Link between mutations in ACVRL1 and PLA2G4A genes and chronic intestinal ulcers: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Genetic factors of chronic intestinal ulcers are increasingly garnering attention. We present a case of chronic intestinal ulcers and bleeding associated with mutations of the activin A receptor type II-like 1 (ACVRL1) and phospholipase A2 group IVA (PLA2G4A) genes and review the available relevant literature. CASE SUMMARY: A 20-year-old man was admitted to our center with a 6-year history of recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dark stools. At the onset 6 years ago, the patient had received treatment at a local hospital for abdominal pain persisting for 7 d, under the diagnosis of diffuse peritonitis, acute gangrenous appendicitis with perforation, adhesive intestinal obstruction, and pelvic abscess. The surgical treatment included exploratory laparotomy, appendectomy, intestinal adhesiolysis, and pelvic abscess removal. The patient's condition improved and he was discharged. However, the recurrent episodes of abdominal pain and passage of black stools started again one year after discharge. On the basis of these features and results of subsequent colonoscopy, the clinical diagnosis was established as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Accordingly, aminosalicylic acid, immunotherapy, and related symptomatic treatment were administered, but the symptoms of the patient did not improve significantly. Further investigations revealed mutations in the ACVRL1 and PLA2G4A genes. ACVRL1 and PLA2G4A are involved in angiogenesis and coagulation, respectively. This suggests that the chronic intestinal ulcers and bleeding in this case may be linked to mutations in the ACVRL1 and PLA2G4A genes. Oral Kangfuxin liquid was administered to promote healing of the intestinal mucosa and effectively manage clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION: Mutations in the ACVRL1 and PLA2G4A genes may be one of the causes of chronic intestinal ulcers and bleeding in IBD. Orally administered Kangfuxin liquid may have therapeutic potential.

The role of sirtuin1 in liver injury: molecular mechanisms and novel therapeutic target.

Liver disease is a common and serious threat to human health. The progression of liver diseases is influenced by many physiologic processes, including oxidative stress, inflammation, bile acid metabolism, and autophagy. Various factors lead to the dysfunction of these processes and basing on the different pathogeny, pathology, clinical manifestation, and pathogenesis, liver diseases are grouped into different categories. Specifically, Sirtuin1 (SIRT1), a member of the sirtuin protein family, has been extensively studied in the context of liver injury in recent years and are confirmed the significant role in liver disease. SIRT1 has been found to play a critical role in regulating key processes in liver injury. Further, SIRT1 seems to cause divers outcomes in different types of liver diseases. Recent studies have showed some therapeutic strategies involving modulating SIRT1, which may bring a novel therapeutic target. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the role of sirtuin1 in liver injury and its potentiality as a therapeutic target, this review outlines the key signaling pathways associated with sirtuin1 and liver injury, and discusses recent advances in therapeutic strategies targeting sirtuin1 in liver diseases.

Uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 prevents the progression of liver injury.

BACKGROUND: Uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) plays a crucial role in metabolizing and detoxifying endogenous and exogenous substances. However, its contribution to the progression of liver damage remains unclear. AIM: To determine the role and mechanism of UGT1A1 in liver damage progression. METHODS: We investigated the relationship between UGT1A1 expression and liver injury through clinical research. Additionally, the impact and mechanism of UGT1A1 on the progression of liver injury was analyzed through a mouse model study. RESULTS: Patients with UGT1A1 gene mutations showed varying degrees of liver damage, while patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) exhibited relatively reduced levels of UGT1A1 protein in the liver as compared to patients with chronic hepatitis. This suggests that low UGT1A1 levels may be associated with the progression of liver damage. In mouse models of liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and concanavalin A (ConA), the hepatic levels of UGT1A1 protein were found to be increased. In mice with lipopolysaccharide or liver steatosis-mediated liver-injury progression, the hepatic protein levels of UGT1A1 were decreased, which is consistent with the observations in patients with ACLF. UGT1A1 knockout exacerbated CCl4- and ConA-induced liver injury, hepatocyte apoptosis and necroptosis in mice, intensified hepatocyte endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress, and disrupted lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION: UGT1A1 is upregulated as a compensatory response during liver injury, and interference with this upregulation process may worsen liver injury. UGT1A1 reduces ER stress, oxidative stress, and lipid metabolism disorder, thereby mitigating hepatocyte apoptosis and necroptosis.

