Leptin deficiency enhances sensitivity of rats to alcoholic steatohepatitis through suppression of metallothionein

Oxidative stress is stated to be a central mechanism of hepatocellular injury in alcohol-induced liver injury. Recent reports have shown that Kupffer cell dysfunction in the leptin-deficient state contributes partly to the increased sensitivity to endotoxin liver injury. Here we report that leptin also plays a key role in the development of alcoholic liver injury and that leptin signaling in hepatocytes is involved in cellular mechanisms that mediate ethanol-induced oxidative stress. We found that chronic ethanol feeding in leptin receptor-deficient Zucker (fa/fa) rats for 6 wk resulted in a much more severe liver injury and augmented accumulation of hepatic lipid peroxidation compared with control littermates. The hepatic induction of stress-response and antioxidant proteins, such as metallothionein (MT)-1 and -2, was significantly suppressed in fa/fa rats after chronic ethanol feeding. Zinc concentration in liver was also decreased in fa/fa rats, compared with control littermates. In primary cultured hepatocytes from fa/fa rats, incubation with ethanol significantly suppressed MT-1 and -2 expressions. Addition of leptin to leptin-deficient ob/ob mouse primary hepatocytes led to an increase in MT-1 and -2 mRNA levels and a decrease in oxidative stress after incubation with ethanol. In conclusion, leptin deficiency enhances sensitivity of rats to alcohol-induced steatohepatitis through hepatocyte-specific interaction of MT-1 and -2 and resultant exaggeration of oxidative stress in hepatocytes. These findings suggest that leptin resistance in hepatocytes is an important mechanism of alcohol-induced liver injury.     

Kupffer cell-derived prostaglandin E(2) is involved in alcohol-induced fat accumulation in rat liver

Destruction of Kupffer cells with gadolinium chloride (GdCl(3)) and intestinal sterilization with antibiotics diminished ethanol-induced steatosis in the enteral ethanol feeding model. However, mechanisms of ethanol-induced fatty liver remain unclear. Accordingly, the role of Kupffer cells in ethanol-induced fat accumulation was studied. Rats were given ethanol (5 g/kg body wt) intragastrically, and tissue triglycerides were measured enzymatically. Kupffer cells were isolated 0-24 h after ethanol, and PGE(2) production was measured by ELISA, whereas inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. As expected, ethanol increased liver triglycerides about threefold. This increase was blunted by antibiotics, GdCl(3), the dihydropyridine-type Ca(2+) channel blocker nimodipine, and the COX inhibitor indomethacin. Ethanol also increased PGE(2) production by Kupffer cells about threefold. This increase was also blunted significantly by antibiotics, nimodipine, and indomethacin. Furthermore, tissue triglycerides were increased about threefold by PGE(2) treatment in vivo as well as by a PGE(2) EP(2)/EP(4) receptor agonist, whereas an EP(1)/EP(3) agonist had no effect. Moreover, permeable cAMP analogs also increased triglyceride content in the liver significantly. We conclude that PGE(2) derived from Kupffer cells, which are activated by ethanol, interacts with prostanoid receptors on hepatocytes to increase cAMP, which causes triglyceride accumulation in the liver. This mechanism is one of many involved in fatty liver caused by ethanol.     

Free radicals, chemokines, and cell injury in HIV-1 and SIV infections and alcoholic hepatitis

Oxidative stress has been observed in HIV-1 infection and alcoholic liver disease. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributes to cell injury through apoptosis and/or necrosis and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. The major sources of ROS and chemokines are the Kupffer cells. During chronic ethanol consumption they are primed and activated for enhanced formation of pro-inflammatory factors, probably as a result of ethanol-induced translocation of gut-derived endotoxin into the circulation. Pro-inflammatory factors produced in the liver stimulate neutrophilic and/or lymphocytic infiltration to this organ. The presence of inflammatory cells in the liver may compromise the hepatocytes to injury by releasing cytotoxic factors, i.e., ROS, cytolytic proteases. Kupffer cells also interact with the glycoprotein 120 of SIV and HIV-1, which can induce oxidative stress and chemokine release. CD4+ lymphocytes that are infected with the virus generate intracellular ROS, which in turn leads to apoptosis and cell death. Downregulation of CD4+ cells contributes to immunodeficiency, while enhanced sequestration of inflammatory cells in the liver during chronic ethanol use with or without HIV-1/SIV may result in hepatocyte injury and exacerbation of alcoholic liver disease.     

