COVID-19 tissue atlases reveal SARS-CoV-2 pathology and cellular targets.

COVID-19, which is caused by SARS-CoV-2, can result in acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple organ failure1-4, but little is known about its pathophysiology. Here we generated single-cell atlases of 24 lung, 16 kidney, 16 liver and 19 heart autopsy tissue samples and spatial atlases of 14 lung samples from donors who died of COVID-19. Integrated computational analysis uncovered substantial remodelling in the lung epithelial, immune and stromal compartments, with evidence of multiple paths of failed tissue regeneration, including defective alveolar type 2 differentiation and expansion of fibroblasts and putative TP63+ intrapulmonary basal-like progenitor cells. Viral RNAs were enriched in mononuclear phagocytic and endothelial lung cells, which induced specific host programs. Spatial analysis in lung distinguished inflammatory host responses in lung regions with and without viral RNA. Analysis of the other tissue atlases showed transcriptional alterations in multiple cell types in heart tissue from donors with COVID-19, and mapped cell types and genes implicated with disease severity based on COVID-19 genome-wide association studies. Our foundational dataset elucidates the biological effect of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection across the body, a key step towards new treatments.

ASK1/ p38 axis inhibition blocks the release of mitochondrial "danger signals" from hepatocytes and suppresses progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Apoptosis Signal-regulating Kinase 1 (ASK1) is activated by various pathological stimuli and induces cell apoptosis through downstream p38 activation. We studied the effect of pharmacological ASK1 inhibition on cirrhosis and its sequelae using comprehensive preclinical in vivo and in vitro systems. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Short-term (4-6 wk) and long-term (24-44 wk) ASK1 inhibition using small molecule GS-444217 was tested in thioacetamide-induced and BALB/c. Mdr2-/- murine models of cirrhosis and HCC, and in vitro using primary hepatocyte cell death assays. Short-term GS-444217 therapy in both models strongly reduced phosphorylated p38, hepatocyte death, and fibrosis by up to 50%. Profibrogenic release of mitochondrial DAMP mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid from dying hepatocytes was blocked by ASK1 or p38 inhibition. Long-term (24 wk) therapy in BALBc.Mdr2 - / - model resulted in a moderate 25% reduction in bridging fibrosis, but not in net collagen deposition. Despite this, the development of cirrhosis was effectively prevented, with strongly reduced p21 + hepatocyte staining (by 72%), serum ammonia levels (by 46%), and portal pressure (average 6.07 vs. 8.53 mm Hg in controls). Extended ASK1 inhibition for 44 wk in aged BALB/c. Mdr2-/- mice resulted in markedly reduced tumor number and size by ~50% compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: ASK1 inhibition suppresses the profibrogenic release of mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid from dying hepatocytes in a p38-dependent manner and protects from liver fibrosis. Long-term ASK1 targeting resulted in diminished net antifibrotic effect, but the progression to liver cirrhosis and cancer in BALBc/ Mdr2- / - mice was effectively inhibited. These data support the clinical evaluation of ASK1 inhibitors in fibrotic liver diseases.

Conserved long noncoding RNA TILAM promotes liver fibrosis through interaction with PML in HSCs.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Fibrosis is the common end point for all forms of chronic liver injury, and the progression of fibrosis leads to the development of end-stage liver disease. Activation of HSCs and their transdifferentiation into myofibroblasts results in the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins that form the fibrotic scar. Long noncoding RNAs regulate the activity of HSCs and provide targets for fibrotic therapies. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We identified long noncoding RNA TILAM located near COL1A1 , expressed in HSCs, and induced with liver fibrosis in humans and mice. Loss-of-function studies in human HSCs and human liver organoids revealed that TILAM regulates the expression of COL1A1 and other extracellular matrix genes. To determine the role of TILAM in vivo, we annotated the mouse ortholog ( Tilam ), generated Tilam- deficient green fluorescent protein-reporter mice, and challenged these mice in 2 different models of liver fibrosis. Single-cell data and analysis of single-data and analysis of Tilam-deficient reporter mice revealed that Tilam is induced in murine HSCs with the development of fibrosis in vivo. Tilam -deficient reporter mice revealed that Tilam is induced in murine HSCs with the development of fibrosis in vivo. Furthermore, loss of Tilam expression attenuated the development of fibrosis in the setting of in vivo liver injury. Finally, we found that TILAM interacts with promyelocytic leukemia nuclear body scaffold protein to regulate a feedback loop by which TGF-ß2 reinforces TILAM expression and nuclear localization of promyelocytic leukemia nuclear body scaffold protein to promote the fibrotic activity of HSCs. CONCLUSIONS: TILAM is activated in HSCs with liver injury and interacts with promyelocytic leukemia nuclear body scaffold protein to drive the development of fibrosis. Depletion of TILAM may serve as a therapeutic approach to combat the development of end-stage liver disease.

