Possible Therapeutic Uses of Extracellular Vesicles for Reversion of Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells: Context and Future Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahim Rejanur Tasin ◽  
Debasish Halder ◽  
Chanchal Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Fibrotic Liver ◽  
Paracrine Effects ◽  
Cell Therapies

: Liver fibrosis is one of the leading causes for cirrhotic liver disease and the lack of therapies to treat fibrotic liver is a major concern. Liver fibrosis is mainly occurred by activation of hepatic stellate cells and some stem cell therapies had previously reported for treatment. However, due to some problems with cell-based treatment, a safe therapeutic agent is vehemently sought by the researchers. Extracellular vesicles are cell-derived nanoparticles that are employed in several therapeutic approaches, including fibrosis, for their ability to transfer specific molecules in the target cells. In this review the possibilities of extracellular vesicles to inactivate stellate cells are summarized and discussed. According to several studies, extracellular vesicles from different sources can either put beneficial or detrimental effects by regulating the activation of stellate cells. Therefore, targeting extracellular vesicles for maximizing or inhibiting their production is a potential approach for fibrotic liver treatment. Extracellular vesicles from different cells can also inactivate stellate cells by carrying out the paracrine effects of those cells, working as the agents. They are also implicated as smart carrier of anti-fibrotic molecules when their respective parent cells are engineered to produce specific stellate cell-regulating substances. A number of studies showed stellate cell activation can be regulated by up/downregulation of specific proteins, and extracellular vesicle-based therapies can be an effective move to exploit these mechanisms. In conclusion, EVs are advantageous nano-carriers with the potential to treat fibrotic liver by inactivating activated stellate cells by various mechanisms.

scholarly journals Identification of GDF15 as A Pro-Fibrotic Factor in Mouse Liver Fibrosis Progression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Qi ◽  
Ming-Ze Ma ◽  
Jing-Hua Kuai
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Tetrachloride ◽  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cell ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Liver Tissue ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Fibrosis Progression

Abstract Aim:To elucidate the inhibitory role of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in liver fibrosis and its possible activation mechanism in hepatic stellate cells of mice.Methods:We generated a GDF15-neutralizing antibody that can inhibit TGF-β1-induced activation of the TGF-β/Smad2/3 pathway in LX-2 cells. All the mice in this study were induced by carbon tetrachloride and thioacetamide. In addition, primary hepatic stellate cells from mice were isolated from fresh livers using Nycodenz density gradient separation. The severity and extent of liver fibrosis in mice were evaluated by Sirius Red and Masson staining. The effect of GDF15 on the activation of the TGF-β pathway was detected using dual-luciferase reporter assays and Western blotting assays.Results:The expression of GDF15 in cirrhotic liver tissue was higher than that in normal liver tissue. Blocking GDF15 with a neutralizing antibody resulted in a delay in primary hepatic stellate cell activation and remission of liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride or thioacetamide. Meanwhile, TGF-β pathway activation was partly inhibited by a GDF15-neutralizing antibody in primary hepatic stellate cells. These results indicated that GDF15 plays an important role in regulating HSC activation and liver fibrosis progression.Conclusions:The inhibition of GDF15 attenuates chemical-inducible liver fibrosis and delays hepatic stellate cell activation, and this effect is probably mainly attributed to its regulatory role in TGF-β signalling.

Lycopene inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation and modulates cellular lipid storage and signaling

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1974-1984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique de Barros Elias ◽  
Felipe Leite Oliveira ◽  
Fatima Costa Rodrigues Guma ◽  
Renata Brum Martucci ◽  
Radovan Borojevic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cell ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Lipid Storage ◽  
Cellular Lipid ◽  
Perivascular Cells ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation

Hepatic stellate cells are liver-specific perivascular cells, identified as the major source of collagen in liver fibrosis, following their activation and conversion to myofibroblast-like cells.

scholarly journals Toll-Like Receptor Signaling and Liver Fibrosis

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomonori Aoyama ◽  
Yong-Han Paik ◽  
Ekihiro Seki
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Kupffer Cells ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Tlr Signaling

