q, Zhou L. The Fibrosis-5 Index Predicts Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. Angiology 2024:33197241231051. [PMID: 38293928 DOI: 10.1177/00033197241231051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the fibrosis-5 (FIB-5) index as a marker of liver fibrosis for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 406 STEMI patients were enrolled in the study. Over an average follow-up of 27 months, 143 of the patients developed MACE. The patients were subgrouped into tertiles based on the FIB-5 index and Kaplan-Meier survival (MACE-free) curves were plotted, showing statistically significant differences (log-rank test, P < .001). In the adjusted Cox regression model, the hazard ratio (HR) of MACE was 1.95 (95% CI 1.21-3.13; P = .006) in tertile 3 and 0.98 (95% CI 0.97-1.00; P = .013) for per unit increase in the FIB-5 index. The area under the curve (AUC) of the FIB-5 index predicting the occurrence of MACE in STEMI patients after PCI was 0.645 (95% CI 0.590-0.701; P < .001). Low FIB-5 may be a useful predictor of MACE in STEMI patients undergoing PCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senjiang Chen
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bouwei Zhu
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zan Luo
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yinchao Wang
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qingqing Hu
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhou
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Chen C, Cai H, Shen J, Zhang X, Peng W, Li C, Lv H, Wen T. Exploration of a hypoxia-immune-related microenvironment gene signature and prediction model for hepatitis C-induced early-stage fibrosis. J Transl Med 2024; 22:116. [PMID: 38287425 PMCID: PMC10826039 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04912-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver fibrosis contributes to significant morbidity and mortality in Western nations, primarily attributed to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Hypoxia and immune status have been reported to be significantly correlated with the progression of liver fibrosis. The current research aimed to investigate the gene signature related to the hypoxia-immune-related microenvironment and identify potential targets for liver fibrosis. METHOD Sequencing data obtained from GEO were employed to assess the hypoxia and immune status of the discovery set utilizing UMAP and ESTIMATE methods. The prognostic genes were screened utilizing the LASSO model. The infiltration level of 22 types of immune cells was quantified utilizing CIBERSORT, and a prognosis-predictive model was established based on the selected genes. The model was also verified using qRT-PCR with surgical resection samples and liver failure samples RNA-sequencing data. RESULTS Elevated hypoxia and immune status were linked to an unfavorable prognosis in HCV-induced early-stage liver fibrosis. Increased plasma and resting NK cell infiltration were identified as a risk factor for liver fibrosis progression. Additionally, CYP1A2, CBS, GSTZ1, FOXA1, WDR72 and UHMK1 were determined as hypoxia-immune-related protective genes. The combined model effectively predicted patient prognosis. Furthermore, the preliminary validation of clinical samples supported most of the conclusions drawn from this study. CONCLUSION The prognosis-predictive model developed using six hypoxia-immune-related genes effectively predicts the prognosis and progression of liver fibrosis. The current study opens new avenues for the future prediction and treatment of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuwen Chen
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Si Chuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Haozheng Cai
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Si Chuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Junyi Shen
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Si Chuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zhang
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Si Chuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wei Peng
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Si Chuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chuan Li
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Si Chuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Haopeng Lv
- Department of General Surgery, ChengDu Shi Xinjin Qu Renmin Yiyuan: People's Hospital of Xinjin District, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianfu Wen
- Division of Liver Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Si Chuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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9
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Mücke MM, El Bali N, Schwarzkopf KM, Uschner FE, Kraus N, Eberle L, Mücke VT, Bein J, Beyer S, Wild PJ, Schierwagen R, Klein S, Zeuzem S, Welsch C, Trebicka J, Brieger A. The Role of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Alpha in Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1542. [PMID: 38338821 PMCID: PMC10855542 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is associated with increased mortality. Specific therapy options are limited. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) has been linked to the pathogenesis of chronic liver disease (CLD), but the role of HIF-1α in ACLF is poorly understood. In the current study, different etiologies of CLD and precipitating events triggering ACLF were used in four rodent models. HIF-1α expression and the intracellular pathway of HIF-1α induction were investigated using real-time quantitative PCR. The results were verified by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry for extrahepatic HIF-1α expression using transcriptome analysis. Exploratory immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess HIF-1α in human liver tissue. Intrahepatic HIF-1α expression was significantly increased in all animals with ACLF, regardless of the underlying etiology of CLD or the precipitating event. The induction of HIF-1α was accompanied by the increased mRNA expression of NFkB1 and STAT3 and resulted in a marked elevation of mRNA levels of its downstream genes. Extrahepatic HIF-1α expression was not elevated. In human liver tissue samples, HIF-1α expression was elevated in CLD and ACLF. Increased intrahepatic HIF-1α expression seems to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ACLF, and future studies are pending to investigate the role of therapeutic HIF inhibitors in ACLF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus M. Mücke
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Nihad El Bali
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Katharina M. Schwarzkopf
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Frank Erhard Uschner
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
- Department of Internal Medicine B, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Nico Kraus
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Larissa Eberle
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Victoria Therese Mücke
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Julia Bein
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sandra Beyer
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Peter J. Wild
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Robert Schierwagen
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
- Department of Internal Medicine B, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Sabine Klein
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
- Department of Internal Medicine B, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Stefan Zeuzem
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Christoph Welsch
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Jonel Trebicka
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
- Department of Internal Medicine B, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Angela Brieger
- Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (K.M.S.); (A.B.)
