Knowledge Dissemination for elimination Role of Academic Institutions in Eliminating Viral Hepatitis.

INTRODUCTION: India is looking to achieve hepatitis elimination status by 2030 through vaccination, diagnostic tests, medicines, and education campaigns. Awareness generation is essential to orient people regarding hepatitis B and C. The present study was done to assess the knowledge regarding hepatitis among students and staff of academic institutions and raise awareness through a series of webinars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 academic institutes from across the country between February and March 2022. The study included the dissemination of knowledge in the form of a webinar and the administration of a pre and postwebinar survey to assess the difference in the knowledge levels. RESULTS: A total of 914 individuals participated in the sessions. The mean baseline score for general epidemiology (max = 13 points), treatment and complications (max = 7 points), and prevention (max = 5 points) were 10.9 ± 2.1, 4.6 ± 1.3, and 3.2 ± 1.3, respectively. Overall, the mean score increased from 18.5 ± 3.6 to 20.4 ± 3.4 postwebinar, with an increase of +7.3%. CONCLUSION: The study observed significant improvement in knowledge among the participants following a low-cost 1-day training in webinar mode. Such training programs can be upscaled and help in educating the general public on hepatitis.

Celastrol pretreatment attenuates concanavalin A-induced hepatitis in mice by suppressing interleukin-6/STAT3-interleukin-17 signaling.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Celastrol is extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. It has been reported to have protective effects against various liver diseases and immune regulation of autoimmune diseases. However, little is known about whether celastrol protects against immune-mediated hepatitis. This study aimed to investigate the effect of celastrol on liver injury induced by concanavalin A (ConA) and the potential mechanisms. METHODS: Intravenous administration of ConA was applied to induce acute liver injury in mice with or without pretreatment of celastrol. The effects of celastrol on ConA-induced liver injury were further demonstrated by biochemical and histopathological assessments, immunoblotting, and flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: Both biochemical and histopathological observations showed that pretreatment of celastrol significantly ameliorated liver injury induced by ConA. Moreover, the hepatocyte apoptosis and inflammatory responses induced by ConA were also improved in celastrol-pretreated mice. Further studies revealed that these improvements were characterized as the celastrol-mediated suppression of total interleukin (IL)-17 from liver mononuclear cells in ConA-treated mice. Flow cytometry analysis suggested that celastrol specifically decreased IL-17 production by CD4+ T cells but not by CD8+ T cells. Fundamentally, pretreatment with celastrol inhibited both the IL-6 produced by F4/80+ macrophages and the IL-6 receptor on Th17 cells in the liver, which further led to the downregulated activation of STAT3, thus accounting for blocked Th17 signaling. CONCLUSIONS: Celastrol may exhibit immune regulatory effects by regulating IL-6/STAT3-IL-17 signaling in ConA-induced hepatitis, which suggested new potentials for celastrol to be applied in treating immune-mediated liver diseases.

Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in children.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in children has recently exhibited a global trend of concentrated occurrence. This review aimed to summarize the current available information regarding the outbreak of severe acute hepatitis and introduce our hospital's previous experiences with the diagnosis and treatment of severe acute hepatitis for reference. DATA SOURCES: Websites including the UK Health Security Agency, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, CDC, WHO, and databases including PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase and Web of Science were searched for articles on severe acute hepatitis in children. RESULTS: As of May 26, 2022, a total of 650 cases have been reported in 33 countries; at least 38 (6%) children required liver transplantation, and nine (1%) died. Cases are predominantly aged between 3 and 5 years old, and there are no epidemiological links among them. The common manifestations are jaundice, vomiting and pale stools. Adenovirus tested positive in most cases, and SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses were detected in a few cases, but virus particles were not found in liver tissue. Adenovirus immunohistochemistry showed immunoreactivity in the intrasinusoidal lumen from some liver samples. The hierarchical treatment includes symptomatic and supportive therapy, management of coagulation disorders and hepatic encephalopathy, artificial liver support, and liver transplantation (approximately 6%-10% of cases require liver transplant). CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of this severe acute hepatitis in children is not clear. The clinical features are severe acute hepatitis with significantly elevated liver enzymes. Clinicians need to be alert to children with hepatitis.