Liver fibrosis occurs as a wound-healing scar response following acute and chronic liver inflammation including alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, hepatitis B and C, and autoimmune hepatitis. Myofibroblasts, mainly transdifferentiated from hepatic stellate cells, are pivotal cell types that produce fibrillar collagen. The activation of inflammatory cells, including Kupffer cells, is a crucial step for activating hepatic stellate cells. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors that sense pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which discriminate the products of microorganisms from the host. TLRs are expressed on Kupffer cells, endothelial cells, dendritic cells, biliary epithelial cells, hepatic stellate cells, and hepatocytes in the liver. TLR signaling induces potent innate immune responses in these cell types. The liver is constantly exposed to PAMPs, such as LPS and bacterial DNA through bacterial translocation because there is a unique anatomical link, the portal vein system between liver and intestine. Recent evidence demonstrates the role of TLRs in the activation of hepatic immune cells and stellate cells during liver fibrosis. Moreover, crosstalk between TLR4 signaling and TGF-βsignaling in hepatic stellate cells has been reported. This paper highlights the role of TLR signaling in stellate cell activation and the progression of liver fibrosis.

scholarly journals Extracellular Vesicles From Steatotic Hepatocytes Provoke Pro-Fibrotic Responses in Stellate Cells.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Teresa Koenen ◽  
Tim Caspers ◽  
Alexandra C.A. Heinzmann ◽  
Petra Fischer ◽  
Daniel Heinrichs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Hepg2 Cells ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Proliferation Markers ◽  
Prolonged Incubation

Abstract Background and aimsHigh caloric dietary intake is associated with hepatic steatosis and chronic hepatocyte damage leading ultimately to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis with organ failure. Although the pathophysiologic process orchestrating liver fibrosis is not completely clarified, pivotal steps are the activation and transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells. In this study, we aim to assess the direct interplay between hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells under normal and steatotic conditions and hypothesize that extracellular vesicles (EV) isolated from hepatocytes can directly manipulate the phenotype of stellate cells.MethodsBy high speed centrifugation, EV were isolated from conditioned media of the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, under baseline conditions (C-EV) or after induction of steatosis by linoleic and oleic acid for 24 hours (FA-EV). Migration of the stellate cell line TWNT4 towards respective EV as well as sera of NASH patients was investigated using Boyden chambers. TWNT4 phenotype alterations after incubation with EV was determined by qPCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. ResultsHepG2 cells released more EV after treatment with fatty acids. Chemotactic migration of TWNT4 cells was increased specifically towards FA-EV. Prolonged incubation of TWNT4 cells with FA-EV induce expression of proliferation markers and a myofibroblast-like phenotype. Whereas the expression of the collagen type 1 1 gene did not change after FA-EV-treatment, expression of the myofibroblast markers e.g. -smooth muscle cell actin and TIMP1 were significantly increased. ConclusionWe concluded that EV from steatotic HepG2 cells can influence the behavior and phenotype of TWNT4 cells as well as the expression of remodeling markers and guides directed migration. These findings imply EV as operational, intercellular communicators in the pathophysiology of steatosis associated liver fibrosis.

scholarly journals Characterization of a stellate cell activation-associated protein (STAP) with peroxidase activity found in rat hepatic stellate cells.

2001 ◽  
Vol 276 (50) ◽  
pp. 47744
Author(s):  
Norifumi Kawada ◽  
Dan Bach Kristensen ◽  
Kinji Asahina ◽  
Kazuki Nakatani ◽  
Yukiko Minamiyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peroxidase Activity ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Stellate Cells

scholarly journals Nuclear Cathepsin F Regulates Activation Markers in Rat Hepatic Stellate Cells

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 4238-4248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunter Maubach ◽  
Michelle Chin Chia Lim ◽  
Lang Zhuo
Keyword(s):  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Activation Process ◽  
Type I ◽  
Activation Markers ◽  
Nuclear Activity ◽  
Cystatin B ◽  
Cathepsin F