Increased susceptibility to ischemia causes exacerbated response to microinjuries in the cirrhotic liver.

Fractional laser ablation is a technique developed in dermatology to induce remodeling of skin scars by creating a dense pattern of microinjuries. Despite remarkable clinical results, this technique has yet to be tested for scars in other tissues. As a first step toward determining the suitability of this technique, we aimed to (1) characterize the response to microinjuries in the healthy and cirrhotic liver, and (2) determine the underlying cause for any differences in response. Healthy and cirrhotic rats were treated with a fractional laser then euthanized from 0 h up to 14 days after treatment. Differential expression was assessed using RNAseq with a difference-in-differences model. Spatial maps of tissue oxygenation were acquired with hyperspectral imaging and disruptions in blood supply were assessed with tomato lectin perfusion. Healthy rats showed little damage beyond the initial microinjury and healed completely by 7 days without scarring. In cirrhotic rats, hepatocytes surrounding microinjury sites died 4-6 h after ablation, resulting in enlarged and heterogeneous zones of cell death. Hepatocytes near blood vessels were spared, particularly near the highly vascularized septa. Gene sets related to ischemia and angiogenesis were enriched at 4 h. Laser-treated regions had reduced oxygen saturation and broadly disrupted perfusion of nodule microvasculature, which matched the zones of cell death. Our results demonstrate that the cirrhotic liver has an exacerbated response to microinjuries and increased susceptibility to ischemia from microvascular damage, likely related to the vascular derangements that occur during cirrhosis development. Modifications to the fractional laser tool, such as using a femtosecond laser or reducing the spot size, may be able to prevent large disruptions of perfusion and enable further development of a laser-induced microinjury treatment for cirrhosis.

Fabrication of Ni-Polyaniline/Graphene Oxide Composite Electrode with High Capacitance and Water Splitting Activity.

The Ni-PANI@GO composite electrode was fabricated via cost effective electrodeposition technique. According to the XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM, and XPS analyses revealed that the nickel doped PANI@GO composite has been fabricated on the surface of the nickel foam. Addition of nickel significantly enhanced interaction between graphene with PANI leading to higher degree of polyaniline doping though imine groups. Electrochemical investigation revelated the significant performance of the Ni-PANI@GO composite electrode, boosting an impressive capacitance of 4480 F/g at 40 A/g, surpassing previous Ni-foam-based binder-free electrodes. Notably, Ni-PANI@GO electrode displayed excellent catalytic activity in both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), generating a considerable volume of the gas bubbles at relatively modest overpotentials of 279 mV and 244 mV respectively. This event allows for the achievement of 20 mA cm-2 current density. Furthermore, in the laboratory-scale water electrolyzer, a low cell voltage of 1.72 V was achieved, facilitating a water-splitting current density of 20 mA cm-2. This study underscores the premising potential for the real-world device's application of the versatile Ni-PANI@GO composite electrode.

Protective and aggressive bacterial subsets and metabolites modify hepatobiliary inflammation and fibrosis in a murine model of PSC.