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An Y, Xu C, Liu W, Jiang J, Ye P, Yang M, Zhu W, Yu J, Yu M, Sun W, Hong J, Qiu H, Wei W, Zhang S. Angiotensin II type-2 receptor attenuates liver fibrosis progression by suppressing IRE1α-XBP1 pathway. Cell Signal 2024; 113:110935. [PMID: 37866666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been recognized as a crucial contributor to the development of liver fibrosis, and AT2R, an essential component of RAS, is involved in the progression of liver fibrosis. However, the underlying mechanisms by which AT2R modulates liver fibrosis remain elusive. Here, we report that AT2R was induced to be highly expressed during the progression of liver fibrosis, and the elevated AT2R attenuates liver fibrosis by suppressing IRE1α-XBP1 pathway. In this study, we found that AT2R is not expressed in the no cirrhotic adult liver, but is induced expression during liver fibrosis in both cirrhotic patients and fibrotic mice models. Upregulated AT2R inhibits the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In addition, our study showed that during liver fibrosis, AT2R deletion increased the dimerization activation of IRE1α and promoted XBP1 splicing, and the spliced XBP1s could promote their transcription by binding to the AT2R promoter and repress the IRE1α-XBP1 axis, forming an AT2R-IRE1α-XBP1 negative feedback loop. Importantly, the combination treatment of an AT2R agonist and an endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) alleviator significantly attenuated liver fibrosis in a mouse model of liver fibrosis. Therefore, we conclude that the AT2R-IRE1α signaling pathway can regulate the progression of liver fibrosis, and AT2R is a new potential therapeutic target for treating liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue An
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Changyong Xu
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Wenmin Liu
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ji Jiang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Pengfei Ye
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Weihua Zhu
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jingjing Yu
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Manman Yu
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Wuyi Sun
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jian Hong
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Huan Qiu
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - Wei Wei
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - Shihao Zhang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University; Key Laboratory of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Centre of Anti-Inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei 230032, China.
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11
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Chen N, Liu S, Qin D, Guan D, Chen Y, Hou C, Zheng S, Wang L, Chen X, Chen W, Zhang L. Fate tracking reveals differences between Reelin + hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and Desmin + HSCs in activation, migration and proliferation. Cell Prolif 2023; 56:e13500. [PMID: 37246473 PMCID: PMC10693182 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the main cause of liver fibrogenesis in response to different etiologies of chronic liver injuries. HSCs are heterogeneous, but the lack of specific markers to distinguish different HSC subset hinders the development of targeted therapy for liver fibrosis. In this study, we aim to reveal new HSC subsets by cell fate tracking. We constructed a novel ReelinCreERT2 transgenic mouse model to track the fate of cells expressing Reelin and their progeny (Reelin+ cells). And we investigated the property of Reelin+ cells, such as differentiation and proliferation, in hepatotoxic (carbon tetrachloride; CCl4 ) or cholestatic (bile duct ligation; BDL) liver injury models by immunohistochemistry. Our study revealed that Reelin+ cells were a new HSC subset. In terms of activation, migration, and proliferation, Reelin+ HSCs displayed different properties from Desmin+ HSCs (total HSCs) in cholestatic liver injury model but shared similar properties to total HSCs in hepatotoxic liver injury model. Besides, we did not find evidence that Reelin+ HSCs transdifferentiated into hepatocytes or cholangiocytes through mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET). In this study, our genetic cell fate tracking data reveal that ReelinCreERT2-labelled cells are a new HSC subset, which provides new insights into targeted therapy for liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine/Bio‐medical Center/Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Shenghui Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine/Bio‐medical Center/Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Dan Qin
- College of Veterinary Medicine/Bio‐medical Center/Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Dian Guan
- College of Veterinary Medicine/Bio‐medical Center/Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Yaqing Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine/Bio‐medical Center/Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Chenjiao Hou
- College of Veterinary Medicine/Bio‐medical Center/Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Songyun Zheng
- College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Liqiang Wang
- Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney DiseasesNational Clinical Research Center for Kidney DiseasesBeijingChina
| | - Xiangmei Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Institute of Nephrology, State Key Laboratory of Kidney DiseasesNational Clinical Research Center for Kidney DiseasesBeijingChina
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Biosystems Engineering and Food ScienceZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Lisheng Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine/Bio‐medical Center/Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
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12
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Gong L, Zhou H, Zhang Y, Wang C, Fu K, Ma C, Li Y. Preparation of Phillygenin-Hyaluronic acid composite milk-derived exosomes and its anti-hepatic fibrosis effect. Mater Today Bio 2023; 23:100804. [PMID: 37753374 PMCID: PMC10518489 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis remains a serious problem affecting the health of millions of people worldwide. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the main effector cells in liver fibrosis and their activation could lead to extracellular matrix deposition, which may aggravate the development of liver fibrosis and inflammation. Previous studies have reported the potential of Phillygenin (PHI) as a hepatoprotective agent to inhibit HSCs activation and fibrosis development. However, the poor water solubility of PHI hinders its clinical application as a potential anti-liver fibrosis therapy. Milk-derived exosomes (mEXO) serve as scalable nanocarriers for delivering chemotherapeutic agents due to their excellent biocompatibility. Here, we developed a PHI-Hyaluronic acid (HA) composite mEXO (PHI-HA-mEXO) drug delivery system, in which DSPE-PEG2000-HA was conjugated to the surface of mEXO to prepare HA-mEXO, and PHI was encapsulated into HA-mEXO to form PHI-HA-mEXO. As a specific receptor for HA, CD44 is frequently over-expressed during liver fibrosis and highly expressed on the surface of activated HSCs (aHSCs). PHI-HA-mEXO can bind to CD44 and enter aHSCs through endocytosis and release PHI. PHI-HA-mEXO drug delivery system can significantly induce aHSCs death without affecting quiescent HSCs (qHSCs) and hepatocytes. Furthermore, we carried out in vitro and in vivo experiments and found that PHI-HA-mEXO could alleviate liver fibrosis through aHSCs-targeted mechanism. In conclusion, the favorable biosafety and superior anti-hepatic fibrosis effects suggest a promising potential of PHI-HA-mEXO in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis. However, detailed pharmokinetics and dose-responsive experiments of PHI-HA-mEXO and the mechanism of mEXO loading drugs are still required before PHI-HA-mEXO can be applied clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yafang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of StandardizatAion for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of StandardizatAion for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Ke Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of StandardizatAion for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Cheng Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of StandardizatAion for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yunxia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of StandardizatAion for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