Protective effects of cilostazol on ethanol-induced damage in primary cultured hepatocytes

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) caused by excessive alcohol consumption is associated with oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hepatocellular apoptosis. Cilostazol, a licensed clinical drug used to treat intermittent claudication, has been reported to act as a protective agent in a spectrum of diseases. However, little information regarding its role in ethanol-induced hepatocellular toxicity has been reported. In the current study, we investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of cilostazol on ethanol-induced hepatocytic injury. Rat primary hepatocytes were pretreated with cilostazol prior to ethanol treatment. MTT and LDH assay indicated that ethanol-induced cell death was ameliorated by cilostazol in a dose-dependent manner. Our results display that overproduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) induced by ethanol was attenuated by pretreatment with cilostazol. Furthermore, cilostazol significantly inhibited ethanol-induced generation of ROS in mitochondria. Importantly, it was shown that cilostazol could improve mitochondrial function in primary hepatocytes by restoring the levels of ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Additionally, cilostazol was found to reduce apoptosis induced by ethanol using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Mechanistically, we found that cilostazol prevented mitochondrial pathway-mediated apoptotic signals by reversing the expression of Bax and Bcl2, the level of cleaved caspase-3, and attenuating cytochrome C release. These findings suggest the possibility of novel ALD therapies using cilostazol.     

IL-1 beta attenuates IFN-alpha beta-induced antiviral activity and STAT1 activation in the liver: involvement of proteasome-dependent pathway

IFN-alphabeta is the only established treatment for viral hepatitis; however, more than 60% of patients are poorly responsive. Because viral hepatitis is associated with inflammation, we hypothesized that inflammation may attenuate the efficacy of IFN therapy. To test this hypothesis, the effect of IL-1beta, one of the major proinflammatory cytokines, on IFN signaling pathway in the liver was examined. Administration of IL-1beta in vivo attenuated IFN-alphabeta-induced STAT1 tyrosine phosphorylation in the liver but not in the spleen. The inhibitory action of IL-1beta in vivo was not affected by depleting hepatic Kupffer cells, suggesting that IL-1beta may directly target IFN-alphabeta signaling in hepatocytes. Indeed, pretreatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells with IL-1beta suppressed IFN-alphabeta-induced antiviral activity and antiviral protein MxA mRNA expression. Furthermore, IL-1beta attenuated IFN-alphabeta-induced STAT1 binding and tyrosine phosphorylation without affecting the level of STAT1 protein. This inhibitory effect can be reversed by pretreatment with either proteasome inhibitors or transfection of dominant negative NF-kappaB inducing kinase mutants. Taken together, these findings suggest that IL-1beta attenuates IFN-alphabeta-induced STAT1 activation by a proteasome-dependent mechanism. In view of high levels of IL-1beta in the serum or within the liver of patients with chronic liver diseases, attenuation of IFN-alphabeta signaling in the liver by IL-1beta could be one of the mechanisms underlying the resistance to IFN therapy in chronic hepatitis C, and IL-1beta could be a potential therapeutic target for improving the efficacy of IFN therapy.     

Different distribution patterns of the two mannose 6-phosphate receptors in rat liver.

Two mannose 6-phosphate receptors, cation-dependent and -independent receptors (CDMPR and CIMPR), play an important role in the intracellular transport of lysosomal enzymes. To investigate functional differences between the two in vivo, their distribution was examined in the rat liver using immunohistochemical techniques. Positive signals corresponding to CIMPR were detected intensely in hepatocytes and weakly in sinusoidal Kupffer cells and interstitial cells in Glisson's capsule. In the liver acinus, hepatocytes in the perivenous region showed a more intense immunoreactivity than those in the periportal region. On the other hand, positive staining of CDMPR was detected at a high level in Kupffer cells, epithelial cells of interlobular bile ducts, and fibroblast-like cells, but the corresponding signal was rather weak in hepatocytes. In situ hybridization analysis also revealed a high level of expression of CIMPR mRNAs in hepatocytes and of CDMPR mRNA in Kupffer cells. By double immunostaining, OX6-positive antigen-presenting cells in Glisson's capsule were co-labeled with the CDMPR signal but were only faintly stained with anti-CIMPR. These different distribution patterns of the two MPRs suggest distinct functional properties of each receptor in liver tissue.     

