Berberine improved experimental chronic colitis by regulating interferon-γ- and IL-17A-producing lamina propria CD4+ T cells through AMPK activation.

The herbal medicine berberine (BBR) has been recently shown to be an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) productive activator with various properties that induce anti-inflammatory responses. We investigated the effects of BBR on the mechanisms of mucosal CD4+T cell activation in vitro and on the inflammatory responses in T cell transfer mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We examined the favorable effects of BBR in vitro, using lamina propria (LP) CD4+ T cells in T cell transfer IBD models in which SCID mice had been injected with CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells. BBR suppressed the frequency of IFN-γ- and Il-17A-producing LP CD4+ T cells. This effect was found to be regulated by AMPK activation possibly induced by oxidative phosphorylation inhibition. We then examined the effects of BBR on the same IBD models in vivo. BBR-fed mice showed AMPK activation in the LPCD4+ T cells and an improvement of colitis. Our study newly showed that the BBR-induced AMPK activation of mucosal CD4+ T cells resulted in an improvement of IBD and underscored the importance of AMPK activity in colonic inflammation.

The Serum Oxidative/Anti-oxidative Stress Balance Becomes Dysregulated in Patients with Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective Oxidative stress is associated with the progression of chronic liver disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is also an oxidative stress-related disease. However, the oxidative/anti-oxidative balance has not been fully characterized in NAFLD. The objective of the present study was to investigate the balance between oxidative stress and the anti-oxidative activity in NAFLD, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients We recruited 69 patients with histologically proven NAFLD without HCC (NAFLD; n=58), and with NASH-related HCC (NASH-HCC; n=11). The 58 NAFLD patients included patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL; n=14) and NASH (n=44). Methods The serum levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and anti-oxidative markers (OXY) were determined and then used to calculate the oxidative index. The correlations among such factors as ROM, OXY, oxidative index, and clinical characteristics were investigated. Results In NAFLD, ROM positively correlated with the body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), and the histological grade or inflammatory scores, while only high HbA1c and CRP levels were significant factors that correlated with a higher ROM according to a multivariate analysis. OXY positively correlated with the platelet counts, albumin, and creatinine levels, while negatively correlating with age. However, it improved after treatment intervention. The oxidative index positively correlated with BMI, CRP, and HbA1c. The NASH-HCC patients exhibited a lower OXY than the NASH patients, probably due to the effects of aging. Conclusion Oxidative stress correlated with the levels of NASH activity markers, while the anti-oxidative function was preserved in younger patients as well as in patients with a well-preserved liver function. The NASH-HCC patients tended to be older and exhibited a diminished anti-oxidative function.

Serum-inducible protein (IP)-10 is a disease progression-related marker for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: The molecular pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is not well defined. The objective of the present study was to identify disease progression-related cytokines and investigate the molecular pathogenesis of such changes in NASH. METHODS: A study population of 20 non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and 59 NASH patients diagnosed by liver biopsy and 15 healthy volunteers was recruited. The serum pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured by a multiple enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The hepatic mRNA expressions of cytokines were measured by real-time PCR. A monocyte cell line was stimulated with Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand under a high glucose and insulin condition, and cellular cytokine mRNA expression was quantified. RESULTS: One group of cytokines was higher in NAFL and NASH than in controls, while another group was higher in NASH than in NAFL and controls. The NASH-specific second group included interleukin (IL)-15 and interferon-γ-inducible protein (IP)-10. In particular, IP-10 was higher in NAFL than in controls and higher in NASH than in NAFL and controls. The sensitivity to diagnose NASH was 90%, with specificity of 50%. Insulin resistance reflecting a high glucose and insulin condition resulted in higher IP-10 mRNA expression in the monocyte cell line only with concomitant TLR-2 stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: IP-10 is a sensitive marker of the need for liver biopsy. Insulin resistance with bacteria-related TLR-2 stimulation might induce IP-10 production from monocytes. Insulin resistance and intestinal barrier function should be intensively controlled to prevent progression from NAFL to NASH.