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13
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Jing H, Ren Y, Zhou Y, Xu M, Krizkova S, Heger Z, Lu Q, Wang S, Liang X, Adam V, Li N. Remodeling of the liver fibrosis microenvironment based on nilotinib-loaded multicatalytic nanozymes with boosted antifibrogenic activity. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:5030-5047. [PMID: 38045041 PMCID: PMC10692490 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a reversible pathological process caused by chronic liver damage and a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is considered the main target for liver fibrosis therapy. However, the efficiency of this strategy is limited due to the complex microenvironment of liver fibrosis, including excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and hypoxia-induced imbalanced ECM metabolism. Herein, nilotinib (NIL)-loaded hyaluronic acid (HA)-coated Ag@Pt nanotriangular nanozymes (APNH NTs) were developed to inhibit HSCs activation and remodel the microenvironment of liver fibrosis. APNH NTs efficiently eliminated intrahepatic reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to their inherent superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, thereby downregulating the expression of NADPH oxidase-4 (NOX-4) and inhibiting HSCs activation. Simultaneously, the oxygen produced by the APNH NTs further alleviated the hypoxic microenvironment. Importantly, the released NIL promoted collagen depletion by suppressing the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), thus synergistically remodeling the microenvironment of liver fibrosis. Notably, an in vivo study in CCl4-induced mice revealed that APNH NTs exhibited significant antifibrogenic effects without obvious long-term toxicity. Taken together, the data from this work suggest that treatment with the synthesized APNH NTs provides an enlightening strategy for remodeling the microenvironment of liver fibrosis with boosted antifibrogenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaqing Jing
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yingzi Ren
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yue Zhou
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Min Xu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Sona Krizkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno 61300, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Heger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno 61300, Czech Republic
| | - Qiang Lu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xiaoyang Liang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Vojtech Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno 61300, Czech Republic
| | - Nan Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Ning L, Zou Y, Li S, Cao Y, Xu B, Zhang S, Cai Y. Anti-PCSK9 Treatment Attenuates Liver Fibrosis via Inhibiting Hypoxia-Induced Autophagy in Hepatocytes. Inflammation 2023; 46:2102-2119. [PMID: 37466835 PMCID: PMC10673768 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-023-01865-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia and its induced autophagy are involved in the initiation and progression of liver fibrosis. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has been recognized as a potential regulator of autophagy. Our previously reported study found that PCSK9 expression increased in liver fibrosis and that anti-PCSK9 treatment alleviated liver injury. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of anti-PCSK9 treatment on liver fibrosis by inhibiting hypoxia-induced autophagy. Carbon tetrachloride-induced mouse liver fibrosis and mouse hepatocyte line AML12, cultured under the hypoxic condition, were established to undergo PCSK9 inhibition. The degree of liver fibrosis was shown with histological staining. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was detected by flow cytometry. The expression of PCSK9, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and autophagy-related proteins was examined using Western blot. The autophagic flux was assessed under immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscope. The mouse liver samples were investigated via RNA-sequencing to explore the underlying signaling pathway. The results showed that PCSK9 expression was upregulated with the development of liver fibrosis, which was accompanied by enhanced autophagy. In vitro data verified that PCSK9 increased via hypoxia and inflammation, accompanied by the hypoxia-induced autophagy increased. Then, the validation was acquired of the bidirectional interaction of hypoxia-ROS and PCSK9. The hypoxia reversal attenuated PCSK9 expression and autophagy. Additionally, anti-PCSK9 treatment alleviated liver inflammation and fibrosis, reducing hypoxia and autophagy in vivo. In mechanism, the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 signaling pathway was identified as a target for anti-PCSK9 therapy. In conclusion, anti-PCSK9 treatment could alleviate liver inflammation and fibrosis by regulating AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 signaling pathway to reduce hypoxia-induced autophagy in hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuxin Ning
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yanting Zou
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shuyu Li
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yue Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Beili Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shuncai Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yu Cai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Liu MX, Xu L, Cai YT, Wang RJ, Gu YY, Liu YC, Zou YJ, Zhao YM, Chen J, Zhang XL. Carbon Nitride-Based siRNA Vectors with Self-Produced O 2 Effects for Targeting Combination Therapy of Liver Fibrosis via HIF-1α-Mediated TGF-β1/Smad Pathway. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2301485. [PMID: 37463681 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202301485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia is an important feature, which can upregulate the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression and promote the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), leading to liver fibrosis. Currently, effective treatment for liver fibrosis is extremely lacking. Herein, a safe and effective method is established to downregulate the expression of HIF-1α in HSCs via targeted delivery of VA-PEG-modified CNs-based nanosheets-encapsulated (VA-PEG-CN@GQDs) HIF-1α small interfering RNA (HIF-1α-siRNA). Due to the presence of lipase in the liver, the reversible release of siRNA can be promoted to complete the transfection process. Simultaneously, VA-PEG-CN@GQD nanosheets enable trigger the water splitting process to produce O2 under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, thereby improving the hypoxic environment of the liver fibrosis site and maximizing the downregulation of HIF-1α expression to improve the therapeutic effect, as demonstrated in liver fibrosis mice. Such combination therapy can inhibit the activation of HSCs via HIF-1α-mediated TGF-β1/Smad pathway, achieving outstanding therapeutic effects in liver fibrosis mice. In conclusion, this study proposes a novel strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis by regulating the hypoxic environment and the expression of HIF-1α at lesion site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Xuan Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, P. R. China
| | - Li Xu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225001, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Ting Cai
