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Benten D, Kluwe J, Wirth JW, Thiele ND, Follenzi A, Bhargava KK, Palestro CJ, Koepke M, Tjandra R, Volz T, Lutgehetmann M, Gupta S. A humanized mouse model of liver fibrosis following expansion of transplanted hepatic stellate cells. J Transl Med 2018; 98:525-536. [PMID: 29352225 PMCID: PMC6526950 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-017-0010-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are major contributors to liver fibrosis, as hepatic injuries may cause their transdifferentiation into myofibroblast-like cells capable of producing excessive extracellular matrix proteins. Also, HSCs can modulate engraftment of transplanted hepatocytes and contribute to liver regeneration. Therefore, understanding the biology of human HSCs (hHSCs) is important, but effective methods have not been available to address their fate in vivo. To investigate whether HSCs could engraft and repopulate the liver, we transplanted GFP-transduced immortalized hHSCs into immunodeficient NOD/SCID mice. Biodistribution analysis with radiolabeled hHSCs showed that after intrasplenic injection, the majority of transplanted cells rapidly translocated to the liver. GFP-immunohistochemistry demonstrated that transplanted hHSCs engrafted alongside hepatic sinusoids. Prior permeabilization of the sinusoidal endothelial layer with monocrotaline enhanced engraftment of hHSCs. Transplanted hHSCs remained engrafted without relevant proliferation in the healthy liver. However, after CCl4 or bile duct ligation-induced liver damage, transplanted hHSCs expanded and contributed to extracellular matrix production, formation of bridging cell-septae and cirrhosis-like hepatic pseudolobules. CCl4-induced injury recruited hHSCs mainly to zone 3, whereas after bile duct ligation, hHSCs were mainly in zone 1 of the liver lobule. Transplanted hHSCs neither transdifferentiated into other cell types nor formed tumors in these settings. In conclusion, a humanized mouse model was generated by transplanting hHSCs, which proliferated during hepatic injury and inflammation, and contributed to liver fibrosis. The ability to repopulate the liver with transplanted hHSCs will be particularly significant for mechanistic studies of cell-cell interactions and fibrogenesis within the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Benten
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Diabetes Center, Cancer Center, Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Department of Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. .,Helios Klinikum Duisburg, Duisburg, Germany.
| | - Johannes Kluwe
- Department of Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan W. Wirth
- Department of Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nina D. Thiele
- Department of Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Antonia Follenzi
- Department of HealthSciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale “A. Avogadro”, Novara, Italy
| | - Kuldeep K. Bhargava
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Long Island Jewish Health Center, NorthWell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, USA
| | - Christopher J. Palestro
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Long Island Jewish Health Center, NorthWell Health, New Hyde Park, NY, USA
| | - Michael Koepke
- Department of Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Reni Tjandra
- Department of Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tassilo Volz
- Department of Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marc Lutgehetmann
- Department of Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Diabetes Center, Cancer Center, Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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Thiele ND, Wirth JW, Steins D, Koop AC, Ittrich H, Lohse AW, Kluwe J. TIMP-1 is upregulated, but not essential in hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis in mice. Sci Rep 2017; 7:714. [PMID: 28386095 PMCID: PMC5428806 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00671-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [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: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is upregulated during hepatic fibrogenesis and considered to promote fibrosis in the injured liver by inhibition of matrix metalloproteases (MMP) and degradation of extracellular matrix. Moreover, TIMP-1 displays anti-apoptotic properties, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) TIMP-1 serum levels are elevated and high TIMP-1 expression levels in HCC are associated with a poor prognosis. Therefore, TIMP-1 could functionally link fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis in the liver. The aim of our study was to characterize the role of TIMP-1 in hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. Experimental hepatic fibrogenesis as well as diethylnitrosamine (DEN) -induced hepatocarcinogenesis were studied in TIMP-1-deficient mice and wild type littermates. Hepatic TIMP-1 expression was upregulated following induction of liver fibrosis by bile duct ligation (BDL) or by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Unexpectedly, in comparison to wild type littermates, TIMP-1-deficient mice were not protected from liver fibrosis induced by BDL or CCl4. TIMP-1 expression was significantly higher in HCC nodules than in surrounding liver tissue. However, experimental hepatic carcinogenesis was similar in TIMP-1-deficient mice and wild type littermates following DEN-treatment or combined treatment with DEN and CCl4. Therefore we concluded that TIMP-1 is not essential for hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina D Thiele
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan W Wirth
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - David Steins
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anja C Koop
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Harald Ittrich
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ansgar W Lohse
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Kluwe
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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