Oxidative stress balance is dysregulated and represents an additional target for treating cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatico-biliary malignancies exhibit similar characteristics, including obesity-related features and poor prognosis, and require new treatment strategies. Oxidative stress is known to induce DNA damage and carcinogenesis, and its reduction is viewed as being favorable. However, it also has anti-infection and anti-cancer functions that need to be maintained. To reveal the effect of oxidative stress on cancer progression, we evaluated oxidative stress and anti-oxidative balance in pancreatic cancer (PC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) patients, as well as the effect of add-on antioxidant treatment to chemotherapy in a mouse cholangiocarcinoma model. METHODS: We recruited 84 CC and 80 PC patients who were admitted to our hospital. Serum levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and the anti-oxidative OXY-adsorbent test were determined and the balance of these tests was defined as an oxidative index. A diabetic mouse-based cholangiocarcinoma model was utilized to evaluate the effects of add-on antioxidant therapy on cholangiocarcinoma chemotherapy. RESULTS: Serum ROM was higher and anti-oxidant OXY was lower in CC patients with poor outcomes. These parameters were not significantly different in PC patients. In mice, vitamin E administration induced antioxidant hemeoxygenase (HO)-1 protein expression in cancer tissue, while the number of stem-like cells increased. l-carnitine administration improved intestinal microbiome and biliary acid balance, upregulated the hepatic mitochondrial membrane uptake related gene Cpt1 in non-cancerous tissue, and did not alter stem-like cell numbers. CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress balance was dysregulated in cholangiocarcinoma with poor outcome. The mitochondrial function-supporting agent l-carnitine is a good candidate to control oxidative stress conditions.

Enhancement of Programmed Death Ligand 2 on Hepatitis C Virus Infected Hepatocytes by Calcineurin Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Post orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) viral hepatitis is an immunological condition where immune cells induce hepatitis during conditions of immune-suppression. The immune-regulatory programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-ligand 1 system is acknowledged to play important roles in immune-mediated diseases. However, the PD-1/PD-L2 interaction is not well characterized, with PD-L2 also exhibiting an immunostimulatory function. We hypothesized that this atypical molecule could affect the recurrence of post-OLT hepatitis. To test this hypothesis, we conducted immunohistochemical staining analysis and in vitro analysis of PD-L2. METHODS: The expression of PD-L2 was evaluated in liver biopsy specimens from patients with chronic hepatitis B (n = 15), post-OLT hepatitis B (n = 8), chronic hepatitis C (n = 48), and post-OLT hepatitis C (CH-C-OLT) (n = 14). The effect of calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) on PD-L2 expression was investigated in hepatoma cell lines. RESULTS: The PD-L2 was highly expressed on CH-C-OLT hepatocytes. Treatment of hepatoma cell lines with CNIs resulted in increased PD-L2 expression, especially in combination with HCV core or NS3 protein. Transfection of cell lines with PD-L2 containing plasmid resulted in high intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression, which might enhance hepatitis activity. CONCLUSIONS: The PD-L2 is highly expressed on CH-C-OLT hepatocytes, whereas HCV proteins, in combination with CNIs, induce high expression of PD-L2 resulting in elevated expression of ICAM-1. These findings demonstrate the effect of CNIs on inducing PD-L2 and subsequent ICAM-1 expression, effects that may produce inflammatory cell infiltration in post-OLT hepatitis C.

TLR4, TLR9, and NLRP3 in biliary epithelial cells of primary sclerosing cholangitis: relationship with clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Inappropriate innate immune responses have been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We evaluated the associations of expressions of toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, TLR9, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein (NOD)-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) in the biliary epithelial cells (BECs) with clinical features of PSC patients. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the expressions of TLR4, TLR9, and NLRP3 in the intrahepatic BECs by immunohistochemical staining in 21 PSC patients and 10 normal controls. In PSC, 17 patients underwent liver biopsy, and, in the other four patients, liver specimens were obtained at the time of liver transplantation. RESULTS: TLR9 expressions in BECs were higher in PSC patients than in normal controls. TLR9 expressions were correlated with Ludwig fibrosis scores in PSC patients. TLR4 and NLRP3 expressions were similar between PSC patients and normal controls. Seventeen PSC patients undergoing liver biopsy were followed up during a median period of 55.7 months. Four reached to liver transplantation and four developed cholangiocarcinoma. Patients developing cholangiocarcinoma showed lower NLRP3 expressions than the others. Patients reaching to liver transplantation showed higher TLR9 expressions. Expression levels of TLR9 and NLRP3 were not correlated with liver biochemical tests and Mayo risk scores. CONCLUSIONS: In PSC, excessive immune responses through TLR9 signaling may be associated with the disease progression. Insufficient immune response through NLRP3 signaling may be associated with the development of cholangiocarcinoma. Evaluation of TLR9 and NLRP3 expressions in BECs may be useful for predicting the prognosis as an auxiliary marker.