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225001, P. R. China
| | - Ruo-Jia Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Ying Gu
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Chao Liu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225001, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Jin Zou
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Mei Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, P. R. China
| | - Jing Chen
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225001, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Ling Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, P. R. China
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高 晓, 赵 晓, 张 春, 颜 羽, 金 蓉, 马 月. [Quercetin induces hepatic stellate cell apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway via upregulating miR-146]. Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao 2023; 43:1725-1733. [PMID: 37933648 PMCID: PMC10630198 DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2023.10.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether quercetin induces apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells by regulating miR-146 to inhibit the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. METHODS Rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6) were treated with TGF-β and different concentrations (40, 60 and 80 μmol/L) of quercetin, and the changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected using CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of miR-146 and mRNA expressions of α-SMA, collagenⅠ, TRAF6, PI3K and Akt in the treated cells, and the protein expressions of α-SMA, collagenⅠ, TRAF6, PI3K, Akt and p-Akt were detected using Western blotting. Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the protein expression of α-SMA and collagenⅠ. The effects of transfection with miR-146 mimic and inhibitor on the protein expressions of the cells were also examined using Western blotting. RESULTS Treatment with quercetin dose- and time-dependently inhibited the proliferation of HSC-T6 cells and significantly increased the total cell apoptosis rate (P<0.01). TGF-β-stimulated HSC-T6 cells showed significantly increased mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA, collagenⅠ, TRAF6, PI3K and Akt (P<0.05), which were significantly down-regulated by quercetin treatment (P<0.05). Quercetin significantly upregulated the expression of miR-146 in HSC-T6 cells (P<0.01), Transfection of the cells with miR-146 mimic significantly decreased the mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA, collagen Ⅰ, TRAF6, PI3K and Akt (P<0.05), and miR- 146 inhibitor produced the opposite effects (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Quercetin inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of HSCs by upregulating miR-146 to inhibit the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- 晓阳 高
- />内蒙古医科大学基础医学院,内蒙古自治区 呼和浩特 010000Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, China
| | - 晓璐 赵
- />内蒙古医科大学基础医学院,内蒙古自治区 呼和浩特 010000Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, China
| | - 春艳 张
- />内蒙古医科大学基础医学院,内蒙古自治区 呼和浩特 010000Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, China
| | - 羽昕 颜
- />内蒙古医科大学基础医学院,内蒙古自治区 呼和浩特 010000Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, China
| | - 蓉 金
- />内蒙古医科大学基础医学院,内蒙古自治区 呼和浩特 010000Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, China
| | - 月宏 马
- />内蒙古医科大学基础医学院,内蒙古自治区 呼和浩特 010000Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010000, China
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Qazi Arisar FA, Salinas-Miranda E, Ale Ali H, Lajkosz K, Chen C, Azhie A, Healy GM, Deniffel D, Haider MA, Bhat M. Development of a Radiomics-Based Model to Predict Graft Fibrosis in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Pilot Study. Transpl Int 2023; 36:11149. [PMID: 37720416 PMCID: PMC10503435 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2023.11149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Liver Transplantation is complicated by recurrent fibrosis in 40% of recipients. We evaluated the ability of clinical and radiomic features to flag patients at risk of developing future graft fibrosis. CT scans of 254 patients at 3-6 months post-liver transplant were retrospectively analyzed. Volumetric radiomic features were extracted from the portal phase using an Artificial Intelligence-based tool (PyRadiomics). The primary endpoint was clinically significant (≥F2) graft fibrosis. A 10-fold cross-validated LASSO model using clinical and radiomic features was developed. In total, 75 patients (29.5%) developed ≥F2 fibrosis by a median of 19 (4.3-121.8) months. The maximum liver attenuation at the venous phase (a radiomic feature reflecting venous perfusion), primary etiology, donor/recipient age, recurrence of disease, brain-dead donor, tacrolimus use at 3 months, and APRI score at 3 months were predictive of ≥F2 fibrosis. The combination of radiomics and the clinical features increased the AUC to 0.811 from 0.793 for the clinical-only model (p = 0.008) and from 0.664 for the radiomics-only model (p < 0.001) to predict future ≥F2 fibrosis. This pilot study exploring the role of radiomics demonstrates that the addition of radiomic features in a clinical model increased the model's performance. Further studies are required to investigate the generalizability of this experimental tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fakhar Ali Qazi Arisar
- Ajmera Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- National Institute of Liver and GI Diseases, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Emmanuel Salinas-Miranda
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network/Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hamideh Ale Ali
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network/Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Katherine Lajkosz
- Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Catherine Chen
- Ajmera Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amirhossein Azhie
- Ajmera Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gerard M. Healy
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network/Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dominik Deniffel
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network/Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Masoom A. Haider
- Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network/Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mamatha Bhat
- Ajmera Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Yang J, Li S, Liu S, Zhang Y, Shen D, Wang P, Dang X. Metformin ameliorates liver fibrosis induced by congestive hepatopathy via the mTOR/HIF-1α signaling pathway. Ann Hepatol 2023:101135. [PMID: 37451514 DOI: 10.1016/j.aohep.2023.101135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Congestive hepatopathy (CH) is a hepatic vascular disease that results in chronic liver congestion, which can lead to liver fibrosis. New uses of metformin have been discovered over the years. However, the function of metformin in congestive liver fibrosis is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of metformin on liver fibrosis in a mouse model of CH. MATERIALS AND METHODS Partial ligation of the inferior vena cava (pIVCL) was used to establish a mouse model of liver congestion. Metformin (0.1%) was added to the daily drinking water of the animals, and the effect of metformin on liver tissue was studied after 6 weeks. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were also stimulated with CoCl2 to investigate the inhibitory impact of metformin on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway. RESULTS Metformin attenuated liver congestion; decreased the expression of collagen, fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and HIF-1α; and ameliorated liver fibrosis in pIVCL mice. The proliferation and migration of HSCs were inhibited by metformin in vitro, which prevented α-SMA expression and restrained HSC activation. The expression levels of phosphorylated-mTOR, HIF-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor were also decreased. CONCLUSIONS Metformin inhibits CH-induced liver fibrosis. Functionally, this beneficial effect may be the result of inhibition of HSC activation and of the mTOR/HIF-1α signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Suxin Li
