scholarly journals Inhibition of aquaporin-3 in macrophages by a monoclonal antibody as potential therapy for liver injury

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariko Hara-Chikuma ◽  
Manami Tanaka ◽  
Alan S. Verkman ◽  
Masato Yasui
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Macrophage Activation ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Nuclear Factor Κb ◽  
Activated Macrophages ◽  
Aquaporin 3 ◽  
Glycerol Transport ◽  
Water Glycerol

Abstract Aquaporin 3 (AQP3) is a transporter of water, glycerol and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) that is expressed in various epithelial cells and in macrophages. Here, we developed an anti-AQP3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) that inhibited AQP3-facilitated H2O2 and glycerol transport, and prevented liver injury in experimental animal models. Using AQP3 knockout mice in a model of liver injury and fibrosis produced by CCl4, we obtained evidence for involvement of AQP3 expression in nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) cell signaling, hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation in macrophages during liver injury. The activated macrophages caused stellate cell activation, leading to liver injury, by a mechanism involving AQP3-mediated H2O2 transport. Administration of an anti-AQP3 mAb, which targeted an extracellular epitope on AQP3, prevented liver injury by inhibition of AQP3-mediated H2O2 transport and macrophage activation. These findings implicate the involvement of macrophage AQP3 in liver injury, and provide evidence for mAb inhibition of AQP3-mediated H2O2 transport as therapy for macrophage-dependent liver injury.

scholarly journals Spermidine Prevents Ethanol and Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Hepatic Injury in Mice

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1786
Author(s):  
Raghabendra Adhikari ◽  
Ruchi Shah ◽  
Karina Reyes-Gordillo ◽  
Jaime Arellanes-Robledo ◽  
Ying Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Nuclear Factor Κb ◽  
Inhibitory Protein ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

To date, there is no effective treatment for alcoholic liver disease, despite its prevalence world-wide. Because alcohol consumption is associated with oxidative stress-induced liver injury and pro-inflammatory responses, naturally occurring antioxidants and/or anti-inflammatories may be potential therapeutics. Spermidine is an abundant, ubiquitous polyamine that has been found to display strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To further investigate whether spermidine is an effective intervention for alcohol-induced liver disease, we examined its hepatoprotective properties using a two-hit, chronic ethanol and acute lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model of liver injury. We determined that spermidine administration prevented ethanol and LPS-induced increases in liver injury using plasma ALT as a readout. Furthermore, histological analysis of tissue from control and treated animals revealed that the pathology associated with ethanol and LPS treatment was prevented in mice additionally treated with spermidine. As predicted, spermidine also prevented ethanol and LPS-induced oxidative stress by decreasing the levels of both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. We further determined that spermidine treatment prevented the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κB (NFκB) by blocking the phosphorylation of the inhibitory protein, IκB, thereby preventing expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Finally, by measuring expression of known markers of hepatic stellate cell activation and monitoring collagen deposition, we observed that spermidine also prevented alcohol and LPS-induced hepatic fibrosis. Together, our results indicate that spermidine is an antioxidant thereby conferring anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects associated with alcoholic liver injury.

Prolonged infusion of angiotensin II into normal rats induces stellate cell activation and proinflammatory events in liver

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (3) ◽  
pp. G642-G651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramón Bataller ◽  
Erwin Gäbele ◽  
Robert Schoonhoven ◽  
Terry Morris ◽  
Mark Lehnert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Angiotensin Ii ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Liver Fibrogenesis