The gp130/STAT3-endoplasmic reticulum stress axis regulates hepatocyte necroptosis in acute liver injury.

AIM: To investigate the effect of the gp130/STAT3-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress axis on hepatocyte necroptosis during acute liver injury. METHODS: ER stress and liver injury in LO2 cells were induced with thapsigargin, and in BALB/c mice with tunicamycin and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Glycoprotein 130 (gp130) expression, the degrees of ER stress, and hepatocyte necroptosis were assessed. RESULTS: ER stress significantly upregulated gp130 expression in LO2 cells and mouse livers. The silencing of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), but not of ATF4, increased hepatocyte necroptosis and mitigated gp130 expression in LO2 cells and mice. Gp130 silencing reduced the phosphorylation of CCl4-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and aggravated ER stress, necroptosis, and liver injury in mice. CONCLUSION: ATF6/gp130/STAT3 signaling attenuates necroptosis in hepatocytes through the negative regulation of ER stress during liver injury. Hepatocyte ATF6/gp130/STAT3 signaling may be used as a therapeutic target in acute liver injury.

Pharmacological targeting of gastric mucosal barrier with traditional Chinese medications for repairing gastric mucosal injury.

Introduction: The gastric mucosa (GM) is the first barrier and vital interface in the stomach that protects the host from hydrochloric acid in gastric juice and defends against exogenous insults to gastric tissues. The use of traditional Chinese medications (TCMs) for the treatment of gastric mucosal injury (GMI) has long-standing history and a good curative effect. Whereas there are poor overall reports on the intrinsic mechanisms of these TCM preparations that pharmacology uses to protect body from GMI, which is crucial to treating this disease. These existing reviews have deficiencies that limit the clinical application and development of both customary prescriptions and new drugs. Methods: Further basic and translational studies must be done to elucidate the intrinsic mechanisms of influence of these TCM preparations. Moreover, well-designed and well-conducted experiences and clinical trials are necessary to ascertain the efficacy and mechanisms of these agents. Therefore, this paper presents a focused overview of currently published literature to assess how TCMs action that facilitates the cures for GMI. It offers a whole train of current state of pharmacological evidence, identifies the pharmacological mechanisms of TCMs on GM, and highlights that remarkable capacity of TCMs to restore GM after damage. Results: These TCMs preparations promote the repair of multicomponent targets such as the gastric mucus, epithelial layer, blood flow (GMBF) and lamina propria barrier. Summary: Overall, this study has summarized the essential regulatory mechanisms and pharmacological efficacy of TCMs on new and productive therapeutic targets. Discussion: This review provides an avenue for studying various drugs with potentially promising effects on mucosal integrity, as well as subsequent pharmacological studies, clinical applications, and new drug development.

Postoperative jaundice related to UGT1A1 and ABCB11 gene mutations: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Patients with obstructive jaundice caused by intrahepatic bile duct stones can be effectively managed by surgery. However, some patients may develop postoperative complications, liver failure, and other life-threatening situations. Here, we report a patient with mutations in the uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) and bile salt export pump (adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily B member 11, ABCB11) genes who presented multiple intrahepatic bile duct stones and cholestasis, and the jaundice of the patient increased after partial hepatectomy. CASE SUMMARY: A 52-year-old male patient admitted to the hospital on October 23, 2021, with a progressive exacerbation of jaundice, was found to have multiple intrahepatic bile duct stones with the diagnoses of obstructive jaundice and acute cholecystitis. Subsequently, the patient underwent left hepatectomy with biliary exploration, stone extraction, T-tube drainage, and cholecystectomy without developing any intraoperative complications. The patient had a dark urine color with worsening jaundice postoperatively and did not respond well to plasma exchange and other symptomatic and supportive treatments. Since the progressive increase in postoperative bilirubin could not be clinically explained with any potential reason, including, if not at all, viral infection, cholangitis, autoimmune liver disease, and other causes, the patient underwent whole-exon screening for any genetic diseases, which surprisingly identified UGT1A1 and ABCB11 gene mutations related to glucuronidation of indirect bilirubin as well as bile acid transport in hepatocytes, respectively. Thus, we hypothesized that postoperative refractory cholestasis might result from UGT1A1 and ABCB11 gene mutations and further recommended liver transplantation to the patient, who eventually declined it and died from liver failure six months later. CONCLUSION: Surgery may aggravate cholestasis in patients with multiple intrahepatic bile duct stones and cholestasis associated with UGT1A1 and ABCB11 gene mutations. A liver transplant may be the best option if active medical treatment fails.