Alkaline phosphatase attenuates LPS-induced liver injury by regulating the miR-146a-related inflammatory pathway.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can remain in dairy products after the sterilization of milk powder and may pose a threat to the health of infants and young children. There is a large amount of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in raw milk, which can remove the phosphate bond of LPS, thus, detoxifying it. ALP is regarded as an indicator of the success of milk sterilization due to its strong heat resistance. ALP can alleviate the toxicity of LPS in enteritis and nephritis models, but the mechanism by which oral-intake of ALP protects liver tissue from LPS stimulation is unclear. In this study, an in vivo acute mouse liver injury model was induced by C. sakazakii LPS (200 µg/kg) and used to verify the protective mechanism of ALP (200 U/kg) on mice livers. The related pathways were also verified by in vitro cell culture. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting were used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors at the protein level and RNA level, and to confirm the inflammation of liver tissue caused by LPS. ALP was found to alleviate acute liver injury in vitro by activating miR-146a. We found that ALP could up-regulate the level of miR146a and subsequently alleviates the expression of TLR4, TNF-α, matured IL-1ß, and NF-κB in mouse liver tissue and hepatocytes; thus, reducing liver inflammation. Herein, we demonstrated for the first time that oral-intake of ALP protected liver tissue by up-regulating the expression of miR-146a and alleviating inflammatory reactions; thus, providing a research basis for the proper processing of milk. This study also suggests that producers should improve the awareness of the protective effects of bioactive proteins in raw milk.

Rimonabant ameliorates hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats: Involvement of autophagy via modulating ERK- and PI3K/AKT-mTOR pathways.

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (HIR), which can result in severe liver injury and dysfunction, is usually associated with autophagy and endocannabinoid system derangements. Whether or not the modulation of the autophagic response following HIR injury is involved in the hepatoprotective effect of the cannabinoid receptor 1(CB1R) antagonist rimonabant remains elusive and is the aim of the current study. Rats pre-treated with rimonabant (3 mg/kg) or vehicle underwent 30 min hepatic ischemia followed by 6 hrs. reperfusion. Liver injury was evaluated by serum ALT, AST, bilirubin (total and direct levels) and histopathological examination. The inflammatory, profibrotic and oxidative responses were investigated by assessing hepatic tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), transforming growth factor (TGF-ß), lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione. The hepatic levels of CB1R and autophagic markers p62, Beclin-1, and LC3 as well as the autophagic signaling inhibitors ERK1/2, PI3K, Akt and mTOR were also determined. Rimonabant significantly attenuated HIR-induced increases in hepatic injury, inflammation, profibrotic responses and oxidative stress and improved the associated pathological features. Rimonabant modulated the expression of p62, Beclin-1, and LC3, down-regulated CB1R, and dcreased pERK1/2, PI3K, Akt, and mTOR activities. The current study suggests that rimonabant can protect the liver from IR injury at least in part by inducing autophagy, probably by modulating ERK- and/or PI3K/AKT-mTOR signaling.

Treprostinil alleviates hepatic mitochondrial injury during rat renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND: Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) causes acute kidney injury as well as liver injury. Renal IRI depletes hepatic antioxidants, promotes hepatic inflammation and dysfunction through Tlr9 upregulation. There is no treatment available for liver injury during renal IRI. This study examines the hepatoprotective role of treprostinil, a prostacyclin analog, during renal IRI. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, sham, IRI-placebo, or IRI-treprostinil and subjected to bilateral ischemia (45 min) followed by reperfusion (1-72 h). Placebo or treprostinil (100 ng/kg/min) was administered subcutaneously via an osmotic minipump. RESULTS: Treprostinil significantly reduced peak serum creatinine, BUN, ALT and AST levels vs. IRI-placebo. Treprostinil also restored hepatic levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, catalase, and Gclc expression to baseline, while reducing lipid peroxidation vs. IRI-placebo. Additionally, treprostinil significantly reduced elevated hepatic Tlr9, Il-1ß, Ccl2, Vcam1, and Serpine1 mRNA expression. Renal IRI increased hepatic apoptosis which was inhibited by treprostinil through reduced cytochrome c and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression. Treprostinil enhanced hepatic ATP concentrations and mitochondrial DNA copy number and improved mitochondrial dynamics by restoring Pgc-1α expression and significantly upregulating Mfn1, Mfn2, and Sirt3 levels, while reducing Drp-1 protein vs. IRI-placebo. Non-targeted semi-quantitative proteomics showed improved oxidative stress indices and ATP subunits in the IRI-treprostinil group. CONCLUSIONS: Treprostinil improved hepatic function and antioxidant levels, while suppressing the inflammatory response and alleviating Tlr9-mediated apoptotic injury during renal IRI. Our study provides evidence of treprostinil's hepatoprotective effect, which supports the therapeutic potential of treprostinil in reducing hepatic injury during renal IRI.