OBJECTIVE: Conflicting microbiota data exist for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and experimental models. GOAL: define the function of complex resident microbes and their association relevant to PSC patients by studying germ-free (GF) and antibiotic-treated specific pathogen-free (SPF) multidrug-resistant 2 deficient (mdr2-/- ) mice and microbial profiles in PSC patient cohorts. DESIGN: We measured weights, liver enzymes, RNA expression, histological, immunohistochemical and fibrotic biochemical parameters, faecal 16S rRNA gene profiling and metabolomic endpoints in gnotobiotic and antibiotic-treated SPF mdr2-/- mice and targeted metagenomic analysis in PSC patients. RESULTS: GF mdr2-/- mice had 100% mortality by 8 weeks with increasing hepatic bile acid (BA) accumulation and cholestasis. Early SPF autologous stool transplantation rescued liver-related mortality. Inhibition of ileal BA transport attenuated antibiotic-accelerated liver disease and decreased total serum and hepatic BAs. Depletion of vancomycin-sensitive microbiota exaggerated hepatobiliary disease. Vancomycin selectively decreased Lachnospiraceae and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) but expanded Enterococcus and Enterobacteriaceae. Antibiotics increased Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli liver translocation. Colonisation of GF mdr2-/- mice with translocated E. faecalis and E. coli strains accelerated hepatobiliary inflammation and mortality. Lachnospiraceae colonisation of antibiotic pretreated mdr2-/- mice reduced liver fibrosis, inflammation and translocation of pathobionts, and SCFA-producing Lachnospiraceae and purified SCFA decreased fibrosis. Faecal Lachnospiraceae negatively associated, and E. faecalis/ Enterobacteriaceae positively associated, with PSC patients' clinical severity by Mayo risk scores. CONCLUSIONS: We identified novel functionally protective and detrimental resident bacterial species in mdr2-/- mice and PSC patients with associated clinical risk score. These insights may guide personalised targeted therapeutic interventions in PSC patients.

Lipoprotein Z, a hepatotoxic lipoprotein, predicts outcome in alcohol-associated hepatitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Lipoprotein Z (LP-Z) is an abnormal free cholesterol (FC)-enriched LDL-like particle discovered from patients with cholestatic liver disease. This study aims to define the diagnostic value of LP-Z in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) and interrogate the biology behind its formation. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We measured serum levels of LP-Z using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a well-established clinical assay. Serum levels of LP-Z were significantly elevated in four AH cohorts compared with control groups, including heavy drinkers and patients with cirrhosis. We defined a Z-index, calculated by the ratio of LP-Z to total apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins, representing the degree of deviation from normal VLDL metabolism. A high Z-index was associated with 90-day mortality independent from the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and provided added prognosticative value. Both a Z-index ≤ 0.6 and a decline of Z-index by ≥0.1 in 2 weeks predicted 90-day survival. RNA-sequencing analyses of liver tissues demonstrated an inverse association in the expression of enzymes responsible for the extrahepatic conversion of VLDL to LDL and AH disease severity, which was further confirmed by the measurement of serum enzyme activity. To evaluate whether the FC in LP-Z could contribute to the pathogenesis of AH, we found significantly altered FC levels in liver explant of patients with AH. Furthermore, FC in reconstituted LP-Z particles caused direct toxicity to human hepatocytes in a concentration-dependent manner, supporting a pathogenic role of FC in LP-Z. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired lipoprotein metabolism in AH leads to the accumulation of LP-Z in the circulation, which is hepatotoxic from excessive FC. A Z-index ≤ 0.6 predicts 90-day survival independent from conventional biomarkers for disease prognostication.

Synthetic human ABCB4 mRNA therapy rescues severe liver disease phenotype in a BALB/c.Abcb4-/- mouse model of PFIC3.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 3 (PFIC3) is a rare lethal autosomal recessive liver disorder caused by loss-of-function variations of the ABCB4 gene, encoding a phosphatidylcholine transporter (ABCB4/MDR3). Currently, no effective treatment exists for PFIC3 outside of liver transplantation. METHODS: We have produced and screened chemically and genetically modified mRNA variants encoding human ABCB4 (hABCB4 mRNA) encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). We examined their pharmacological effects in a cell-based model and in a new in vivo mouse model resembling human PFIC3 as a result of homozygous disruption of the Abcb4 gene in fibrosis-susceptible BALB/c.Abcb4-/- mice. RESULTS: We show that treatment with liver-targeted hABCB4 mRNA resulted in de novo expression of functional hABCB4 protein and restored phospholipid transport in cultured cells and in PFIC3 mouse livers. Importantly, repeated injections of the hABCB4 mRNA effectively rescued the severe disease phenotype in young Abcb4-/- mice, with rapid and dramatic normalisation of all clinically relevant parameters such as inflammation, ductular reaction, and liver fibrosis. Synthetic mRNA therapy also promoted favourable hepatocyte-driven liver regeneration to restore normal homeostasis, including liver weight, body weight, liver enzymes, and portal vein blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide strong preclinical proof-of-concept for hABCB4 mRNA therapy as a potential treatment option for patients with PFIC3. LAY SUMMARY: This report describes the development of an innovative mRNA therapy as a potential treatment for PFIC3, a devastating rare paediatric liver disease with no treatment options except liver transplantation. We show that administration of our mRNA construct completely rescues severe liver disease in a genetic model of PFIC3 in mice.

Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) Family Members: Rationale and Their Potential as Therapeutic Targets for Liver Fibrosis.

The cross-linking of structural extracellular matrix (ECM) components, especially fibrillar collagens and elastin, is strongly implicated in fibrosis progression and resistance to fibrosis reversal. Lysyl oxidase family members (LOX and LOXL1 [lysyl oxidase-like 1], LOXL2 [lysyl oxidase-like 2], LOXL3 [lysyl oxidase-like 3], and LOXL4 [lysyl oxidase like 4]) are extracellular copper-dependent enzymes that play a key role in ECM cross-linking, but have also other intracellular functions relevant to fibrosis and carcinogenesis. Although the expression of most LOX family members is elevated in experimental liver fibrosis of diverse etiologies, their individual contribution to fibrosis is incompletely understood. Inhibition of the LOX family as a whole and of LOX, LOXL1, and LOXL2 specifically has been shown to suppress fibrosis progression and accelerate its reversal in rodent models of cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and liver fibrosis. Recent disappointing clinical trials with a monoclonal antibody against LOXL2 (simtuzumab) in patients with pulmonary and liver fibrosis dampened enthusiasm for LOX family member inhibition. However, this unexpected negative outcome may be related to the inefficient antibody, rather than to LOXL2, not qualifying as a relevant antifibrotic target. Moreover, LOX family members other than LOXL2 may prove to be attractive therapeutic targets. In this review, we summarize the structural hallmarks, expression patterns, covalent cross-linking activities, and modes of regulation of LOX family members and discuss the clinical potential of their inhibition to treat fibrosis in general and liver fibrosis in particular.

Comparison of murine steatohepatitis models identifies a dietary intervention with robust fibrosis, ductular reaction, and rapid progression to cirrhosis and cancer.

Progressive fibrosis, functional liver failure, and cancer are the central liver-related outcomes of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) but notoriously difficult to achieve in mouse models. We performed a direct, quantitative comparison of hepatic fibrosis progression in well-defined methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) and choline-deficient, amino-acid defined (CDAA) diets with increasing fat content (10-60% by calories) in C57Bl/6J and BALB/cAnNCrl mice. In C57Bl/6J mice, MCD feeding resulted in moderate fibrosis at week 8 (up to twofold increase in total hepatic collagen content) and progressive weight loss irrespective of dietary fat. In contrast, CDAA-fed mice did not lose weight and developed progressive fibrosis starting from week 4. High dietary fat in the CDAA diet model induced the lipid metabolism genes for sterol regulatory element-binding protein and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-2 and increased ductular reaction and fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner. Longitudinal analysis of CDAA with 60% fat (HF-CDAA) feeding revealed pronounced ductular reaction and perisinusoidal bridging fibrosis, with a sevenfold increase of hepatic collagen at week 12, which showed limited spontaneous reversibility. At 24 wk, HF-CDAA mice developed signs of cirrhosis with pan-lobular "chicken wire" fibrosis, 10-fold hydroxyproline increase, regenerative nodules, portal hypertension and elevated serum bilirubin and ammonia levels; 80% of mice (8/10) developed multiple glypican-3- and/or glutamine synthetase-positive hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). High-fat (60%) supplementation of MCD in C57Bl/6J or feeding the HF-CDAA diet fibrosis-prone BALB/cAnNCrl strain failed to result in increased fibrosis. In conclusion, HF-CDAA feeding in C57Bl/6J mice was identified as an optimal model of steatohepatitis with robust fibrosis and ductular proliferations that progress to cirrhosis and HCC within 24 wk. This robust model will aid the testing of interventions and drugs for severe NASH.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Via quantitative comparison of several dietary models, we report HF-CDAA feeding in C57Bl/6 mice as an excellent model recapitulating several key aspects of fibrotic NASH: 1) robust, poorly reversible liver fibrosis, 2) prominent ductular reaction, and 3) progression to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and liver cancer within 24 wk. High fat dose-dependently activates SREBP2/SCD2 genes and drives liver fibrosis in e HF-CDAA model. These features qualify the model as a robust and practical tool to study mechanisms and novel treatments addressing severe human NASH.