L-carnitine prevents progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in a mouse model with upregulation of mitochondrial pathway.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease characterized by lobular inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, and fibrosis with an inherent risk for progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mitochondrial dysfunction appears to play a role in the progression from simple steatosis to NASH. L-carnitine (L-b-hydroxy-g-N-trimethylaminobutyric acid), an essential nutrient that converts fat into energy in mitochondria, has been shown to ameliorate liver damage. The aim of the present study was to explore the preventive and therapeutic effect of L-carnitine in NASH model mice. Eight-week-old male STAM mice, a NASH-cirrhosis-hepatocarcinogenic model, were divided into 3 experimental groups and fed as follows: 1) high-fat diet (HFD) (control group); 2) HFD mixed with 0.28% L-carnitine (L-carnitine group); and 3) HFD mixed with 0.01% α-tocopherol (α-tocopherol group). After 4 or 8 weeks, mice were sacrificed. Blood samples and livers were collected, and hepatic tumors were counted and measured. Livers were subjected to histological study, immunohistochemical staining of 4-hydroxynonenal and ferritin, determination of 8-OHdG levels, mRNA and protein expressions for multiple genes, and metabolomic analysis. The intestinal microbiome was also analyzed. L-carnitine increased hepatic expression of genes related to long-chain fatty acid transport, mitochondrial ß-oxidation, and antioxidant enzymes following suppression of hepatic oxidative stress markers and inflammatory cytokines in NASH, and mice treated with L-carnitine developed fewer liver tumors. Although α-tocopherol resulted in NASH improvement in the same manner as L-carnitine, it increased periodontitis-related microbiotic changes and hepatic iron transport-related gene expression and led to less effective for anti-hepatocarcinogenesis. Conclusion: L-carnitine prevents progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in a mouse model by upregulating the mitochondrial ß-oxidation and redox system.

Serum oxidative-anti-oxidative stress balance is dysregulated in patients with hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: Oxidative stress is associated with progression of chronic liver disease (CLD). This association is best established in chronic hepatitis C. However, the anti-oxidative state is not well characterized. The objective of the present study was to investigate the balance of oxidative and anti-oxidative stress in CLD patients. METHODS: We recruited a study population of 208 patients, including healthy volunteers (HV; n = 15), patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related CLD without or with hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-non-HCC, n = 25, and HBV-HCC, n = 50, respectively), and patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related CLD without or with HCC (HCV-non-HCC, n = 49, and HCV-HCC, n = 69, respectively). Serum levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and anti-oxidative markers (OXY-adsorbent test; OXY) were determined, and the balance of these values was used as the oxidative index. Correlations among ROM, OXY, oxidative index and clinical characteristics were investigated. RESULTS: Patients with CLD exhibited elevated ROM and oxidative index compared to HV. Among patients with CLD, HCV positive status correlated with increased ROM. In CLD, HCV-HCC patients exhibited the highest ROM levels. Among HCV-related CLD patients, lower OXY correlated with HCC positive status, but was recovered by eradication of HCC. In HCV-HCC, lower OXY correlated with high PT-INR. CONCLUSION: HCV positive CLD patients displayed higher oxidative stress and HCV-HCC patients displayed lower anti-oxidative state. Anti-oxidative state depression was associated with liver reservoir-related data in HCV-HCC and could be reversed with HCC eradication.

Hydrogen-rich water prevents progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and accompanying hepatocarcinogenesis in mice.

UNLABELLED: Oxidative stress is a strong contributor to the progression from simple fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Molecular hydrogen is an effective antioxidant that reduces cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich water and the drug pioglitazone on the progression of NASH in mouse models. A methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet mouse model was prepared. Mice were divided into three experimental groups and fed for 8 weeks as follows: (1) MCD diet + control water (CW group); (2) MCD diet + hydrogen-rich water (HW group); and (3) MCD diet mixed with pioglitazone (PGZ group). Plasma alanine aminotransferase levels, hepatic expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, fatty acid synthesis-related genes, oxidative stress biomarker 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and apoptosis marker terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells in the liver were decreased in the HW and PGZ groups. The HW group showed a smaller decrease in hepatic cholesterol; however, stronger antioxidative effects in serum and lower peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α expression in the liver were seen in comparison with the PGZ group. We then investigated the effects of hydrogen in the prevention of hepatocarcinogenesis in STAM mice, known as the NASH-related hepatocarcinogenesis model. Eight-week-old male STAM mice were divided into three experimental groups as follows: (1) control water (CW-STAM); (2) hydrogen-rich water (HW-STAM); and (3) pioglitazone (PGZ-STAM). After 8 weeks, hepatic tumors were evaluated. The number of tumors was significantly lower in the HW-STAM and PGZ-STAM groups than in the CW-STAM group. The maximum tumor size was smaller in the HW-STAM group than in the other groups. CONCLUSION: Consumption of hydrogen-rich water may be an effective treatment for NASH by reducing hepatic oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and hepatocarcinogenesis.