Relative and Combined Effects of Chronic Alcohol Consumption and HCV Infection on Serum Zinc, Copper, and Selenium

In alcoholic hepatitis, Kupffer cells are activated by intestinal gram-bacteria, leading to cytokine production and free radicals release, which, enhancing cytokine secretion, create a positive feedback loop which contributes to liver inflammation. Free radicals also damage the liver in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a condition frequently associated to alcohol consumption. In both situations, activity of antioxidant enzymes and of its cofactors zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and copper (Cu) is important. This study was performed to assess the relative and combined effects of chronic alcoholism and HCV infection on serum Se, Zn, and Cu, and its relation with serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, and interleukins (IL) 4, 6, and 8, in 19 HCV? alcoholic patients, 12 HCV+ alcoholic patients, nine HCV+ non-alcoholic patients, and 20 controls. Serum Zn and Se were lower in both HCV+ and HCV? alcoholic patients, whereas serum Cu was lower in HCV+ individuals. Serum Zn and Se were related to liver function derangement. MDA levels were higher in alcoholics, but no relation was observed between trace elements and MDA or cytokines, so that our results do not support a relevant role of the analyzed trace elements in the pathogenesis of chronic liver disease.     

Adiponectin normalizes LPS-stimulated TNF-alpha production by rat Kupffer cells after chronic ethanol feeding

Chronic ethanol feeding sensitizes Kupffer cells to activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), leading to increased production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Adiponectin treatment protects mice from ethanol-induced liver injury. Because adiponectin has anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages, we hypothesized that adiponectin would normalize chronic ethanol-induced sensitization of Kupffer cells to LPS-mediated signals. Serum adiponectin concentrations were decreased by 45% in rats fed an ethanol-containing diet for 4 wk compared with pair-fed rats. Adiponectin dose dependently inhibited LPS-stimulated accumulation of TNF-alpha mRNA and peptide in Kupffer cells from both pair- and ethanol-fed rats. Kupffer cells from ethanol-fed rats were more sensitive to both globular (gAcrp) and full-length adiponectin (flAcrp) than Kupffer cells from pair-fed controls with suppression at 10 ng/ml adiponectin after chronic ethanol feeding. Kupffer cells expressed both adiponectin receptors 1 and 2; chronic ethanol feeding did not change the expression of adiponectin receptor mRNA or protein. gAcrp suppressed LPS-stimulated ERK1/2 and p38 phosphorylation as well as IkappaB degradation at 100-1,000 ng/ml in Kupffer cells from both pair- and ethanol-fed rats. However, only LPS-stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation was sensitive to 10 ng/ml gAcrp. gAcrp also normalized LPS-stimulated DNA binding activity of early growth response-1 with greater sensitivity in Kupffer cells from rats fed chronic ethanol. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that Kupffer cells from ethanol-fed rats are more sensitive to the anti-inflammatory effects of both gAcrp and flAcrp. Suppression of LPS-stimulated ERK1/2 signaling by low concentrations of gAcrp was associated with normalization of TNF-alpha production by Kupffer cells after chronic ethanol exposure.     

Fluid phase endocytosis of [125I]iodixanol in rat liver parenchymal, endothelial and Kupffer cells