Recent evidence indicates that angiotensin II (ANG II) plays an important role in liver fibrogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In advanced chronic liver diseases, circulating levels of ANG II are frequently elevated. We investigated the hepatic effects of prolonged systemic infusion of ANG II in normal rats. Saline or ANG II at subpressor and pressor doses (15 and 50 ng·kg-1·min-1, respectively) were infused to normal rats for 4 wk through a subcutaneous osmotic pump. Infusion of ANG II resulted in liver injury, as assessed by elevated serum liver enzymes. Livers from ANG II-perfused rats showed activation of JNK and ERK as well as increased NF-κB and activating protein-1 DNA-binding activity. Moreover, ANG II perfusion induced oxidative stress, increased concentration of proinflammatory cytokines, and upregulated the inflammatory proteins inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Histological examination of the livers from ANG II-infused rats showed mild portal inflammation as well as thickening and thrombosis of small hepatic vessels. ANG II-treated livers showed accumulation of CD43-positive inflammatory cells and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) at the pericentral areas. A slight increase in collagen synthesis was observed, as assessed by Sirius red staining and hepatic hydroxyproline. All of these effects were observed when ANG II was perfused at subpressor and pressor doses. ANG II also accelerated the activation of primary cultured rat HSCs. In conclusion, increased systemic ANG II can induce liver injury by promoting proinflammatory events and vascular damage. ANG II-induced hepatic effects are not dependent on increase in arterial pressure.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of liver injury in high fat sugar diet fed mice that lack hepatocyte X-box binding protein 1

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0261789
Author(s):  
Xiaoying Liu ◽  
Sarah A. Taylor ◽  
Kyle D. Gromer ◽  
Danny Zhang ◽  
Susan C. Hubchak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Disease ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
End Stage

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of liver diseases in the United States and can progress to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and need for liver transplantation. There are limited therapies for NAFLD, in part, due to incomplete understanding of the disease pathogenesis, which involves different cell populations in the liver. Endoplasmic reticulum stress and its adaptative unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathway have been implicated in the progression from simple hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We have previously shown that mice lacking the UPR protein X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) in the liver demonstrated enhanced liver injury and fibrosis in a high fat sugar (HFS) dietary model of NAFLD. In this study, to better understand the role of liver XBP1 in the pathobiology of NAFLD, we fed hepatocyte XBP1 deficient mice a HFS diet or chow and investigated UPR and other cell signaling pathways in hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells and immune cells. We demonstrate that loss of XBP1 in hepatocytes increased inflammatory pathway expression and altered expression of the UPR signaling in hepatocytes and was associated with enhanced hepatic stellate cell activation after HFS feeding. We believe that a better understanding of liver cell-specific signaling in the pathogenesis of NASH may allow us to identify new therapeutic targets.

scholarly journals Hepatic Stellate Cell–Macrophage Crosstalk in Liver Fibrosis and Carcinogenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (03) ◽  
pp. 307-320
Author(s):  
Michitaka Matsuda ◽  
Ekihiro Seki
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Mesenchymal Cell ◽  
Chronic Liver ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Chronic Liver Injury ◽  
Fibrotic Liver

AbstractChronic liver injury due to viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, and metabolic disorders is a worldwide health concern. Insufficient treatment of chronic liver injury leads to fibrosis, causing liver dysfunction and carcinogenesis. Most cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develop in the fibrotic liver. Pathological features of liver fibrosis include extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation, mesenchymal cell activation, immune deregulation, and angiogenesis, all of which contribute to the precancerous environment, supporting tumor development. Among liver cells, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and macrophages play critical roles in fibrosis and HCC. These two cell types interplay and remodel the ECM and immune microenvironment in the fibrotic liver. Once HCC develops, HCC-derived factors influence HSCs and macrophages to switch to protumorigenic cell populations, cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor-associated macrophages, respectively. This review aims to summarize currently available data on the roles of HSCs and macrophages in liver fibrosis and HCC, with a focus on their interaction.

Regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in liver fibrosis

2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (5) ◽  
pp. G902-G911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liu Yang ◽  
Che-Chang Chan ◽  
Oh-Sang Kwon ◽  
Songling Liu ◽  
Jason McGhee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Collagen I ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Actin Mrna