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Shengyan Liu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Yuehui Zhang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Dongqi Shen
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Peiju Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Xiaowei Dang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
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Melaibari M, Alkreathy HM, Esmat A, Rajeh NA, Shaik RA, Alghamdi AA, Ahmad A. Anti-Fibrotic Efficacy of Apigenin in a Mice Model of Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis by Modulation of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Fibrogenesis: A Preclinical Study. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051342. [PMID: 37239014 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatic fibrosis is a major health problem all over the world, and there is no effective treatment to cure it. Hence, the current study sought to assess the anti-fibrotic efficacy of apigenin against CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in mice. METHODS Forty-eight mice were put into six groups. G1: Normal Control, G2: CCl4 Control, G3: Silymarin (100 mg/kg), G4 and G5: Apigenin (2 &20 mg/Kg), G6: Apigenin alone (20 mg/Kg). Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 were given CCl4 (0.5 mL/kg. i.p.) twice/week for six weeks. The level of AST, ALT, TC, TG, and TB in serum and IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in tissue homogenates were assessed. Histological studies by H&E staining and Immunostaining of liver tissues were also performed. RESULTS The CCl4-challenged group showed increased serum AST (4-fold), ALT (6-fold), and TB (5-fold). Both silymarin and apigenin treatments significantly improved these hepatic biomarkers. The CCl4-challenged group showed reduced levels of CAT (89%), GSH (53%), and increased MDA (3-fold). Both silymarin and apigenin treatments significantly altered these oxidative markers in tissue homogenates. The CCl4-treated group showed a two-fold increase in IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels. Silymarin and apigenin treatment considerably decreased the IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels. Apigenin treatment inhibited angiogenic activity, as evidenced by a decrease in VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) expression in liver tissues, and a decline in vascular endothelial cell antigen expression (CD34). CONCLUSIONS Finally, these data collectively imply that apigenin may have antifibrotic properties, which may be explained by its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiangiogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Melaibari
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Huda M Alkreathy
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Esmat
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Nisreen A Rajeh
- Department of Clinical Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rasheed A Shaik
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anwar A Alghamdi
- Health Information Technology Department, The Applied College, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Pharmacovigilance and Medication Safety Unit, Center of Research Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aftab Ahmad
- Health Information Technology Department, The Applied College, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Pharmacovigilance and Medication Safety Unit, Center of Research Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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20
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Zhao X, Amevor FK, Xue X, Wang C, Cui Z, Dai S, Peng C, Li Y. Remodeling the hepatic fibrotic microenvironment with emerging nanotherapeutics: a comprehensive review. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:121. [PMID: 37029392 PMCID: PMC10081370 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01876-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis could be the last hope for treating liver cancer and remodeling of the hepatic microenvironment has emerged as a strategy to promote the ablation of liver fibrosis. In recent years, especially with the rapid development of nanomedicine, hepatic microenvironment therapy has been widely researched in studies concerning liver cancer and fibrosis. In this comprehensive review, we summarized recent advances in nano therapy-based remodeling of the hepatic microenvironment. Firstly, we discussed novel strategies for regulatory immune suppression caused by capillarization of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and macrophage polarization. Furthermore, metabolic reprogramming and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition are caused by the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In addition, recent advances in ROS, hypoxia, and impaired vascular remodeling in the hepatic fibrotic microenvironment due to ECM deposition have also been summarized. Finally, emerging nanotherapeutic approaches based on correlated signals were discussed in this review. We have proposed novel strategies such as engineered nanotherapeutics targeting antigen-presenting cells (APCs) or direct targeting T cells in liver fibrotic immunotherapy to be used in preventing liver fibrosis. In summary, this comprehensive review illustrated the opportunities in drug targeting and nanomedicine, and the current challenges to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingtao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Felix Kwame Amevor
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Xinyan Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Zhifu Cui
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Shu Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 611137, China
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yunxia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 611137, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
- , No. 1166, Liu Tai Avenue, Wenjiang district, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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21
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Ye J, Chen J, Li Y, Sun L, Lu H. Hepatocyte-specific knockout of HIF-2α cannot alleviate carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15191. [PMID: 37033734 PMCID: PMC10078453 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
The effects of hypoxia inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α) deficiency on liver fibrosis have not been demonstrated in a fibrosis model induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). We aimed to examine whether hepatocyte-specific HIF-2α deletion could ameliorate CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice.
Methods
Hepatocyte-specific HIF-2α knockout mice were created using an albumin promoter-driven Cre recombinase. HIF-2α knockout (KO) mice and floxed control wild-type (WT) mice were fed a normal diet (ND) and received either twice weekly intraperitoneal injections of CCl4 solution (CCl4 dissolved in olive oil) or the corresponding amount of olive oil for 8 weeks. The indicators of liver function, glucose and lipid metabolism, and liver histology were compared among the different groups.
Results
Hepatocyte-specific HIF-2α knockout had no effect on the growth, liver function, glucose or lipid metabolism in mice. CCl4-treated KO and WT mice had a similar pattern of injury and inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver. Quantification of Masson staining, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunohistochemistry, and the hydroxyproline (HYP) content revealed similar liver fibrosis levels between KO and WT mice injected intraperitoneally with CCl4. Immunohistochemistry analysis suggested that HIF-2α was mainly expressed in the portal area and hepatic sinusoids but not in hepatocytes. Bioinformatics analyses further indicated that HIF-2α expression was neither liver specific nor hepatocyte specific, and the effect of HIF-2α in hepatocytes on liver fibrosis may not be as important as that in liver sinuses.