A novel non-bile acid FXR agonist EDP-305 potently suppresses liver injury and fibrosis without worsening of ductular reaction.

BACKGROUND: EDP-305 is a novel and potent farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, with no/minimal cross-reactivity to TGR5 or other nuclear receptors. Herein we report therapeutic efficacy of EDP-305, in direct comparison with the first-in-class FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA), in mouse models of liver disease. METHODS: EDP-305 (10 and 30 mg/kg/day) or OCA (30mg/kg/day) was tested in mouse models of pre-established biliary fibrosis (BALBc.Mdr2-/-, n = 9-12/group) and steatohepatitis induced by methionine/choline-deficient diet (MCD, n = 7-12/group). Effects on biliary epithelium were evaluated in vivo and in primary EpCAM + hepatic progenitor cell (HPC) cultures. RESULTS: In a BALBc.Mdr2-/- model, EDP-305 reduced serum transaminases by up to 53% and decreased portal pressure, compared to untreated controls. Periportal bridging fibrosis was suppressed by EDP-305 at both doses, with up to a 39% decrease in collagen deposition in high-dose EDP-305. In MCD-fed mice, EDP-305 treatment reduced serum ALT by 62% compared to controls, and profoundly inhibited perisinusoidal 'chicken wire' fibrosis, with over 80% reduction in collagen deposition. In both models, treatment with 30mg/kg OCA reduced serum transaminases up to 30%, but did not improve fibrosis. The limited impact on fibrosis was mediated by cholestasis-independent worsening of ductular reaction by OCA in both disease models; OCA but not EDP-305 at therapeutic doses promoted ductular proliferation in healthy mice and favoured differentiation of primary HPC towards cholangiocyte lineage in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: EDP-305 potently improved pre-established liver injury and hepatic fibrosis in murine biliary and metabolic models of liver disease, supporting the clinical evaluation of EDP-305 in fibrotic liver diseases including cholangiopathies and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Selective deletion of ENTPD1/CD39 in macrophages exacerbates biliary fibrosis in a mouse model of sclerosing cholangitis.

Purinergic signaling is important in the activation and differentiation of macrophages, which play divergent roles in the pathophysiology of liver fibrosis. The ectonucleotidase CD39 is known to modulate the immunoregulatory phenotype of macrophages, but whether this specifically impacts cholestatic liver injury is unknown. Here, we investigated the role of macrophage-expressed CD39 on the development of biliary injury and fibrosis in a mouse model of sclerosing cholangitis. Myeloid-specific CD39-deficient mice (LysMCreCd39fl/fl) were generated. Global CD39 null (Cd39-/-), wild-type (WT), LysMCreCd39fl/fl, and Cd39fl/fl control mice were exposed to 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) to induce biliary fibrosis. Hepatic hydroxyproline levels, liver histology, immunohistochemistry, mRNA expression levels, and serum biochemistry were then assessed. Following 3 weeks of DDC-feeding, Cd39-/- mice exhibited more severe fibrosis, when compared to WT mice as reflected by morphology and increased liver collagen content. Myeloid-specific CD39 deletion in LysMCreCd39fl/fl mice recapitulated the phenotype of global Cd39-/-, after exposure to DDC, and resulted in similar worsening of liver fibrosis when compared to Cd39fl/fl control animals. Further, DDC-treated LysMCreCd39fl/fl mice exhibited elevated serum levels of transaminases and total bilirubin, as well as increased hepatic expression of the profibrogenic genes Tgf-ß1, Tnf-α, and α-Sma. However, no clear differences were observed in the expression of macrophage-elaborated specific cytokines between LysMCreCd39fl/fl and Cd39fl/fl animals subjected to biliary injury. Our results in the DDC-induced biliary type liver fibrosis model suggest that loss of CD39 expression on myeloid cells largely accounts for the exacerbated sclerosing cholangitis in global CD39 knockouts. These findings indicate that macrophage expressed CD39 protects from biliary liver injury and fibrosis and support a potential therapeutic target for human hepatobiliary diseases.

