Integrated proteomics identifies p62-dependent selective autophagy of the supramolecular vault complex

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Hepatocytes release ceramide-enriched pro-inflammatory extracellular vesicles in an IRE1α-dependent manner

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a lipotoxic disease wherein activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response and macrophage-mediated hepatic inflammation are key pathogenic features. However, the lipid mediators linking these two observations remain elusive. We postulated that ER stress-regulated release of pro-inflammatory extracellular vesicles (EVs) from lipotoxic hepatocytes may be this link. EVs were isolated from cell culture supernatants of hepatocytes treated with palmitate (PA) to induce lipotoxic ER stress, characterized by immunofluorescence, Western blotting, electron microscopy, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Sphingolipids were measured by tandem mass spectrometry. EVs were employed in macrophage chemotaxis assays. PA induced significant EV release. Because PA activates ER stress, we used KO hepatocytes to demonstrate that PA-induced EV release was mediated by inositol requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α)/X-box binding protein-1. PA-induced EVs were enriched in C16:0 ceramide in an IRE1α-dependent manner, and activated macrophage chemotaxis via formation of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) from C16:0 ceramide. This chemotaxis was blocked by sphingosine kinase inhibitors and S1P receptor inhibitors. Lastly, elevated circulating EVs in experimental and human NASH demonstrated increased C16:0 ceramide. PA induces C16:0 ceramide-enriched EV release in an IRE1α-dependent manner. The ceramide metabolite, S1P, activates macrophage chemotaxis, a potential mechanism for the recruitment of macrophages to the liver under lipotoxic conditions.     

成纤维细胞生长因子21对非酒精性脂肪性肝炎的作用及机制的研究

目的:探索成纤维细胞生长因子21(FGF-21)对非酒精性脂肪性肝炎(NASH)的作用及其机制。方法:用浓度为500μmol/L的油酸和棕榈酸混合物(摩尔比=2:1)诱导HepG2细胞建立NASH细胞模型,实验分为5组:正常对照组(Control)、模型组(Model)、低剂量FGF-21组(LFGF-21,0.5μmol/L)、中剂量FGF-21组(MFGF-21,1.0μmol/L)和高剂量FGF-21组(HFGF-21,2.0μmol/L),油红O染色法观察细胞内脂滴,全自动生化分析仪检测细胞内ALT、AST、TC、TG的水平,Real-time PCR和Western blot分别检测细胞内核因子E2相关因子-2(Nrf-2)、核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域样受体3(NLRP3)的m RNA和蛋白水平,ELISA检测IL-1β、TNF-α水平。结果:NASH细胞造模成功,油红O染色结果显示对照组细胞无明显脂滴蓄积,模型组细胞内可见大量橘红色脂滴,并出现融合现象。不同浓度FGF-21治疗组的细胞内红色脂滴明显减少,并呈剂量依赖性。模型组ALT、AST、TC、TG、IL-1β、TNF-α和NLRP3的水平均高于对照组(P0.05),FGF-21治疗组其水平低于模型组(P0.05)。模型组Nrf2的水平低于对照组(P0.05),FGF-21治疗组Nrf2的水平高于模型组(P0.05)。结论:FGF-21通过促进Nrf-2、抑制NLRP3减少非酒精性脂肪性肝炎细胞的脂质沉积,减轻炎症反应,对NASH有保护作用。     

Preclinical Models for Studying NASH-Driven HCC: How Useful Are They?

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Pyroptosis in Steatohepatitis and Liver Diseases

Pyroptosis is an inflammatory form of regulated cell death, which functions in the clearance of intracellularly replicating pathogens by cell lysis in order to induce further immune response. Since the discovery of the gasdermin (GSDM) family, pyroptosis has attracted attention in a wide range of inflammatory diseases such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and other liver diseases. Due to the cleavage of GSDMs by different caspases, the amino-terminal GSDM fragments form membrane pores essential for pyroptosis that facilitate the release of inflammatory cytokines by loss of ionic gradient and membrane rupture. In this review, we address the key molecular and cellular processes that induce pyroptosis in the liver and its significance in the pathogenesis of common liver diseases in different human and experimental mice studies.     

PNPLA3在实验性非酒精性脂肪性肝病中的表达及其CpG岛甲基化状态的研究

目的:探讨PNPLA3在非酒精性脂肪性肝病中的表达水平及其Cp G岛甲基化状态,探讨PNPLA3在NAFLD发生、发展中的作用。方法:1.采用10μg/m L的油酸作用于人正常肝细胞株L02建立脂肪肝细胞模型,72 h后经油红O染色,观察正常组、脂肪肝模型组及给药组细胞内脂滴形成情况,并用荧光定量PCR检测PNPLA3在三组肝细胞中的表达情况。2.采用专用DNA提取试剂盒分别提取正常组、脂肪肝模型组、给药组细胞中DNA,经亚硫酸转化后行PCR扩增目的基因,并用焦磷酸测序方法检测不同组PNPLA3 Cp G岛中甲基化水平,探讨其在非酒精性脂肪肝中的作用。结果:1、脂肪肝模型组肝细胞PNPLA3 m RNA的表达高于正常组,经姜黄素给药后,其表达降低,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。2、在PNPLA3启动子区6个检测位点中,脂肪肝组位点2甲基化水平高于正常组,姜黄素给药后甲基化水平降低,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05),在其余各检测位点中甲基化水平无差异。结论:1、油红O染色后,脂肪肝模型组细胞内发现有大量红色脂滴积聚,而正常组基本上未见脂滴,姜黄素给药组脂滴较模型组减少,表明用10μg/m L的油酸诱导能成功建立体外肝细胞模型。2、PNPLA3 m RNA在肝细胞中高表达及其启动子区甲基化状态异常参与非酒精性脂肪肝发病。3、抑制肝脏PNPLA3活性或降低肝细胞PNPLA3 m RNA的表达水平可能是今后治疗非酒精性脂肪性肝病(NAFLD)的一个新的治疗方法。     

Cholesterol-lowering drugs cause dissolution of cholesterol crystals and disperse Kupffer cell crown-like structures during resolution of NASH

Cholesterol crystals form within hepatocyte lipid droplets in human and experimental nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and are the focus of crown-like structures (CLSs) of activated Kupffer cells (KCs). Obese, diabetic Alms1 mutant (foz/foz) mice were a fed high-fat (23%) diet containing 0.2% cholesterol for 16 weeks and then assigned to four intervention groups for 8 weeks: a) vehicle control, b) ezetimibe (5 mg/kg/day), c) atorvastatin (20 mg/kg/day), or d) ezetimibe and atorvastatin. Livers of vehicle-treated mice developed fibrosing NASH with abundant cholesterol crystallization within lipid droplets calculated to extend over 3.3% (SD, 2.2%) of liver surface area. Hepatocyte lipid droplets with prominent cholesterol crystallization were surrounded by TNFα-positive (activated) KCs forming CLSs (≥3 per high-power field). KCs that formed CLSs stained positive for NLRP3, implicating activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in response to cholesterol crystals. In contrast, foz/foz mice treated with ezetimibe and atorvastatin showed near-complete resolution of cholesterol crystals [0.01% (SD, 0.02%) of surface area] and CLSs (0 per high-power field), with amelioration of fibrotic NASH. Ezetimibe or atorvastatin alone had intermediate effects on cholesterol crystallization, CLSs, and NASH. These findings are consistent with a causative link between exposure of hepatocytes and KCs to cholesterol crystals and with the development of NASH possibly mediated by NLRP3 activation.