Conclusions
Hepatocyte HIF-2α expression may not be a key factor in the initiation of liver fibrogenesis, and hepatocyte-specific deletion of HIF-2α may not be the ideal therapeutic strategy for liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfang Ye
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Molecular Imaging Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Yun Li
- Molecular Imaging Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Liao Sun
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongyun Lu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University, Zhuhai, Gangdong, China
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22
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Ke B, Li C, Shang H. Hematologic traits and primary biliary cholangitis: a Mendelian randomization study. J Hum Genet 2023:10.1038/s10038-023-01146-0. [PMID: 37012349 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-023-01146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Hematologic abnormalities was observationally associated with the susceptibility of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, the conclusion is still controversial and whether there exists a causal association remains elusive. Here we aimed to explore the causative role of hematological traits in the risk of PBC. We conducted two-sample and multivariable Mendelian randomization analyses based on summary statistics from previous large genome-wide association studies. Totally twelve red blood cell and six white blood cell traits were analyzed. Genetically determined higher hemoglobin level was significantly associated with a reduced risk of PBC (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.47-0.81, P: 5.59E-04). Meanwhile, higher hematocrit level was nominally associated with reduced risk of PBC (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.93, P: 0.01). These results could help better understand the role of hematological traits in the risk of PBC, and provide potential targets for the disease prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Ke
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chunyu Li
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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23
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Salem GEM, Azzam SM, Nasser MA, Malah TE, Abd El-Latief HM, Chavanich S, Khan RH, Anwar HM. Bacterial protease alleviate chronic liver fibrosis induced by thioacetamide through suppression of hepatic stellate cells consequently decrease its proliferative index. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 239:124243. [PMID: 37011746 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
In chronic liver diseases, liver fibrosis occurs due to excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) protein accumulation. Approximately 2 million deaths occur yearly due to liver disease, while cirrhosis is the 11th most common cause of death. Therefore, newer compounds or biomolecules must be synthesized to treat chronic liver diseases. In this aspect, the present study focuses on the assessment of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant impact of Bacterial Protease (BP) produced by a new mutant strain of bacteria (Bacillus cereus S6-3/UM90) and 4,4'-(2,5-dimethoxy-1,4-phenylene) bis (1-(3-ethoxy phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole) (DPET) in the treatment of early stage of liver fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA). Sixty male rats were divided into six groups, ten rats each as follows: (1) Control group, (2) BP group, (3) TAA group, (4) TAA-Silymarin (S) group, (5) TAA-BP group, and (6) TAA-DPET group. Liver fibrosis significantly elevated liver function ALT, AST, and ALP, as well as anti-inflammatory interleukin 6 (IL-6) and VEGF. The oxidative stress parameters (MDA, SOD, and NO) were significantly increased with a marked reduction in GSH. Expression of MAPK and MCP-1 was unregulated in the TAA group, with downregulation of Nrf2 was observed. TAA caused histopathological alterations associated with hepatic vacuolation and fibrosis, increasing collagen fibers and high immuno-expression of VEGF. On the other hand, treatment with BP successfully improved the severe effects of TAA on the liver and restored histological architecture. Our study concluded the protective potentials of BP for attenuating liver fibrosis and could be used as adjuvant therapy for treating hepatic fibrosis.
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24
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Preshy A, Brown J. A Bidirectional Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 2023. [PMID: 37495341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecl.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Obesity is considered a twentieth-century epidemic and is a growing concern among health professionals. Obesity and its complications contribute to multiple chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), malignancy, and cardiovascular and liver diseases. In the last two decades, a bidirectional association between OSA and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), independent of obesity, has been established. Both conditions have similar risk factors and metabolic comorbidities that may imply a common disease pathway. This review compiles the evidence and delineates the relationship between OSA and MAFLD from a clinical and diagnostic aspect.
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25
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Cannito S, Dianzani U, Parola M, Albano E, Sutti S. Inflammatory processes involved in NASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Biosci Rep 2023; 43:BSR20221271. [PMID: 36691794 PMCID: PMC9874450 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20221271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In the recent years nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming a growing cause of HCCs and the incidence of NAFLD-related HCCs is expected to further dramatically increase by the next decade. Chronic inflammation is regarded as the driving force of NAFLD progression and a key factor in hepatic carcinogenesis. Hepatic inflammation in NAFLD results from the persistent stimulation of innate immunity in response to hepatocellular injury and gut dysbiosis as well as by the activation of adaptive immunity. However, the relative roles of innate and adaptive immunity in the processes leading to HCC are still incompletely characterized. This is due to the complex interplay between different liver cell populations, which is also strongly influenced by gut-derived bacterial products, metabolic/nutritional signals. Furthermore, carcinogenic mechanisms in NAFLD/NASH appear to involve the activation of signals mediated by hypoxia inducible factors. This review discusses recent data regarding the contribution of different inflammatory cells to NAFLD-related HCC and their possible impact on patient response to current treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Cannito
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Dianzani
- Department of Health Sciences and Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Autoimmune Diseases, University of East Piedmont, Novara, Italy
| | - Maurizio Parola
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Emanuele Albano
- Department of Health Sciences and Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Autoimmune Diseases, University of East Piedmont, Novara, Italy
| | - Salvatore Sutti
- Department of Health Sciences and Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Autoimmune Diseases, University of East Piedmont, Novara, Italy
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26
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Zou Q, Lai Y, Lun ZR. Exploring the Association between Oxygen Concentration and Life Expectancy in China: A Quantitative Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:1125. [PMID: 36673882 PMCID: PMC9859324 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate and quantify the association between oxygen concentration and life expectancy. The data from 34 provinces and 39 municipalities were included in all analyses. Bayesian regression modeling with spatial-specific random effects was used to quantify the impact of oxygen concentration (measured as partial pressure of oxygen) on life expectancy, adjusting for other potential confounding factors. We used hierarchical cluster analysis to group the provinces according to disease burden and analyzed the oxygen levels and the characteristics of causes of death between the clusters. The Bayesian regression analysis showed that the life expectancy at the provincial level increased by 0.15 (95% CI: 0.10-0.19) years, while at the municipal level, it increased by 0.17 (95% CI: 0.12-0.22) years, with each additional unit (mmHg) of oxygen concentration, after controlling for potential confounding factors. Three clusters were identified in the hierarchical cluster analysis, which were characterized by different oxygen concentrations, and the years of life lost from causes potentially related to hypoxia were statistically significantly different between the clusters. A positive correlation was found between oxygen concentration and life expectancy in China. The differences in causes of death and oxygen levels in the provincial clusters suggested that oxygen concentration may be an important factor in life expectancy when mediated by diseases that are potentially related to hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zou