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) impart diverse cellular effects in biological systems. Because stellate cell activation during liver injury is associated with declining PPARγ expression, we hypothesized that its expression is critical in stellate cell-mediated fibrogenesis. We therefore modulated its expression during liver injury in vivo. PPARγ was depleted in rat livers by using an adenovirus-Cre recombinase system. PPARγ was overexpressed by using an additional adenoviral vector (AdPPARγ). Bile duct ligation was utilized to induce stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis in vivo; phenotypic effects (collagen I, smooth muscle α-actin, hydroxyproline content, etc.) were measured. PPARγ mRNA levels decreased fivefold and PPARγ protein was undetectable in stellate cells after culture-induced activation. During activation in vivo, collagen accumulation, assessed histomorphometrically and by hydroxyproline content, was significantly increased after PPARγ depletion compared with controls (1.28 ± 0.14 vs. 1.89 ± 0.21 mg/g liver tissue, P < 0.03). In isolated stellate cells, AdPPARγ overexpression resulted in significantly increased adiponectin mRNA expression and decreased collagen I and smooth muscle α-actin mRNA expression compared with controls. During in vivo fibrogenesis, rat livers exposed to AdPPARγ had significantly less fibrosis than controls. Collagen I and smooth muscle α-actin mRNA expression were significantly reduced in AdPPARγ-infected rats compared with controls ( P < 0.05, n = 10). PPARγ-deficient mice exhibited enhanced fibrogenesis after liver injury, whereas PPARγ receptor overexpression in vivo attenuated stellate cell activation and fibrosis. The data highlight a critical role for PPARγ during in vivo fibrogenesis and emphasize the importance of the PPARγ pathway in stellate cells during liver injury.

scholarly journals 3D hESC exosomes enriched with miR-6766-3p ameliorates liver fibrosis by attenuating activated stellate cells through targeting the TGFβRII-SMADS pathway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Wang ◽  
Xiajing Li ◽  
Zhiyong Zhong ◽  
Yaqi Qiu ◽  
Shoupei Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Fibrotic Liver

Abstract BackgroundExosomes secreted from stem cells exerted salutary effects on the fibrotic liver. Herein, the roles of exosomes derived from human embryonic stem cell (hESC) in anti-fibrosis were extensively investigated. Compared with two-dimensional (2D) culture, the clinical and biological relevance of three-dimensional (3D) cell spheroids were greater because of their higher regeneration potential since they behave more like cells in vivo. In our study, exosomes derived from 3D human embryonic stem cells (hESC) spheroids and the monolayer (2D) hESCs were collected and compared the therapeutic potential for fibrotic liver in vitro and in vivo. ResultsIn vitro, PKH26 labled-hESC-Exosomes were shown to be internalized and integrated into TGFβ-activated-LX2 cells, and reduced the expression of profibrogenic markers, thereby regulating cellular phenotypes. TPEF imaging indicated that PKH26-labled-3D-hESC-Exsomes possessed an enhanced capacity to accumulate in the livers and exhibited more dramatic therapeutic potential in the injured livers of fibrosis mouse model. 3D-hESC-Exosomes decreased profibrogenic markers and liver injury markers, and improved the level of liver functioning proteins, eventually restoring liver function of fibrosis mice. miRNA array revealed a significant enrichment of miR-6766-3p in 3D-hESC-Exosomes, moreover, bioinformatics and dual luciferase reporter assay identified and confirmed the TGFβRII gene as the target of miR-6766-3p. Furthermore, the delivery of miR-6766-3p into activated-LX2 cells decreased cell proliferation, chemotaxis and profibrotic effects, and further investigation demonstrated that the expression of target gene TGFβRII and its downstream SMADs proteins, especially phosphorylated protein p-SMAD2/3 was also notably down-regulated by miR-6766-3p. These findings unveiled that miR-6766-3p in 3D-hESC-Exosomes inactivated SMADs signaling by inhibiting TGFβRII expression, consequently attenuating stellate cell activation and suppressing liver fibrosis. ConclusionsOur results showed that miR-6766-3p in the 3D-hESC-Exosomes inactivates smads signaling by restraining TGFβRII expression, attenuated LX2 cell activation and suppressed liver fibrosis, suggesting that 3D-hESC-Exosome enriched-miR6766-3p is a novel anti-fibrotic therapeutics for treating chronic liver disease. These results also proposed a significant strategy that 3D-Exo could be used as natural nanoparticles to rescue liver injury via delivering antifibrotic miR-6766-3p.

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