Myricetin supplementation decreases hepatic lipid synthesis and inflammation by modulating gut microbiota.

The relationship between poor in vivo bioavailability and effective pharmacological activity are not yet fully clarified for many flavonoids. The analysis of flavonoids-induced alterations in the gut microbiota represents a promising approach to provide useful clues to elucidate the mechanism of action. Here, we investigate the effect of myricetin supplementation on high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats and explore the associations with the gut microbiota through high-throughput analyses. The 12-week myricetin supplementation and fecal microbiota transplantation outcomes suggest that myricetin significantly slows the development of NAFLD. Meanwhile, the anti-NAFLD effects of myricetin are associated with the modulation of the gut microbiota composition. Myricetin reduces hepatic lipid synthesis and inflammation through modulations in fecal butyric-acid-related gut microbiota and protection of the gut barrier function. This study may facilitate the elucidation of the action mechanism of flavonoids with low bioavailability.

Molecular Hydrogen as a Novel Protective Agent against Pre-Symptomatic Diseases.

Mibyou, or pre-symptomatic diseases, refers to state of health in which a disease is slowly developing within the body yet the symptoms are not apparent. Common examples of mibyou in modern medicine include inflammatory diseases that are caused by chronic inflammation. It is known that chronic inflammation is triggered by the uncontrolled release of proinflammatory cytokines by neutrophils and macrophages in the innate immune system. In a recent study, it was shown that molecular hydrogen (H2) has the ability to treat chronic inflammation by eliminating hydroxyl radicals (·OH), a mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). In doing so, H2 suppresses oxidative stress, which is implicated in several mechanisms at the root of chronic inflammation, including the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. This review explains these mechanisms by which H2 can suppress chronic inflammation and studies its applications as a protective agent against different inflammatory diseases in their pre-symptomatic state. While mibyou cannot be detected nor treated by modern medicine, H2 is able to suppress the pathogenesis of pre-symptomatic diseases, and thus exhibits prospects as a novel protective agent.

Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) inhibits hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), closely associated with obesity, is a health concern worldwide. We investigated whether the consumption of U.S.-grown sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), an edible brown alga, can prevent obesity-associated metabolic disturbances and NASH in a mouse model of diet-induced NASH. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a low-fat diet, a high-fat/high-sucrose/high-cholesterol diet (HF), or a HF diet containing sugar kelp (HF-Kelp) for 14 weeks. HF-Kelp group showed lower body weight with increased O2 consumption, CO2 production, physical activity, and energy expenditure compared with the HF. In the liver, there were significant decreases in weight, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and steatosis with HF-Kelp. The HF-Kelp group decreased hepatic expression of a macrophage marker adhesion G protein-coupled receptor E1 (Adgre1) and an M1 macrophage marker integrin alpha x (Itgax). HF-Kelp group also exhibited decreased liver fibrosis, as evidenced by less expression of fibrogenic genes and collagen accumulation than those of HF group. In epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), HF-Kelp group exhibited decreases in eWAT weight and adipocyte size compared with those of the HF. HF-Kelp group showed decreased expression of collagen type VI alpha 1 chain, Adgre1, Itgax, and tumor necrosis factor α in eWAT. We demonstrated, for the first time, that the consumption of U.S-grown sugar kelp prevented the development of obesity and its associated metabolic disturbances, steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in the liver and eWAT of a diet-induced NASH mouse model.

Sufentanil Protects the Liver from Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Inflammation and Apoptosis by Inhibiting ATF4-Induced TP53BP2 Expression.