Relationship of familial cytochrome P450 4V2 gene mutation with liver cirrhosis: A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Many genetic and metabolic diseases affect the liver, but diagnosis can be difficult because these diseases may have complex clinical manifestations and diverse clinical patterns. There is also incomplete clinical knowledge of these many different diseases and limitations of current testing methods. CASE SUMMARY: We report a 53-year-old female from a rural area in China who was hospitalized for lower limb edema, abdominal distension, cirrhosis, and hypothyroidism. We excluded the common causes of liver disease (drinking alcohol, using traditional Chinese medicines, hepatitis virus infection, autoimmunity, and hepatolenticular degeneration). When she was 23-years-old, she developed night-blindness that worsened to complete blindness, with no obvious cause. Her parents were first cousins, and both were alive. Analysis of the patient's family history indicated that all 5 siblings had night blindness and impaired vision; one sister was completely blind; and another sister had night-blindness complicated with cirrhosis and subclinical hypothyroidism. Entire exome sequencing showed that the patient, parents, and siblings all had mutations in the cytochrome P450 4V2 gene (CYP4V2). The CYP4V2 mutations of the parents and two sisters were heterozygous, and the others were homozygous. Two siblings also had heterozygous dual oxidase activator 2 (DUOXA2) mutations. CONCLUSION: Mutations in the CYP4V2 gene may affect lipid metabolism and lead to chronic liver injury, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.

Three-in-one incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocellular carcinoma, and neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is rare, and a combination with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is extremely rare. To date, only four combination cases have been reported. The present paper describes the fifth patient. CASE SUMMARY: A 32-year-old Chinese man with chronic hepatitis B was hospitalized for persistent upper abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) examination revealed a liver mass. The tumor was located in the 7th and 8th segments of the liver, and CT and magnetic resonance imaging findings were consistent with the diagnosis of HCC. Laboratory examinations revealed the following: Alanine aminotransferase, 243 U/L; aspartate aminotransferase, 167 U/L; alpha-fetoprotein, 4519 µg/L. Laparoscopic right lobe hepatectomy was performed on the liver mass. Postoperative pathology showed low differentiation HCC plus medium and low differentiation CCA combined with NEC. One month after the surgery, the patient suffered from epigastric pain again. Liver metastasis was detected by CT, and tumor transcatheter arterial chemoembolization was performed. Unfortunately, the liver tumor was progressively increased and enlarged, and after 1 mo, the patient died of liver failure. CONCLUSION: This is a rare case, wherein the tumor is highly aggressive, grows rapidly, and metastasizes in a short period. Imaging and laboratory tests can easily misdiagnose or miss such cases; thus, the final diagnosis relies on pathology.

Intracellular alpha-fetoprotein mitigates hepatocyte apoptosis and necroptosis by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress.

BACKGROUND: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases, but how hepatocytes respond to ER stress has not been clarified. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is secreted by hepatoma cells and elevated levels of serum AFP are associated with development of liver malignancies. AIM: To investigate whether and how AFP could regulate ER stress and hepatocyte injury. METHODS: The distribution of AFP and the degrees of ER stress in liver tissues and liver injury were characterized by histology, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot in biopsied human liver specimens, two mouse models of liver injury and a cellular model. The levels of AFP in sera and the supernatants of cultured cells were quantified by chemiluminescence. RESULTS: High levels of intracellular AFP were detected in liver tissues, particularly in the necrotic areas, from patients with chronic liver diseases and mice after carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration or induction of ER stress, but not from the controls. The induced intracellular AFP was accompanied by elevated activating transcription factor-6 (ATF6) expression and protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) phosphorylation in mouse livers. ER stress induced AFP expression in LO2 cells and decreased their viability. ATF6, but not PERK, silencing mitigated the ER-stress-induced AFP expression in LO2 cells. Conversely, AFP silencing deteriorated the ER stress-mediated LO2 cell injury and CCl4 administration-induced liver damages by increasing levels of cleaved caspase-3, the C/enhancer binding protein homologous protein expression, mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase and PERK phosphorylation, but decreasing ATF6 expression. CONCLUSION: ER stress upregulated intra-hepatocyte AFP expression by activating ATF6 during the process of liver injury and intracellular AFP attenuated hepatocyte apoptosis and necroptosis by alleviating ER stress.