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yingsi Lai
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhao-Rong Lun
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
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27
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Fang J, Ji Q, Gao S, Xiao Z, Liu W, Hu Y, Lv Y, Chen G, Mu Y, Cai H, Chen J, Liu P. PDGF-BB is involved in HIF-1α/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis promoting capillarization of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells. Heliyon 2022; 9:e12715. [PMID: 36685431 PMCID: PMC9852936 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The activation of HIF-1α/CXCR4 pathway in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) could downregulate CXCR7, leading to the capillarization of LSECs to promote hepatic fibrosis. However, the mechanism between CXCR4 and CXCR7 is still undefined. The aim is to investigate the role of PDGF-BB in the dedifferentiation of LSECs and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation. Methods The activation of HIF-1α/CXCR4 pathway in two kinds of liver fibrosis models were observed. The effects of HIF-1α, CXCR4, PDGF-BB on the dedifferentiation of LSECs were investigated by using the inhibitors of HIF-1α, CXCR4 or PDGFR-β separately or transfecting with a CXCR4 knockdown lentiviral vector. In addition, the relationship between LSECs and HSCs was demonstrated by co-culture of LSECs and HSCs using the transwell chamber. Results CXCR4 upregulation and CXCR7 downregulation were accompanied by LSECs capillarization and HSCs activation both in CCl4-induced and BDL-induced fibrotic liver. In vitro, downregulation of HIF-1α significantly descreased CXCR4 and CD31 expression, and enhanced the expressions of CXCR7, CD44 and LYVE1. Downregulation of CXCR4 in LSECs significantly downregulated PDGF-BB, PDGFR-β and CD31, and enhanced CXCR7, CD44 and LYVE1 expression, while the expression of HIF-1α did not change significantly. STI571, a PDGF receptor inhibitor, could significantly downregulate PDGFR-β and increase the expression of CXCR7 to inhibit the dedifferentiation of LSECs. In addition, alleviateion the dedifferentiation of LSECs could decrease the expression of PDGFR-β of HSCs, then inhibiting the activation of HSCs. Conclusions This study revealed that HIF-1α/CXCR4/PDGF-BB/CXCR7 axis promoted the dedifferentiation of LSECs, consequently triggering HSCs activation and liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Fang
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qiang Ji
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Siqi Gao
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhun Xiao
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yonghong Hu
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Ying Lv
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Gaofeng Chen
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yongping Mu
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hong Cai
- Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, 361015, China
| | - Jiamei Chen
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Corresponding author. Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Ping Liu
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Clinical Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China,Corresponding author. Institute of Liver Diseases, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Diseases (Ministry of Education), Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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28
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Mohammad Omar J, Hai Y, Jin S. Hypoxia-induced factor and its role in liver fibrosis. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14299. [PMID: 36523459 PMCID: PMC9745792 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis develops as a result of severe liver damage and is considered a major clinical concern throughout the world. Many factors are crucial for liver fibrosis progression. While advancements have been made to understand this disease, no effective pharmacological drug and treatment strategies have been established that can effectively prevent liver fibrosis or even could halt the fibrotic process. Most of those advances in curing liver fibrosis have been aimed towards mitigating the causes of fibrosis, including the development of potent antivirals to inhibit the hepatitis virus. It is not practicable for many individuals; however, a liver transplant becomes the only suitable alternative. A liver transplant is an expensive procedure. Thus, there is a significant need to identify potential targets of liver fibrosis and the development of such agents that can effectively treat or reverse liver fibrosis by targeting them. Researchers have identified hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in the last 16 years as important transcription factors driving several facets of liver fibrosis, making them possible therapeutic targets. The latest knowledge on HIFs and their possible role in liver fibrosis, along with the cell-specific activities of such transcription factors that how they play role in liver fibrosis progression, is discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Mohammad Omar
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yang Hai
- College of International Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Shizhu Jin
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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29
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Nakai Y, Miyakawa K, Yamaoka Y, Hatayama Y, Nishi M, Suzuki H, Kimura H, Takahashi H, Kimura Y, Ryo A. Generation and Utilization of a Monoclonal Antibody against Hepatitis B Virus Core Protein for a Comprehensive Interactome Analysis. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122381. [PMID: 36557634 PMCID: PMC9783060 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (HBc) is a structural protein that forms the viral nucleocapsid and is involved in various steps of the viral replication cycle, but its role in the pathogenesis of HBV infection is still elusive. In this study, we generated a mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) against HBc and used it in antibody-based in situ biotinylation analysis in order to identify host proteins that interact with HBc. HBc antigen was produced with a wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis system and used to immunize mice. Among the established hybridoma clones, a single clone (mAb #7) was selected and further characterized for its ability in the antibody-based in situ biotinylation analysis to collect host proteins that are in the vicinity of HBc. Using mass spectrometry, we identified 215 HBc-interacting host proteins, three of which bind HBc most significantly under hypoxic conditions. Our results indicate that mAb #7 can be used to systematically identify host proteins that interact with HBc under pathophysiological conditions, and thus may be useful to explore the molecular pathways involved in HBV-induced cytopathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Nakai
- Department of Microbiology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
- Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kei Miyakawa
- Department of Microbiology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Yutaro Yamaoka
- Department of Microbiology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
- Life Science Laboratory, Technology and Development Division, Kanto Chemical Co., Inc., Isehara 259-1146, Japan
| | - Yasuyoshi Hatayama
- Department of Microbiology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
- Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Mayuko Nishi
- Department of Microbiology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Suzuki
- Department of Molecular Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Kimura
- Department of Health Science, Gunma Paz University Graduate School, Takasaki 370-0006, Japan
| | - Hidehisa Takahashi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Yayoi Kimura
- Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Akihide Ryo
- Department of Microbiology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
- Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-45-787-2602
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30