Endocytosis of [125I]iodixanol was studied in vivo and in vitro in rat liver cells to determine fluid phase endocytic activity in different liver cells (hepatocytes, Kupffer cells and endothelial cells). The Kupffer cells were more active in the uptake of [l25I]iodixanol than parenchymal cells or endothelial cells. Inhibition of endocytic uptake via clathrin-coated pits (by potassium depletion and hypertonic medium) reduced uptake of [125I]iodixanol much more in Kupffer cells and endothelial cells than in hepatocytes. To gain further information about the importance of clathrin-mediated fluid phase endocytosis, the expression of proteins known to be components of the endocytic machinery was investigated. Using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting, endothelial cells and Kupffer cells were found to express approximately fourfold more rab4, rab5 and rab7 than parenchymal cells, while clathrin was expressed at a higher level in endothelial cells than in Kupffer cells and hepatocytes. Using electron microscopy it was shown that liver endothelial cells contained approximately twice as many coated pits per membrane unit than the parenchymal and Kupffer cells, thus confirming the immunoblotting results concerning clathrin expression. Electron microscopy on isolated liver cells following fluid phase uptake of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) showed that HRP-containing organelles had a different morphology in the different cell types: In the liver endothelial cells HRP was in small, tubular endosomes, while in Kupffer cells HRP was mainly found in larger structures, reminiscent of macropinosomes. Parenchymal cells contained HRP in small vacuolar endosomes with a punctuated distribution. In conclusion, we find that the Kupffer cells and the endothelial cells have a higher pinocytic activity than the hepatocytes. The hepatocytes do, however, account for most of the total hepatic uptake. The fluid phase endocytosis in liver endothelial cells depends mainly on clathrin-mediated endocytosis, while the parenchymal cells have additional clathrin-independent mechanisms that may play an important role in the uptake of plasma membrane components. In the Kupffer cells the major uptake of fluid phase markers seems to take place via a macropinocytic mechanism.     

Differential cellular and subcellular localization of heme-binding protein 23/peroxiredoxin I and heme oxygenase-1 in rat liver.

Heme-binding protein 23 (HBP23), also termed peroxiredoxin (Prx) I, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) are distinct antioxidant stress proteins that are co-ordinately induced by oxidative stress. HBP23/Prx I has thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase activity with high binding affinity for the pro-oxidant heme, while HO-1 is the inducible isoform of the rate-limiting enzyme of heme degradation. We investigated the cellular and subcellular localization of both proteins in rat liver. Whereas by immunohistochemistry (IHC) a uniformly high level of HBP23/Prx I expression was observed in liver parenchymal and different sinusoidal cells, HO-1 expression was restricted to Kupffer cells. By immunoelectron microscopy using the protein A-gold technique, HBP23/Prx I immunoreactivity was detected in cytoplasm, nuclear matrix, mitochondria, and peroxisomes of parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cell populations. In contrast, the secretory pathway, i.e., the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, was free of label. As determined by immunocytochemical (ICC) studies in liver cell cultures and by Western and Northern blotting analysis, HBP23/Prx I was highly expressed in cultures of isolated hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. In contrast, HO-1 was constitutively expressed only in Kupffer cell cultures but was also inducible in hepatocytes. These data suggest that HBP23/Prx I and HO-1 may have complementary antioxidant functions in different cell populations in rat liver.     

Modulation of endotoxin stimulated interleukin-6 production in monocytes and Kupffer cells by S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe)

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine having primarily anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects. Recent reports have documented that IL-6 plays a key role in liver regeneration. Intracellular deficiency of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is a hallmark of toxin-induced liver injury. Although the administration of exogenous SAMe attenuates liver injury, its mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Here we investigated the effects of exogenous SAMe on IL-6 production in monocytes and Kupffer cells. RAW 264.7 cells, a murine monocyte cell line, and isolated rat Kupffer cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the absence or presence of exogenous SAMe. IL-6 production was assayed by ELISA and intracellular SAMe concentrations were measured by HPLC. We have found that exogenous SAMe administration enhanced both IL-6 protein production and gene expression in LPS-stimulated monocytes and Kupffer cells. Cycloleucine (CL), an inhibitor for extrahepatic methionine adenosyltransferases (MAT), inhibited LPS-stimulated IL-6 production. The enhancement of LPS-stimulated IL-6 production by SAMe was inhibited by ZM241385, a specific antagonist of adenosine (A2) receptor. Our results demonstrate that SAMe administration may exert its anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects, at least in part, by enhancing LPS-stimulated IL-6 production.     