Feedback loop between hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α and endoplasmic reticulum stress mitigates liver injury by downregulating hepatocyte apoptosis.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor alpha (HNF1α), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and hepatocyte apoptosis contribute to severe acute exacerbation (SAE) of liver injury. Here, we explore HNF1α-ER stress-hepatocyte apoptosis interaction in liver injury. LO2, HepG2 and SK-Hep1 cells were treated with thapsigargin (TG) or tunicamycin (TM) to induce ER stress. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was used to induce acute liver injury in mice. Low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exacerbated liver injury in CCl4-induced mice. Significant apoptosis, HNF1α upregulation, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation were observed in human-derived hepatocytes during ER stress. Knockdown of Rela, NF-κB p65, inhibited the HNF1α upregulation. Following CCl4 treatment ER stress, apoptosis, HNF1α expression and RelA phosphorylation were significantly increased in mice. HNF1α knockdown reduced activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) expression, and aggravated ER stress as well as hepatocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. The double fluorescent reporter gene assay confirmed that HNF1α regulated the transcription of ATF4 promoter. LPS aggravated CCl4-induced liver injury and reduced HNF1α, and ATF4 expression. Therefore, in combination, HNF1α and ER stress could be mutually regulated forming a feedback loop, which helps in protecting the injured liver by down-regulating hepatocyte apoptosis. Low-dose LPS aggravates hepatocyte apoptosis and promotes the SAE of liver injury by interfering with the feedback regulation of HNF1α and ER stress in acute liver injury.

Genome-Wide Identification of Genes Related to Biosynthesis of Phenolic Acid Derivatives in Bletilla striata at Different Suspension Culture Stages.

To screen the genes regulating the biosynthesis of phenolic acid derivatives from the genome of Bletilla striata, we designed a suspension culture system to sample the cells for the following experiments. The contents of four phenolic acid derivatives were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and several full-length transcriptome sequencings of RNA samples at 10 time points were performed for bioinformatics analysis. The correlation analysis was used to identify and verify the key DEGs involved in the biosynthesis of the four phenolic acid derivatives. The results showed that the contents of p-hydroxybenzylalcohol (HBA), Dactylorhin A, Militarine, and Coelonin peaked at 33 days postinoculation (Dpi), 18 Dpi, 39 Dpi, and 39 Dpi of the culture system, respectively. Based on transcriptome data, 80 DEGs involved in the biosynthesis of phenolic acid derivatives were obtained. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis classified them mostly into five metabolic pathways: phenylpropane biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolic, cyanoamino acid metabolism, gluconeogenesis and glycolysis, and phenylalanine metabolism. qPCR analysis revealed that the relative gene expression levels were consistent with the overall trend of transcriptome sequencing results. Among them, 14, 18, 23, and 41 unigenes were found to be involved in the synthesis of HBA, Dactylorhin A, Coelonin, and Militarine, respectively. These unigenes laid a solid foundation for elucidating the biosynthesis mechanism of phenolic acid derivatives in suspension cells of B. striata.

Effects of Naltrexone on Expression of Lipid Metabolism-Related Proteins in Liver Steatosis Induced by Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Mice.

This study aimed to explore the effect of naltrexone on the expression of lipid metabolism-related proteins in liver steatosis induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress in mice. Thirty inbred mice (C57BL/6J) were divided into three groups: group A (normal control group), group B (model control), and group C (naltrexone group). The male mice in group A were fed a regular diet, and the mice in groups B and C were fed a high-fat diet. Liver steatosis was observed by histopathological sections. Mouse liver (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and triglyceride (TC)) content (glucose regulatory protein (GRP78), endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane protein kinase-1α (IRE-1α), C/EBP source protein (CHOP), cysteine-containing aspartate proteolytic enzyme 12 (caspase-12), B lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and cell death mediator (Bim)) was detected. Compared with group A, bodyweight, fat weight, ALT, TG, and hepatic steatosis were significantly increased in B and C groups (P < 0.05); compared with group B, group C showed a significant decrease in bodyweight, fat weight, ALT, TG, and hepatic steatosis (P < 0.05). Compared with group A, the expression levels of GRP78, IRE-1α, CHOP, caspase-12, and Bim in liver tissue of groups B and C mice were increased. Bcl-2 decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with group B and group C after naltrexone intervention, the expression levels of GRP78, IRE-1α, CHOP, caspase-12, and Bim decreased significantly, and Bcl-2 increased significantly (P < 0.05). Naltrexone can effectively reduce bodyweight and adipose tissue accumulation, reduce liver fat lesions, improve the expression of lipid metabolism-related proteins and endoplasmic reticulum stress, reduce liver lipid synthesis, and protect liver cells.