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Novo E, Cappon A, Villano G, Quarta S, Cannito S, Bocca C, Turato C, Guido M, Maggiora M, Protopapa F, Sutti S, Provera A, Ruvoletto M, Biasiolo A, Foglia B, Albano E, Pontisso P, Parola M. SerpinB3 as a Pro-Inflammatory Mediator in the Progression of Experimental Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Front Immunol 2022; 13:910526. [PMID: 35874657 PMCID: PMC9304805 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.910526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. In 20-30% of patients, NAFLD can progress into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), eventually leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma development. SerpinB3 (SB3), a hypoxia-inducible factor-2α dependent cysteine protease inhibitor, is up-regulated in hepatocytes during progressive NAFLD and proposed to contribute to disease progression. In this study we investigated the pro-inflammatory role of SB3 by employing phorbol-myristate acetate-differentiated human THP-1 macrophages exposed in vitro to human recombinant SB3 (hrSB3) along with mice overexpressing SB3 in hepatocytes (TG/SB3) or knockout for SB3 (KO/SB3) in which NASH was induced by feeding methionine/choline deficient (MCD) or a choline-deficient, L-amino acid defined (CDAA) diets. In vivo experiments showed that the induction of NASH in TG/SB3 mice was characterized by an impressive increase of liver infiltrating macrophages that formed crown-like aggregates and by an up-regulation of hepatic transcript levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. All these parameters and the extent of liver damage were significantly blunted in KO/SB3 mice. In vitro experiments confirmed that hrSB3 stimulated macrophage production of M1-cytokines such as TNFα and IL-1β and reactive oxygen species along with that of TGFβ and VEGF through the activation of the NF-kB transcription factor. The opposite changes in liver macrophage activation observed in TG/SB3 or KO/SB3 mice with NASH were associated with a parallel modulation in the expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2), CD9 and galectin-3 markers, recently detected in NASH-associated macrophages. From these results we propose that SB3, produced by activated/injured hepatocytes, may operate as a pro-inflammatory mediator in NASH contributing to the disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Novo
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Cappon
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Villano
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences – DISCOG, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Santina Quarta
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefania Cannito
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Claudia Bocca
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Cristian Turato
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria Guido
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marina Maggiora
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Francesca Protopapa
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Salvatore Sutti
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Alessia Provera
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | | | | | - Beatrice Foglia
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Emanuele Albano
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pontisso
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- *Correspondence: Patrizia Pontisso, ; Maurizio Parola,
| | - Maurizio Parola
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- *Correspondence: Patrizia Pontisso, ; Maurizio Parola,
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Bocca C, Protopapa F, Foglia B, Maggiora M, Cannito S, Parola M, Novo E. Hepatic Myofibroblasts: A Heterogeneous and Redox-Modulated Cell Population in Liver Fibrogenesis. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:1278. [PMID: 35883770 PMCID: PMC9311931 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11071278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During chronic liver disease (CLD) progression, hepatic myofibroblasts (MFs) represent a unique cellular phenotype that plays a critical role in driving liver fibrogenesis and then fibrosis. Although they could originate from different cell types, MFs exhibit a rather common pattern of pro-fibrogenic phenotypic responses, which are mostly elicited or sustained both by oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and several mediators (including growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and others) that often operate through the up-regulation of the intracellular generation of ROS. In the present review, we will offer an overview of the role of MFs in the fibrogenic progression of CLD from different etiologies by focusing our attention on the direct or indirect role of ROS and, more generally, oxidative stress in regulating MF-related phenotypic responses. Moreover, this review has the purpose of illustrating the real complexity of the ROS modulation during CLD progression. The reader will have to keep in mind that a number of issues are able to affect the behavior of the cells involved: a) the different concentrations of reactive species, b) the intrinsic state of the target cells, as well as c) the presence of different growth factors, cytokines, and other mediators in the extracellular microenvironment or of other cellular sources of ROS.
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Cerbu B, Grigoras ML, Bratosin F, Bogdan I, Citu C, Bota AV, Timircan M, Bratu ML, Levai MC, Marincu I. Laboratory Profile of COVID-19 Patients with Hepatitis C-Related Liver Cirrhosis. J Clin Med 2022; 11:652. [PMID: 35160114 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11030652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with cirrhosis are known to have multiple comorbidities and impaired organ system functioning due to alterations caused by chronic liver failure. In the past two years, since the COVID-19 pandemic started, several studies have described the affinity of SARS-CoV-2 with the liver and biliary cells. Considering hepatitis C as a significant independent factor for cirrhosis in Romania, this research was built on the premises that this certain group of patients is susceptible to alterations of their serum parameters that are yet to be described, which might be useful in the management of COVID-19 in these individuals. A retrospective cohort study was developed at a tertiary hospital for infectious disease in Romania, which included a total of 242 patients with hepatitis C cirrhosis across two years, out of which 46 patients were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Stratification by patient weight and COVID-19 status identified several important laboratory serum tests as predictors for acute-on-chronic liver failure and risk for intensive care unit admission. Thus, white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, ferritin, hypoglycemia, prothrombin time, and HCV viral load were independent risk factors for ACLF in patients with COVID-19. High PT, creatinine, BUN, and HCV viral load were the strongest predictors for ICU admission. Inflammatory markers and parameters of gas exchange were also observed as risk factors for ACLF and ICU admission, including procalcitonin, CRP, IL-6, and D-dimers. Our study questions and confirms the health impact of COVID-19 on patients with cirrhosis and whether their laboratory profile significantly changes due to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Mykytenko AO, Akimov OY, Yeroshenko GA, Shevchenko OM, Neporada KS. BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX OF RAT LIVER DURING CHRONIC ALCOHOL INTOXICATION. WOMAB 2022; 18:221. [DOI: 10.26724/2079-8334-2022-4-82-221-225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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34
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Kotlyarov S, Bulgakov A. Lipid Metabolism Disorders in the Comorbid Course of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Cells 2021; 10:2978. [PMID: 34831201 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently among the most common liver diseases. Unfavorable data on the epidemiology of metabolic syndrome and obesity have increased the attention of clinicians and researchers to the problem of NAFLD. The research results allow us to emphasize the systemicity and multifactoriality of the pathogenesis of liver parenchyma lesion. At the same time, many aspects of its classification, etiology, and pathogenesis remain controversial. Local and systemic metabolic disorders are also a part of the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can influence its course. The present article analyzes the metabolic pathways mediating the links of impaired lipid metabolism in NAFLD and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Free fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides are involved in key metabolic and inflammatory pathways underlying the pathogenesis of both diseases. Moreover, inflammation and lipid metabolism demonstrate close links in the comorbid course of NAFLD and COPD.
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