Distinct roles of ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-2 (NTPDase2) in liver regeneration and fibrosis.

Ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (E-NTPDases) are cell surface-located transmembrane ecto-enzymes of the CD39 superfamily which regulate inflammation and tissue repair by catalyzing the phosphohydrolysis of extracellular nucleotides and modulating purinergic signaling. In the liver, NTPDase2 is reportedly expressed on portal fibroblasts, but its functional role in regulating tissue regeneration and fibrosis is incompletely understood. Here, we studied the role of NTPDase2 in several models of liver injury using global knockout mice. Liver regeneration and severity of fibrosis were analyzed at different time points after exposure to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) or partial hepatectomy in C57BL/6 wild-type and globally NTPDase2-deficient (Entpd2 null) mice. After chronic CCl4 intoxication, Entpd2 null mice exhibit significantly more severe liver fibrosis, as assessed by collagen content and histology. In contrast, deletion of NTPDase2 does not have a substantial effect on biliary-type fibrosis in the setting of DDC feeding. In injured livers, NTPDase2 expression extends from the portal areas to fibrotic septae in pan-lobular (CCl4-induced) liver fibrosis; the same pattern was observed, albeit to a lesser extent in biliary-type (DDC-induced) fibrosis. Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy is not substantively impaired in global Entpd2 null mice. NTPDase2 protects from liver fibrosis resulting from hepatocellular injury induced by CCl4. In contrast, Entpd2 deletion does not significantly impact fibrosis secondary to DDC injury or liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. Our observations highlight mechanisms relating to purinergic signaling in the liver and indicate possible therapeutic avenues and new cellular targets to test in the management of hepatic fibrosis.

Selective targeting of lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) suppresses hepatic fibrosis progression and accelerates its reversal.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We studied the role of lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) in collagen crosslinking and hepatic progenitor cell (HPC) differentiation, and the therapeutic efficacy of a LOXL2-blocking monoclonal antibody on liver fibrosis progression/reversal in mice. METHODS: Anti-LOXL2 antibody, control antilysyl oxidase antibody or placebo was administered during thioacetamide (TAA)-induced fibrosis progression or during recovery. Therapeutic efficacy in biliary fibrosis was tested in BALB/c.Mdr2-/- and 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC)-fed mice. Collagen crosslinking, fibrosis progression and reversal were assessed histologically and biochemically. HPC differentiation was studied in primary EpCAM(+) liver cells in vitro. RESULTS: LOXL2 was virtually absent from healthy but strongly induced in fibrotic liver, with predominant localisation within fibrotic septa. Delayed anti-LOXL2 treatment of active TAA fibrosis significantly reduced collagen crosslinking and histological signs of bridging fibrosis, with a 53% reduction in morphometric collagen deposition. In established TAA fibrosis, LOXL2 inhibition promoted fibrosis reversal, with enhanced splitting and thinning of fibrotic septa, and a 45% decrease in collagen area at 4 weeks of recovery. In the Mdr2-/- and DDC-induced models of biliary fibrosis, anti-LOXL2 antibody similarly achieved significant antifibrotic efficacy and suppressed the ductular reaction, while hepatocyte replication increased. Blocking LOXL2 had a profound direct effect on primary EpCAM(+) HPC behaviour in vitro, promoting their differentiation towards hepatocytes, while inhibiting ductal cell lineage commitment. CONCLUSIONS: LOXL2 mediates collagen crosslinking and fibrotic matrix stabilisation during liver fibrosis, and independently promotes fibrogenic HPC differentiation. By blocking these two convergent profibrotic pathways, therapeutic LOXL2 inhibition attenuates both parenchymal and biliary fibrosis and promotes fibrosis reversal.

Metabolic Hijacking of Hexose Metabolism to Ascorbate Synthesis Is the Unifying Biochemical Basis of Murine Liver Fibrosis.