Liver ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a pathological process that often occurs during liver and trauma surgery. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and potential mechanisms of sufentanil on hepatic I/R injury. I/R rat model and hypoxic/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced buffalo rat liver (BRL)-3A cell model were established. Following pretreatment with sufentanil, the enzymatic activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in rat serum and the changes of hepatic histopathology were evaluated to track the extent of liver injury. The levels of inflammatory factors were determined with ELISA kits and RT-qPCR. The infiltration of macrophages was assessed after detecting monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and F4/80 expression. Additionally, apoptosis was measured by means of TUNEL staining, and gene expression related to apoptosis was examined using RT-qPCR and western blotting. Then, TP53BP2 was overexpressed in BRL-3A cells exposed to H/R condition to evaluate whether sufentanil defended the liver against injury by regulating TP53BP2 expression. Moreover, the potential binding site of ATF4 on the TP53BP2 promoter was analyzed using JASPAR databases and verified by chromosomal immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Furthermore, TP53BP2 expression and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related protein levels were determined after ATF4 was overexpressed in sufentanil-treated BRL-3A cells. Results revealed that sufentanil significantly improved hepatic I/R injury, decreased the levels of inflammatory factors, and alleviated hepatocyte apoptosis. Notably, upregulated TP53BP2 expression was observed in hepatic tissues, and TP53BP2 overexpression markedly reversed the protective effects of sufentanil on the inflammation and apoptosis in H/R-stimulated BRL-3A cells. Additionally, ATF4 was confirmed to combine with the TP53BP2 promoter. ATF4 upregulation attenuated the inhibitory effects of sufentanil on the expression of TP53BP2 and ERS-associated proteins. These findings demonstrated that sufentanil protects the liver from inflammation and apoptosis injury induced by I/R by inhibiting ATF4 expression and further suppressing TP53BP2 expression, suggesting a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of liver I/R injury.

IL-33 ameliorates liver injury and inflammation in Poly I:C and Concanavalin-A induced acute hepatitis.

The IL-33/ST2 axis is known to be involved in liver pathologies and IL-33 is over-expressed in mouse hepatitis models. We aimed to investigate the proposed protective effect of IL-33 in murine fulminant hepatitis induced by a Toll like receptor 3 (TLR3) viral mimetic, Poly I:C or by Concanavalin-A (ConA). The Balb/C mice were administered intravenously with ConA (15 mg/kg) or Poly I:C (30 µg/mouse) to induce acute hepatitis along with vehicle control. The recombinant mouse IL-33 (rIL-33) was injected (0.2 µg/mouse) to mice 2 h prior to ConA or Poly I:C injection to check its hepato-protective effects. The gross lesions, level of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), histopathology (H&E staining) and levels of IFNγ and TNFα were measured by ELISA. The gross pathological liver injury induced by Poly I:C or ConA was reduced by rIL-33 administration in mice. The levels of AST and ALT were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in mice challenged with Poly I:C or ConA in comparison to control mice. The rIL-33 pre-treated mice in both Poly I:C and ConA challenge groups showed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower levels of AST and ALT, and decreased liver injury (parenchymal and per-vascular necrotic areas) in histological liver sections. The soluble levels of TNFα and IFNγ were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) raised in Poly I:C or ConA challenged mice than control mice. The levels of TNFα and IFNγ were significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.05) in rIL-33 pre-treated mice. In conclusion, the exogenous IL-33 administration mitigated liver injury and inflammation (decreased levels of IFNγ and TNFα) in Poly I:C and ConA-induced acute hepatitis in mice.

Novel Strategies to Prevent Total Parenteral Nutrition-Induced Gut and Liver Inflammation, and Adverse Metabolic Outcomes.

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is a life-saving therapy administered to millions of patients. However, it is associated with significant adverse effects, namely liver injury, risk of infections, and metabolic derangements. In this review, the underlying causes of TPN-associated adverse effects, specifically gut atrophy, dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiome, leakage of the epithelial barrier with bacterial invasion, and inflammation are first described. The role of the bile acid receptors farnesoid X receptor and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor, of pleiotropic hormones, and growth factors is highlighted, and the mechanisms of insulin resistance, namely the lack of insulinotropic and insulinomimetic signaling of gut-originating incretins as well as the potentially toxicity of phytosterols and pro-inflammatory fatty acids mainly released from soybean oil-based lipid emulsions, are discussed. Finally, novel approaches in the design of next generation lipid delivery systems are proposed. Propositions include modifying the physicochemical properties of lipid emulsions, the use of lipid emulsions generated from sustainable oils with favorable ratios of anti-inflammatory n-3 to pro-inflammatory n-6 fatty acids, beneficial adjuncts to TPN, and concomitant pharmacotherapies to mitigate TPN-associated adverse effects.