Interleukin-1 is not essential for expression of inducible NOS in hepatocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide in vivo

Interleukin (IL)-1 and tumor necrotic factor alpha (TNFalpha) are pivotal in the pathogenesis of endotoxemia. In spite of the in vitro finding that IL-1beta, but not TNFalpha, can induce iNOS mRNA and NO production as a single stimulus in hepatocytes in primary culture, the involvement of IL-1 in iNOS induction in the liver has been less clear in vivo. To address this, we challenged IL-1alpha/beta double-knockout (IL-1alpha/beta(-/-)) and TNFalpha(-/-) mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). As compared with wild-type mice, the increases in the plasma NO level measured as nitrite and nitrate and hepatic iNOS were significantly reduced in IL-1alpha/beta(-/-) and TNFalpha(-/-) mice 8 and 12h after the LPS challenge. In the wild-type mice, iNOS protein was first detected in Kupffer cells around the portal vein 2h after LPS challenge; and then it spread to hepatocytes throughout the intralobular region of the liver by 8h. Although the expression of iNOS protein was detected in Kupffer cells of both IL-1alpha/beta(-/-) and TNFalpha(-/-) mice, its level was moderate in hepatocytes of IL-1alpha/beta(-/-) mice, but negligible in those of TNFalpha(-/-) mice, 8h after LPS challenge. Concomitant with the expression of iNOS protein in the liver, Toll-like receptor 4, the signaling receptor for LPS, was expressed in hepatocytes of wild-type and IL-1alpha/beta(-/-) mice, but not of TNFalpha(-/-) mice. These results demonstrate that the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 is well correlated with that of iNOS protein in hepatocytes in vivo after LPS challenge and that IL-1 is not essential for the induction of iNOS in hepatocytes in vivo.     

Effect of hyperhomocysteinemia on the protein kinase DYRK1A in liver of mice

Hyperhomocysteinemia due to cystathionine beta synthase (CBS)-deficiency confers diverse clinical manifestations, notably liver diseases. Even if hyperhomocysteinemia in liver of CBS-deficient mice, a murine model of hyperhomocysteinemia, promotes mitochondrial oxidative stress and pro-apoptotic signals, protective signals may counteract these pro-apoptotic signals, leading to chronic inflammation. As DYRK1A, a serine/threonine kinase, has been described as a candidate antiapoptotic factor, we have analyzed the expression of DYRK1A in liver of CBS-deficient mice. We found that DYRK1A protein level was reduced in liver of CBS-deficient mice, which was not observed at the gene expression level. Moreover, the use of primary hepatocytes/Kupffer cells co-culture showed that degradation of DYRK1A induced by hyperhomocysteinemia requires calpain activation. Our results demonstrate a deleterious effect of hyperhomocysteinemia on DYRK1A protein expression, and emphasize the role of hyperhomocysteinemia on calpain activation.     

利用NASH大鼠原代肝细胞与原代Kupffer细胞共培养建立NASH原代细胞模型*

目的: 通过分离并提纯非酒精性脂肪性肝炎(NASH)大鼠原代肝细胞以及原代Kupffer细胞建立体外NASH原代细胞模型,为研究NASH提供可靠的细胞实验技术支持。方法: 选择SD大鼠40只,随机分为2组(n=20):对照组和NASH组,对照组大鼠利用普通饲料喂养,NASH组大鼠利用高脂饲料(88%基础饲料+10%猪油+ 2%胆固醇)喂养,6～8周后,利用NASH评分表,病理观察下肝组织切片脂肪变+小叶内炎症+气球样变评分≥4 分,表明大鼠NASH模型的成功建立,利用胶原酶原位灌注法分离并提纯NASH模型大鼠原代肝细胞以及原代Kupffer细胞,利用CK-18及CD68免疫荧光以及墨汁吞墨实验进行细胞鉴定,利用油红O染色、试剂盒测定谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)含量观察NASH大鼠原代肝细胞脂质累积和肝功情况,Western blot检测原代Kupffer细胞炎症因子表达情况,最后采用原代肝细胞:原代Kupffer细胞=6∶1比例共培养,显微镜下观察细胞状态。结果: 实验成功分离并提纯NASH原代肝细胞以及原代Kupffer细胞,通过油红O染色,NASH组大鼠原代肝细胞存在明显的脂肪沉积,且NASH组大鼠原代肝细胞中AST、ALT明显高于对照组,存在明显肝损伤(P＜0.05),Western blot测定原代Kupffer细胞TNF-α、IL-1β以及MCP-1,NASH组大鼠明显高于对照组(P＜0.05)。结论: 通过胶原酶原位灌注法可以成功分离NASH大鼠原代肝细胞以及原代Kupffer细胞,同时成功建立比例共培养大鼠体外原代细胞NASH模型。     