We wished to understand the metabolic reprogramming underlying liver fibrosis progression in mice. Administration to male C57BL/6J mice of the hepatotoxins carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), thioacetamide (TAA), or a 60% high-fat diet, choline-deficient, amino-acid-defined diet (HF-CDAA) was conducted using standard protocols. Livers collected at different times were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. RNA was extracted from liver and assayed by qRT-PCR for mRNA expression of 11 genes potentially involved in the synthesis of ascorbic acid from hexoses, Gck, Adpgk, Hk1, Hk2, Ugp2, Ugdh, Ugt1a1, Akr1a4, Akr1b3, Rgn and Gulo. All hepatotoxins resulted in similar metabolic changes during active fibrogenesis, despite different etiology and resultant scarring pattern. Diminished hepatic glucose, galactose, fructose, pentose phosphate pathway intermediates, glucuronic acid and long-chain fatty acids were compensated by elevated ascorbate and the product of collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase, succinate and its downstream metabolites fumarate and malate. Recovery from the HF-CDAA diet challenge (F2 stage fibrosis) after switching to normal chow was accompanied by increased glucose, galactose, fructose, ribulose 5-phosphate, glucuronic acid, the ascorbate metabolite threonate and diminished ascorbate. During the administration of CCl4, TAA and HF-CDAA, aldose reductase Akr1b3 transcription was induced six- to eightfold, indicating increased conversion of glucuronic acid to gulonic acid, a precursor of ascorbate synthesis. Triggering hepatic fibrosis by three independent mechanisms led to the hijacking of glucose and galactose metabolism towards ascorbate synthesis, to satisfy the increased demand for ascorbate as a cofactor for prolyl 4-hydroxylase for mature collagen production. This metabolic reprogramming and causal gene expression changes were reversible. The increased flux in this pathway was mediated predominantly by increased transcription of aldose reductase Akr1b3.

Conserved long noncoding RNA TILAM promotes liver fibrosis through interaction with PML in hepatic stellate cells.

Background & Aims: Fibrosis is the common endpoint for all forms of chronic liver injury, and progression of fibrosis leads to the development of end-stage liver disease. Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and their transdifferentiation to myofibroblasts results in the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that form the fibrotic scar. Long noncoding (lnc) RNAs regulate the activity of HSCs and may provide targets for fibrotic therapies. Methods: We identified lncRNA TILAM as expressed near COL1A1 in human HSCs and performed loss-of-function studies in human HSCs and liver organoids. Transcriptomic analyses of HSCs isolated from mice defined the murine ortholog of TILAM . We then generated Tilam -deficient GFP reporter mice and quantified fibrotic responses to carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) and choline-deficient L-amino acid defined high fat diet (CDA-HFD). Co-precipitation studies, mass spectrometry, and gene expression analyses identified protein partners of TILAM . Results: TILAM is conserved between human and mouse HSCs and regulates expression of ECM proteins, including collagen. Tilam is selectively induced in HSCs during the development of fibrosis in vivo . In both male and female mice, loss of Tilam results in reduced fibrosis in the setting of CCl 4 and CDA-HFD injury models. TILAM interacts with promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) to stabilize PML protein levels and promote the fibrotic activity of HSCs. Conclusion: TILAM is activated in HSCs and interacts with PML to drive the development of liver fibrosis. Depletion of TILAM may serve as a therapeutic approach to combat the development of end stage liver disease.

Automated whole slide image analysis for a translational quantification of liver fibrosis.