A Mouse Model of Acute Liver Injury by Warm, Partial Ischemia-Reperfusion for Testing the Efficacy of Virus-Derived Therapeutics.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) drives early and long-term damage to organs as well as compounding damage from acute transplant rejection and surgical trauma. IRI initiates an aggressive and prolonged inflammation leading to tissue injury, organ failure, and death. However, there are few effective therapeutic interventions for IRI. The destructive inflammatory cell activity in IRI is part of an aberrant innate immune response that triggers multiple pathways. Hence, immune-modulating treatments to control pathways triggered by IRI hold great therapeutic potential. Viruses, especially large DNA viruses, have evolved highly effective immune-modulating proteins for the purpose of immune evasion and to protect the virus from the host immune defenses. A number of these immune-modulating proteins have proven therapeutically effective in preclinical models, many with function targeting pathways known to be involved in IRI. The use of virus-derived immune-modulating proteins thus represents a promising source for new treatments to target ischemia-reperfusion injury. Laboratory small animal models of IRI are well established and are able to reproduce many aspects of ischemia-reperfusion injury seen in humans. This chapter will discuss the methods used to perform the IRI procedure in mice, as well as clinically relevant diagnostic tests to evaluate liver injury and approaches for assessing histological damage while testing novel immune modulating protein treatments.

Inhibition of HMGB1 involved in the protective of salidroside on liver injury in diabetes mice.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that is released on injury triggers inflammation. This study aims to elucidate the effects of salidroside on diabetes-induced liver inflammation. The levels of glucose, inflammatory cytokines and hepatic functional parameters in serum and liver of type 2 diabetic db/db mice were examined. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and western blot tests were performed to determine the mechanisms underlying the action. Palmitic acid (PA) or HMGB1-stimulated was adopted as an in vitro cell model. Salidroside treatment improved glucose tolerance, lipid profiles while decreased the production of inflammatory cytokines. It also reduced the levels of serum biochemical markers. In addition, salidroside inhibited HMGB1 signaling pathway in db/db mice. In the salidroside treatment significantly inhibited PA or HMGB1 induced inflammatory signaling pathway, too. HMGB1 inhibitors and HMGB1 knockdown both hindered PA-induced HMGB1 signaling pathway, showing the same effect as salidroside. Salidroside treatment significantly alleviates insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and hepatic inflammation in db/db mice, and also showed beneficial to PA-stimulated. Salidroside proves to control hyperglycemia and hepatic inflammation via inhibiting HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB and HMGB1/TLR4/NLRP3 signaling pathways.

A synergistic effect of Ambroxol and Beta-Glucosylceramide in alleviating immune-mediated hepatitis: A novel immunomodulatory non-immunosuppressive formulation for treatment of immune-mediated disorders.

BACKGROUND: Ambroxol hydrochloride is being used in respiratory diseases as a broncholytic therapy. Beta-Glucosylceramide (GC) is a naturally occurring glycosphingolipid that exerts an immune protective effect. The aim of the present study was to determine the synergistic immunomodulatory effect between these two compounds. METHODS: Immune-mediated hepatitis was induced in the mice by administration of Con A. Mice were treated with either Ambroxol or GC alone or with the combination of both. Mice were followed for their effect on the liver injury, cytokine profile, and the immune system. RESULTS: Coadministration of Ambroxol and GC significantly alleviated the liver injury induced by ConA, as demonstrated by the decreased liver enzymes. The combined treatment had a statistically significant synergistic effect on the suppression of intrahepatic CD8+CD25+, an increase in the CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratio and in the CD8+ intrahepatic lymphocyte trapping, as well as on change of serum in the IL4 levels. The beneficial effect was associated with the promotion of regulatory T lymphocytes subsets, and with a trend for a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory cytokine shift. CONCLUSIONS: Coadministration of Ambroxol with GC exerted a synergistic immunoprotective effect in a model of immune-mediated acute liver damage. Considering the high safety profile of both agents, the combination may become a novel immunomodulatory non-immunosuppressive therapeutic agent. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Coadministration of Ambroxol with glucocerebroside exerted a synergistic immunoprotective effect in a model of immune-mediated acute liver damage.