Activation of hepatic stellate cells during liver fibrosis is a major event facilitating an increase in extracellular matrix deposition. The up-regulation of smooth muscle α-actin and collagen type I is indicative of the activation process. The involvement of cysteine cathepsins, a class of lysosomal cysteine proteases, has not been studied in conjunction with the activation process of hepatic stellate cells. Here we report a nuclear cysteine protease activity partially attributed to cathepsin F, which co-localizes with nuclear speckles. This activity can be regulated by treatment with retinol/palmitic acid, known to reduce the hepatic stellate cell activation. The treatment for 48 h leads to a decrease in activity, which is coupled to an increase in cystatin B and C transcripts. Cystatin B knockdown experiments during the same treatment confirm the regulation of the nuclear activity by cystatin B. We demonstrate further that the inhibition of the nuclear activity by E-64d, a cysteine protease inhibitor, results in a differential regulation of smooth muscle α-actin and collagen type I transcripts. On the other hand, cathepsin F small interfering RNA transfection leads to a decrease in nuclear activity and a transcriptional down-regulation of both activation markers. These findings indicate a possible link between nuclear cathepsin F activity and the transcriptional regulation of hepatic stellate cell activation markers.

scholarly journals SAT-LB101 Loss of GLP-2R Signaling Activates Hepatic Stellate Cells and Exacerbates Diet-Induced Steatohepatitis in Mice

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shai Z Fuchs ◽  
Bernardo Yusta ◽  
Laurie Baggio ◽  
Elodie Varin ◽  
Dianne Matthews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Intestinal Failure ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Cell Fractionation ◽  
Hepatic Inflammation ◽  
Hepatic Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Gut Hormone

Abstract A GLP-2 analogue is used in individuals with intestinal failure at risk for liver disease, yet the hepatic actions of GLP-2 are not understood. Treatment of high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice with GLP-2 did not modify the development of hepatosteatosis or hepatic inflammation. In contrast, Glp2r-/- mice exhibited increased hepatic lipid accumulation, deterioration in glucose tolerance, and upregulation of biomarkers of hepatic inflammation. Both mouse and human liver expressed the canonical GLP-2R, and hepatic Glp2r expression was upregulated in mice with hepatosteatosis. Cell fractionation localized the Glp2r to hepatic stellate cells (HSC), and markers of HSC activation and fibrosis were increased in livers from Glp2r-/- mice. Moreover, GLP-2 directly modulated gene expression in isolated HSCs ex vivo. Taken together, these findings define an essential role for the GLP-2R in hepatic adaptation to nutrient excess and unveil a gut hormone-HSC axis, linking GLP-2R signaling to control of hepatic stellate cell activation.

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.

scholarly journals PTPRO-Associated Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation Plays a Critical Role in Liver Fibrosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 885-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xudong Zhang ◽  
Zhongming Tan ◽  
Youjing Wang ◽  
Junwei Tang ◽  
Runjiu Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Fibrosis ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion Injury ◽  
Stellate Cell ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Inflammatory Factors ◽  
Hepatic Ischemia ◽  
Fibrotic Liver ◽  
Duct Ligation

Background/Aims: PTPRO (protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type O) is implicated in diverse physiological and pathological processes in cancer and hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury, although little is known about its role in hepatic fibrosis. Methods: Here, by using genetically deficient mice, we reported that PTPRO knockout (PTPRO-/-) significantly attenuated liver injury, release of inflammatory factors, tissue remodeling, and liver fibrosis in two experimental mouse models of fibrogenesis induced by bile-duct ligation or carbon tetrachloride administration. Results: However, we proved that PTPRO expression was strongly downregulated in clinical and experimental liver fibrosis specimens. Further investigations revealed that stimulation of primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and hepatocytes with specific activator platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB increased PTPRO transcription in HSCs but had the opposite effect in primary hepatocytes. More importantly, synthetic short hairpin RNA targeting PTPRO significantly neutralized PDGF-BB-induced HSC proliferation and myofibroblast marker expression through downregulated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and AKT. Conclusion: These observations confirm that PTPRO plays a critical role in liver fibrogenesis by affecting PDGF signaling in HSC activation and might be developed into a feasible therapeutic approach for the treatment of chronic fibrotic liver diseases.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document