Current literature highlights the need for precise histological quantitative assessment of fibrosis which cannot be achieved by conventional scoring systems, inherent to their discontinuous values and reader-dependent variability. Here we used an automated image analysis software to measure fibrosis deposition in two relevant preclinical models of liver fibrosis, and established correlation with other quantitative fibrosis descriptors. Longitudinal quantification of liver fibrosis was carried out during progression of post-necrotic (CCl4-induced) and metabolic (HF-CDAA feeding) models of chronic liver disease in mice. Whole slide images of picrosirius red-stained liver sections were analyzed using a fully automated, unsupervised software. Fibrosis was characterized by a significant increase of collagen proportionate area (CPA) at weeks 3 (CCl4) and 8 (HF-CDAA) with a progressive increase up to week 18 and 24, respectively. CPA was compared to collagen content assessed biochemically by hydroxyproline assay (HYP) and by standard histological staging systems. CPA showed a high correlation with HYP content for CCl4 (r = 0.8268) and HF-CDAA (r = 0.6799) models. High correlations were also found with Ishak score or its modified version (r = 0.9705) for CCl4 and HF-CDAA (r = 0.9062) as well as with NASH CRN for HF-CDAA (r = 0.7937). Such correlations support the use of automated digital analysis as a reliable tool to evaluate the dynamics of liver fibrosis and efficacy of antifibrotic drug candidates in preclinical models.

Heme oxygenase-1 mitigates liver injury and fibrosis via modulation of LNX1/Notch1 pathway in myeloid cells.

Activation of resident macrophages (Mϕ) and hepatic stellate cells is a key event in chronic liver injury. Mice with heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1; Hmox1)-deficient Mϕ (LysM-Cre:Hmox1 flfl ) exhibit increased inflammation, periportal ductular reaction, and liver fibrosis following bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver injury and increased pericellular fibrosis in NASH model. RiboTag-based RNA-sequencing profiling of hepatic HO-1-deficient Mϕ revealed dysregulation of multiple genes involved in lipid and amino acid metabolism, regulation of oxidative stress, and extracellular matrix turnover. Among these genes, ligand of numb-protein X1 (LNX1) expression is strongly suppressed in HO-1-deficient Mϕ. Importantly, HO-1 and LNX1 were expressed by hepatic Mϕ in human biliary and nonbiliary end-stage cirrhosis. We found that Notch1 expression, a downstream target of LNX1, was increased in LysM-Cre:Hmox1 flfl mice. In HO-1-deficient Mϕ treated with heme, transient overexpression of LNX1 drives M2-like Mϕ polarization. In summary, we identified LNX1/Notch1 pathway as a downstream target of HO-1 in liver fibrosis.

A single-cell and spatial atlas of autopsy tissues reveals pathology and cellular targets of SARS-CoV-2.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused over 1 million deaths globally, mostly due to acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, or direct complications resulting in multiple-organ failures. Little is known about the host tissue immune and cellular responses associated with COVID-19 infection, symptoms, and lethality. To address this, we collected tissues from 11 organs during the clinical autopsy of 17 individuals who succumbed to COVID-19, resulting in a tissue bank of approximately 420 specimens. We generated comprehensive cellular maps capturing COVID-19 biology related to patients' demise through single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-Seq of lung, kidney, liver and heart tissues, and further contextualized our findings through spatial RNA profiling of distinct lung regions. We developed a computational framework that incorporates removal of ambient RNA and automated cell type annotation to facilitate comparison with other healthy and diseased tissue atlases. In the lung, we uncovered significantly altered transcriptional programs within the epithelial, immune, and stromal compartments and cell intrinsic changes in multiple cell types relative to lung tissue from healthy controls. We observed evidence of: alveolar type 2 (AT2) differentiation replacing depleted alveolar type 1 (AT1) lung epithelial cells, as previously seen in fibrosis; a concomitant increase in myofibroblasts reflective of defective tissue repair; and, putative TP63+ intrapulmonary basal-like progenitor (IPBLP) cells, similar to cells identified in H1N1 influenza, that may serve as an emergency cellular reserve for severely damaged alveoli. Together, these findings suggest the activation and failure of multiple avenues for regeneration of the epithelium in these terminal lungs. SARS-CoV-2 RNA reads were enriched in lung mononuclear phagocytic cells and endothelial cells, and these cells expressed distinct host response transcriptional programs. We corroborated the compositional and transcriptional changes in lung tissue through spatial analysis of RNA profiles in situ and distinguished unique tissue host responses between regions with and without viral RNA, and in COVID-19 donor tissues relative to healthy lung. Finally, we analyzed genetic regions implicated in COVID-19 GWAS with transcriptomic data to implicate specific cell types and genes associated with disease severity. Overall, our COVID-19 cell atlas is a foundational dataset to better understand the biological impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection across the human body and empowers the identification of new therapeutic interventions and prevention strategies.