Mechanisms by Which Traditional Chinese Medicines Influence the Intestinal Flora and Intestinal Barrier.

The effect of a drug on the intestinal flora and the intestinal barrier is an important evaluation index for drug safety and efficacy. Chemical synthetic drugs are widely used due to their advantages of fast efficacy and low doses, but they are prone to cause drug resistance and inhibit proton pumps, which may harm intestinal health. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been applied clinically for thousands of years, and how TCMs regulate intestinal health to achieve their effects of disease treatment has become a hot research topic that needs to be resolved. This paper reviews the recent research on the effects of TCMs on intestinal microorganisms and the intestinal mucosal barrier after entering the intestine, discusses the interaction mechanisms between TCMs and intestinal flora, and details the repair effect of TCMs on the intestinal mucosal barrier to provide a reference for the development, utilization, and modernization of TCM.

Hyperoxia Provokes Time- and Dose-Dependent Gut Injury and Endotoxemia and Alters Gut Microbiome and Transcriptome in Mice.

Background: Oxygen therapy usually exposes patients to hyperoxia, which induces injuries in the lung, the heart, and the brain. The gut and its microbiome play key roles in critical illnesses, but the impact of hyperoxia on the gut and its microbiome remains not very clear. We clarified the time- and dose-dependent effects of hyperoxia on the gut and investigated oxygen-induced gut dysbiosis and explored the underlying mechanism of gut injury by transcriptome analysis. Methods: The C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group and nine different oxygen groups exposed to hyperoxia with an inspired O2 fraction (FiO2) of 40, 60, and 80% for 24, 72, and 168 h (7 days), respectively. Intestinal histopathological and biochemical analyses were performed to explore the oxygen-induced gut injury and inflammatory response. Another experiment was performed to explore the impact of hyperoxia on the gut microbiome by exposing the mice to hyperoxia (FiO2 80%) for 7 days, with the 16S rRNA sequencing method. We prolonged the exposure (up to 14 days) of the mice to hyperoxia (FiO2 80%), and gut transcriptome analysis and western blotting were carried out to obtain differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and signaling pathways related to innate immunity and cell death. Results: Inhaled oxygen induced time- and dose-dependent gut histopathological impairment characterized by mucosal atrophy (e.g., villus shortening: 80% of FiO2 for 24 h: P = 0.008) and enterocyte death (e.g., apoptosis: 40% of FiO2 for 7 days: P = 0.01). Administered time- and dose-dependent oxygen led to intestinal barrier dysfunction (e.g., endotoxemia: 80% of FiO2 for 72 h: P = 0.002) and potentiated gut inflammation by increasing proinflammatory cytokines [e.g., tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α): 40% of FiO2 for 24 h: P = 0.003)] and reducing anti-inflammatory cytokines [Interleukin 10 (IL-10): 80% of FiO2 for 72 h: P < 0.0001]. Hyperoxia induced gut dysbiosis with an expansion of oxygen-tolerant bacteria (e.g., Enterobacteriaceae). Gut transcriptome analysis identified 1,747 DEGs and 171 signaling pathways and immunoblotting verified TLR-4, NOD-like receptor, and apoptosis signaling pathways were activated in oxygen-induced gut injury. Conclusions: Acute hyperoxia rapidly provokes gut injury in a time- and dose-dependent manner and induces gut dysbiosis, and an innate immune response is involved in an oxygen-induced gut injury.

Downregulation of RIP3 Improves the Protective Effect of ATF6 in an Acute Liver Injury Model.