Hepatic Mrp4 induction following acetaminophen exposure is dependent on Kupffer cell function

During acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity, increased expression of multidrug resistance-associated proteins 2, 3, and 4 (Mrp2-4) occurs. Mrp4 is the most significantly upregulated transporter in mouse liver following APAP treatment. Although the expression profiles of liver transporters following APAP hepatotoxicity are well characterized, the regulatory mechanisms contributing to these changes remain unknown. We hypothesized that Kupffer cell-derived mediators participate in the regulation of hepatic transporters during APAP toxicity. To investigate this, C57BL/6J mice were pretreated with clodronate liposomes (0.1 ml iv) to deplete Kupffer cells and then challenged with APAP (500 mg/kg ip). Liver injury was assessed by plasma alanine aminotransferase and hepatic transporter protein expression was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Depletion of Kupffer cells by liposomal clodronate increased susceptibility to APAP hepatotoxicity. Although increased expression of several efflux transporters was observed after APAP exposure, only Mrp4 was found to be differentially regulated following Kupffer cell depletion. At 48 and 72 h after APAP dosing, Mrp4 levels were increased by 10- and 33-fold, respectively, in mice receiving empty liposomes. Immunohistochemistry revealed Mrp4 staining confined to centrilobular hepatocytes. Remarkably, Kupffer cell depletion completely prevented Mrp4 induction by APAP. Elevated plasma levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were also prevented by Kupffer cell depletion. These findings show that Kupffer cells protect the liver from APAP toxicity and that Kupffer cell mediators released in response to APAP are likely responsible for the induction of Mrp4.     

Norepinephrine stimulates interleukin-6 mRNA expression in primary cultured rat hepatocytes

Non-invasive immobilization stress causes an increase in the plasma interleukin (IL)-6 level accompanied by increased IL-6 mRNA expression and IL-6 immunoactivity in the liver [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. (1997) 238, 707-711]. In the present study, using rat primary cultured hepatocytes and non-parenchymal liver cells, the effect of norepinephrine (NE) on IL-6 mRNA expression was determined. IL-6 mRNA expression in hepatocytes, but not in non-parenchymal liver cells, increased when the cells were treated with NE. The stimulatory effect of NE was inhibited by the combined use of alpha- and beta-adrenergic antagonists. IL-6 mRNA expression in hepatocytes also increased on incubation with the culture medium of non-parenchymal liver cells treated with NE. The effect of the medium was blocked by an IL-1 receptor antagonist. Moreover, exogenous IL-1beta stimulated IL-6 mRNA expression in hepatocytes. IL-1beta was present in the medium of non-parenchymal liver cells and increased with NE-treatment. These results suggest that NE released from sympathetic nerve terminals during stress can directly increase IL-6 mRNA expression in hepatocytes and indirectly through IL-1beta production from non-parenchymal liver cells.     

HepG2 human hepatoma cells express multiple cytokine genes

Although cytokines are known to be involved in the regulation of a variety of hepatocellular functions, hepatocytes themselves are generally considered only targets but not producers of these important mediators. In order to investigate whether cells of hepatocellular linages are a potential source of various regulatory cytokines we have estimated the multiple cytokine gene expression in the culture of well differentiated human HepG2 hepatoma cells using RT-PCR. Our findings demonstrate that HepG2 cells express mRNAs for interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), oncostatin-M (OSM), intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-7, IL-10, IL-11, IL-12 and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R). At the same time the expression of IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-6, CD40 ligand and IL-2R genes was not detected. It was concluded that hepatocytes are potential producers of a variety of cytokines, some of them being able to regulate hepatocellular functions directly, while others are important regulators of leukocyte activity. Thus, on the one hand, hepatocytes may express autoregulatory cytokines and on the other hand, influence the functions of other liver cells like Kupffer, Ito or endothelial cells. Due to their large amount, liver parenchymal cells could be an important source of sytemically acting pro- and anti-inflammatory and other regulatory cytokines.