Rat liver myofibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells differ in CD95-mediated apoptosis and response to TNF-α

2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (2) ◽  
pp. G435-G444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Saile ◽  
Nina Matthes ◽  
Katrin Neubauer ◽  
Christoph Eisenbach ◽  
Hammoudeh El-Armouche ◽  
...  

Hepatic stellate cells (HSC), particularly activated HSC, are thought to be the principle matrix-producing cell of the diseased liver. However, other cell types of the fibroblast lineage, especially the rat liver myofibroblasts (rMF), also have fibrogenic potential. A major difference between the two cell types is the different life span under culture conditions. Although nearly no spontaneous apoptosis could be shown in rMF cultures, 18 ± 2% of the activated HSC ( day 7) were apoptotic. Compared with activated HSC, CD95R was expressed in 70% higher amounts in rMF. CD95L could only be detected in activated HSC. Stimulation of the CD95 system by agonistic antibodies (1 ng/ml) led to apoptosis of all rMF within 2 h, whereas activated HSC were more resistant (5.3 h/ 40% of total cells). Although transforming growth factor-β downregulated apoptosis in both activated HSC and rMF, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) upregulated apoptosis in rMF. Lack of spontaneous apoptosis and CD95L expression in rMF and the different reaction on TNF-α stimulation reveal that activated HSC and rMF belong to different cell populations.

2021 ◽  
pp. 002215542110536
Author(s):  
Ikuyo Inoue ◽  
Xian-Yang Qin ◽  
Takahiro Masaki ◽  
Yoshihiro Mezaki ◽  
Tomokazu Matsuura ◽  
...  

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) activation is involved in various pathogeneses, such as fibrosis and malignancy. We previously showed that TGF-β was activated by serine protease plasma kallikrein-dependent digestion of latency-associated peptides (LAPs) and developed a method to detect LAP degradation products (LAP-DPs) in the liver and blood using specific monoclonal antibodies. Clinical studies have revealed that blood LAP-DPs are formed in the early stages of liver fibrosis. This study aimed to identify the cell source of LAP-DP formation during liver fibrosis. The N-terminals of LAP-DPs ending at residue Arg58 (R58) were stained in liver sections of a bile duct-ligated liver fibrosis model at 3 and 13 days. R58 LAP-DPs were detected in quiescent hepatic stellate cells at day 3 and in macrophages on day 13 after ligation of the bile duct. We then performed a detailed analysis of the axial localization of R58 signals in a single macrophage, visualized the cell membrane with the anti-CLEC4F antibody, and found R58 LAP-DPs surrounded by the membrane in phagocytosed debris that appeared to be dead cells. These findings suggest that in the early stages of liver fibrosis, TGF-β is activated on the membrane of stellate cells, and then the cells are phagocytosed after cell death: (J Histochem Cytochem XX:XXX–XXX, XXXX)


2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (8) ◽  
pp. 728-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sowmya Mekala ◽  
SubbaRao V. Tulimilli ◽  
Ramasatyaveni Geesala ◽  
Kanakaraju Manupati ◽  
Neha R. Dhoke ◽  
...  

Apoptotic hepatocytes release factors that activate hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), thereby inducing hepatic fibrosis. In the present study, in vivo and in vitro injury models were established using acetaminophen, ethanol, carbon tetrachloride, or thioacetamide. Histology of hepatotoxicant-induced diseased hepatic tissue correlated with differential expression of fibrosis-related genes. A marked increase in co-staining of transforming growth factor β receptor type II (TGFRIIβ) – desmin or α-smooth muscle actin – platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ), markers of activated HSCs, in liver sections of these hepatotoxicant-treated mice also depicted an increase in Annexin V – cytokeratin expressing hepatocytes. To understand the molecular mechanisms of disease pathology, in vitro experiments were designed using the conditioned medium (CM) of hepatotoxicant-treated HepG2 cells supplemented to HSCs. A significant increase in HSC proliferation, migration, and expression of fibrosis-related genes and protein was observed, thereby suggesting the characteristics of an activated phenotype. Treating HepG2 cells with hepatotoxicants resulted in a significant increase in mRNA expression of platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). CM supplemented to HSCs resulted in increased phosphorylation of PDGFRβ and TGFRIIβ along with its downstream effectors, extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2 and focal adhesion kinase. Neutralizing antibodies against PDGF-BB and TGFβ effectively perturbed the hepatotoxicant-treated HepG2 cell CM-induced activation of HSCs. This study suggests PDGF-BB and TGFβ as potential molecular targets for developing anti-fibrotic therapeutics.


1999 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 1205-1221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Knittel ◽  
Dominik Kobold ◽  
Bernhard Saile ◽  
Anka Grundmann ◽  
Katrin Neubauer ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 278 (13) ◽  
pp. 11721-11728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenghai Liu ◽  
Marianna D. A. Gaça ◽  
E. Scott Swenson ◽  
Vincent F. Vellucci ◽  
Michael Reiss ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (1) ◽  
pp. G113-G123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shizhong Zheng ◽  
Anping Chen

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), the major effectors of hepatic fibrogenesis, is coupled with sequential alterations in gene expression, including an increase in receptors for transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and a dramatic reduction in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). The relationship between them remains obscure. We previously demonstrated that curcumin induced gene expression of PPAR-γ in activated HSC, leading to reducing cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis and suppressing expression of extracellular matrix genes. The underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. We recently observed that stimulation of PPAR-γ activation suppressed gene expression of TGF-β receptors in activated HSC, leading to the interruption of TGF-β signaling. This observation supported our assumption of an antagonistic relationship between PPAR-γ activation and TGF-β signaling in HSC. In this study, we further hypothesize that TGF-β signaling might negatively regulate gene expression of PPAR-γ in activated HSC. The present report demonstrates that exogenous TGF-β1 inhibits gene expression of PPAR-γ in activated HSC, which is eliminated by the pretreatment with curcumin likely by interrupting TGF-β signaling. Transfection assays further indicate that blocking TGF-β signaling by dominant negative type II TGF-β receptor increases the promoter activity of PPAR-γ gene. Promoter deletion assays, site-directed mutageneses, and gel shift assays localize two Smad binding elements (SBEs) in the PPAR-γ gene promoter, acting as curcumin response elements and negatively regulating the promoter activity in passaged HSC. The Smad3/4 protein complex specifically binds to the SBEs. Overexpression of Smad4 dose dependently eliminates the inhibitory effects of curcumin on the PPAR-γ gene promoter and TGF-β signaling. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the interruption of TGF-β signaling by curcumin induces gene expression of PPAR-γ in activated HSC in vitro. Our studies provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of curcumin in the induction of PPAR-γ gene expression and in the inhibition of HSC activation.


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