BACKGROUND: Activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIP3) are important signaling proteins in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and necroptosis, respectively. However, their regulatory relationship and clinical significance are unknown. We investigate the impact of ATF6 on RIP3 expression, and its role in hepatocyte necroptosis in an acute liver injury model. METHODS: In vivo and in vitro experiments were carried out. LO2 cells were treated with thapsigargin (TG). In vivo, male BALB/c mice were treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 1 mL/kg) or tunicamycin (TM, 2 mg/kg). Then, the impact of ATF6 or RIP3 silencing on liver injury, hepatocyte necroptosis, and ER stress-related protein expression was examined. RESULTS: TG induced ER stress and necroptosis and ATF6 and RIP3 expression in LO2 cells. The knockdown of ATF6 significantly decreased RIP3 expression (p < 0.05) and increased ER stress and necroptosis. The downregulation of RIP3 significantly reduced necroptosis and ER stress (p < 0.05). Similar results were observed in CCl4 or the TM-induced mouse model. The knockdown of ATF6 significantly decreased CCl4-induced RIP3 expression and increased liver injury, necroptosis, and ER stress in mice livers (p < 0.05). In contrast, the downregulation of RIP3 significantly reduced liver injury, hepatocyte necroptosis, and ER stress. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatocyte ATF6 has multiple roles in acute liver injury. It reduces hepatocyte necroptosis via negative feedback regulation of ER stress. In addition, ATF6 can upregulate the expression of RIP3, which is not helpful to the recovery process. However, downregulating RIP3 reduces hepatocyte necroptosis by promoting the alleviation of ER stress. The findings suggest that RIP3 could be a plausible target for the treatment of liver injury.

Alpha-fetoprotein/endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling mitigates injury in hepatoma cells.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress play multiple roles in hepatocellular carcinoma. Here, we analyzed the crosstalk between AFP and ER stress in human hepatoma cells. We induced ER stress in human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2 and SK-Hep1 cells) with thapsigargin (TG, an ER stress inducer), and mitigated ER stress with 4-phenylbutyrate acid (4-PBA, an ER stress inhibitor). AFP expression was knocked down by AFP short hairpin RNA and rescued by the pCI-AFP vector. AFP expression and ER stress were examined, and their roles in apoptosis, necroptosis, and proliferation were analyzed. TG significantly induced ER stress, apoptosis, necroptosis, and intracellular AFP protein levels, and reduced proliferation and AFP mRNA expression as well as supernatant AFP protein levels in HepG2 and SK-Hep1 cells. 4-PBA pretreatment partially reversed those changes in HepG2 cells. By contrast to AFP overexpression, knockdown of AFP significantly exacerbated TG-induced ER stress, apoptosis, and necroptosis, and decreased proliferation and the expression of activating transcription factor 6 alpha. In conclusion, ER stress causes the accumulation of AFP protein, which may be related to the reduction of AFP secretion. Accumulated AFP mitigates apoptosis and necroptosis and restores the proliferation of hepatoma cells by reducing ER stress.

Inhibition of eIF2α Dephosphorylation Protects Hepatocytes from Apoptosis by Alleviating ER Stress in Acute Liver Injury.

OBJECTIVES: Protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) is an important factor along the main pathways for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of eIF2α phosphorylation on hepatocyte apoptosis and the ER stress mechanisms in acute liver injury. METHODS: eIF2α phosphorylation and apoptosis under ER stress were monitored and measured in male BALB/c mice with acute liver injury and human hepatocyte line LO2 cells. RESULTS: Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration triggered ER stress and hepatocyte apoptosis, as well as eIF2α phosphorylation in mice. Inhibition of eIF2α dephosphorylation, as the pretreatment with 4-phenylbutyric acid (chemical chaperone, ER stress inhibitor), mitigated CCl4-induced intrahepatic ER stress, apoptosis, and liver injury. In an ER stress model of LO2 cells induced by thapsigargin (disrupting ER calcium balance), inhibition of eIF2α dephosphorylation reduced ER stress and apoptosis, while PERK knockdown reduced eIF2α phosphorylation and exacerbated ER stress and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: eIF2α phosphorylation is one of the mechanisms employed by ER stress for restoring cellular homeostasis. Inhibition of eIF2α dephosphorylation mitigates hepatocyte apoptosis by alleviating ER stress in acute liver injuries.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Increases Multidrug-resistance Protein 2 Expression and Mitigates Acute Liver Injury.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistance protein (MRP) 2 is a key membrane transporter that is expressed on hepatocytes and regulated by nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Interestingly, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is closely associated with liver injury and the activation of NF-κB signaling. OBJECTIVE: Here, we investigated the impact of ER stress on MRP2 expression and the functional involvement of MRP2 in acute liver injury. METHODS: ER stress, MRP2 expression, and hepatocyte injury were analyzed in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced mouse model of acute liver injury and in a thapsigargin (TG)-induced model of ER stress. RESULTS: CCl4 and TG induced significant ER stress, MRP2 protein expression and NF- κB activation in mice and LO2 cells (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with ER stress inhibitor 4- phenyl butyric acid (PBA) significantly mitigated CCl4 and TG-induced ER stress and MRP2 protein expression (P < 0.05). Moreover, pretreatment with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamic acid (PDTC; NF-κB inhibitor) significantly inhibited CCl4-induced NF-κB activation and reduced MRP2 protein expression (1±0.097 vs. 0.623±0.054; P < 0.05). Furthermore, hepatic downregulation of MRP2 expression significantly increased CCl4- induced ER stress, apoptosis, and liver injury. CONCLUSION: ER stress enhances intrahepatic MRP2 protein expression by activating NF-κB. This increase in MRP2 expression mitigates ER stress and acute liver injury.