Hepatitis B virus core promoter mutations G1613A and C1653T are significantly associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in genotype C HBV-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of hepatocarcinogenesis.To identify mutations relevant to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, we compared the full genome sequences of HBV from the sera of patients with and without HCC. METHODS: We compared the full genome sequences of HBV isolates from 37 HCC patients (HCC group 1) and 38 patients without HCC (non-HCC group 1). We also investigated part of the core promoter region sequences from 40 HCC patients (HCC group 2) and 68 patients without HCC. Of the 68 patients who initially did not have HCC, 52 patients remained HCC-free during the follow-up period (non-HCC group 2), and 16 patients eventually developed HCC (pre-HCC group 2). Serum samples collected from patients were subjected to PCR, and the HBV DNA was directly sequenced. RESULTS: All patients had genotype C. A comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the HBV genome between HCC group 1 and non-HCC group 1 revealed that the prevalence of G1613A and C1653T mutations in the core promoter region was significantly higher in the HCC group. These mutations tended to occur simultaneously in HCC patients. Multivariate analysis with group 2 revealed that the presence of HCC was associated with aging and the double mutation. Future emergence of HCC was associated with aging and the presence of a single G1613A mutation. CONCLUSIONS: G1613A and C1653T double mutations were frequently found in patients with HCC. A single G1613A mutation was associated with future emergence of HCC. These mutations may serve as useful markers in predicting HCC development.

Effects of habitual alcohol intake on ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, and its variability among Japanese men.

We sought to examine effects of habitual alcohol intake on ambulatory blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and HR variability among Japanese men. Subjects were 539 men aged 35 to 65 years from rural and urban communities. Ambulatory BP and HR were monitored with an automated, portable, noninvasive multibiomedical recorder. Power spectral analysis of the RR intervals on the ECG was performed every 5 minutes. Compared with nondrinkers, moderate drinkers (alcohol intake 23 to 45 g/d) and heavy drinkers (alcohol intake >or=46 g/d) showed higher age- and field-adjusted mean values of systolic and diastolic BPs during the morning and while awake, but there were no differences in BPs over 24-hour periods and while asleep among the alcohol intake categories. Alcohol intake was positively associated with mean values of sleep-morning differences and daytime variability in BPs, HRs while awake and asleep, and low frequency:high frequency ratio while asleep. The results were virtually unchanged after adjustment for body mass index, smoking, and diabetes mellitus. Compared with the nondrinkers, age- and field-adjusted odds ratios of the morning BP surge (excess elevation of BP in the morning: morning systolic BP minus sleep systolic BP >or=37 mm Hg) for light (alcohol intake 0 to 22 g/d), moderate, and heavy drinkers were 0.96 (95% CI: 0.34 to 2.78), 1.68 (95% CI: 0.64 to 4.38), and 2.73 (95% CI: 1.12 to 6.67), respectively. Habitual alcohol intake was associated with increased BP in the morning, HR while awake and asleep, and sympathetic activity while asleep, which may explain some of the mechanisms of the relationship between heavy alcohol intake and risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Combination of 5-FU and IFNalpha enhances IFN signaling pathway and caspase-8 activity, resulting in marked apoptosis in hepatoma cell lines.

Interferon (IFN) combined with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment has recently been reported to show beneficial effects in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. IFNalpha is usually provided for this combination therapy. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induction in hepatoma cell lines with IFNalpha and 5-FU combination therapy from the view point of 5-FU's additive effect on interferon-related signaling pathways. Five hepatoma cell lines (Hep3B, Huh7, HLE, PLC/PRF/5, and HepG2) were tested for apoptosis inducibility by IFNalpha in the absence or presence of 5-FU. Hep3B was the most apoptosis sensitive to IFN plus 5-FU treatment. The JAK/STAT pathway transcriptional factor ISRE was activated more synergistically when 5-FU was added to IFNalpha treatments. Caspase-3, -9, and especially caspase-8 activity was higher with IFN alpha plus 5-FU than IFN or 5-FU alone. Inhibition of caspase-8, -9, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) revealed that caspase-8 inhibition was the most effective at decreasing the apoptotic effects of IFN and/or 5-FU. In JAK1 and ISGF3gamma-silenced Hep3B cells, the apoptosis induction and caspase-8 activation levels by IFN, even in combination with 5-FU, were abrogated. In conclusion, caspase-8 is the most important factor that controls IFN and 5-FU-induced apoptosis in hepatoma cell lines.

Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin is a potential autologous growth factor for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Des-gamma-carboxyl prothrombin (DCP) is a well recognized tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we demonstrate that DCP has a mitogenic effect on HCC cell lines. Purified DCP stimulated DNA synthesis of Hep3B and SK-Hep-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. DCP was found to bind with cell surface receptor Met causing Met autophosphorylation and also to activate STAT3 signaling pathway through Janus kinase 1. Luciferase gene reporter analysis showed that DCP induced STAT3-related transcription. Small interfering RNAs against both STAT3 and Met abrogated DCP-induced cell proliferation. DCP did not affect the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, Myc signaling pathway, or phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway. Based on these results, we believe that DCP acts as an autologous mitogen for HCC cell lines. The Met-Janus kinase 1-STAT3 signaling pathway may be a major signaling pathway for DCP-induced cell proliferation.