Phosphorylation of eIF2α mitigates endoplasmic reticulum stress and hepatocyte necroptosis in acute liver injury.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Necroptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been implicated in acute and chronic liver injury. Activated eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) attenuates protein synthesis and relieves the load of protein folding in the ER. In this study, we aimed to analyze the impact of eIF2α phosphorylation on hepatocyte necroptosis in acute liver injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male BALB/c mice were injected with tunicamycin or d-galactosamine, and LO2 cells were incubated with tunicamycin to induce acute liver injury. 4-Phenylbutyric acid (PBA) and salubrinal were used to inhibit ER stress and eIF2α dephosphorylation, respectively. We analyzed the eIF2α phosphorylation, ER stress, and hepatocyte necroptosis in mice and cells model. RESULTS: Tunicamycin or d-galactosamine significantly induced ER stress and necroptosis, as well as eIF2α phosphorylation, in mice and LO2 cells (p<0.05). ER stress aggravated tunicamycin-induced hepatocyte necroptosis in mice and LO2 cells (p<0.05). Elevated eIF2α phosphorylation significantly mitigated hepatocyte ER stress (p<0.05) and hepatocyte necroptosis in mice (34.37±3.39% vs 22.53±2.18%; p<0.05) and LO2 cells (1±0.11 vs 0.33±0.05; p<0.05). Interestingly, tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) 1 protein levels were not completely synchronized with necroptosis. TNFR1 expression was reduced in d-galactosamine-treated mice (p<0.05) and cells incubated with tunicamycin for 12 and 24h (p<0.05). ER stress partially restored TNFR1 expression and increased necroptosis in tunicamycin-incubated cells (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results imply that ER stress can mediate hepatocyte necroptosis independent of TNFR1 signaling and elevated eIF2α phosphorylation can mitigate ER stress during acute liver injury.

Risk factors for progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure during severe acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

BACKGROUND: Acute exacerbation in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection results in different severities of liver injury. The risk factors related to progression to hepatic decompensation (HD) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in patients with severe acute exacerbation (SAE) of chronic HBV infection remain unknown. AIM: To identify risk factors related to progression to HD and ACLF in compensated patients with SAE of chronic HBV infection. METHODS: The baseline characteristics of 164 patients with SAE of chronic HBV infection were retrospectively reviewed. Independent risk factors associated with progression to HD and ACLF were identified. The predictive values of our previously established prediction model in patients with acute exacerbation (AE model) and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score in predicting the development of ACLF were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 164 patients with SAE, 83 (50.6%) had compensated liver cirrhosis (LC), 43 had progression to HD without ACLF, and 29 had progression to ACLF within 28 d after admission. Independent risk factors associated with progression to HD were LC and low alanine aminotransferase. Independent risk factors for progression to ACLF were LC, high MELD score, high aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and low prothrombin activity (PTA). The area under the receiver operating characteristic of the AE model [0.844, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.779-0.896] was significantly higher than that of MELD score (0.690, 95%CI: 0.613-0.760, P < 0.05) in predicting the development of ACLF. CONCLUSION: In patients with SAE of chronic HBV infection, LC is an independent risk factor for progression to both HD and ACLF. High MELD score, high AST, and low PTA are associated with progression to ACLF. The AE model is a better predictor of ACLF development in patients with SAE than MELD score.