铁和铁调素在肝纤维化中的作用

多种慢性肝纤维化疾病均伴有肝脏过多的铁沉积,铁在肝纤维化发病中起重要作用。其机制包括:铁通过催化自由基生成和脂质过氧化反应破坏细胞生物大分子,引起细胞凋亡和坏死,激活肝星状细胞转化为肌成纤维细胞等。近来研究证实,由肝脏产生的铁调素(Hepc)表达的降低在慢性肝纤维化疾病肝脏铁沉积中起重要作用,补充外源性Hepc可以降低肝纤维化患者肝脏铁含量。因此,铁调素用于治疗铁过载疾病及肝纤维化具有重要价值。

The role of iron and hepcidin in hepatic fibrosis

Liver iron overload can be found in a number of different chronic liver diseases. Iron is proposed to play a role in promoting hepatic fibrosis by various mechanisms, including iron-catalyzed production of free radical and lipid peroxidation, alteration of essential biomolecules, triggering cell apoptosis and necrosis, and activation and transformation of the hepatic stellate cell into a myofibroblastic cell. Recent evidences demonstrate that the decrease of hepcidin, a 25-amino acid peptide produced by the hepatocytes, may play a significant role in promoting hepatic iron overload in various chronic liver diseases. Therefore, the supplemental hepcidin therapy may reduce liver iron concentration. Hepcidin or hepcidin-related therapeutics could find a place in the treatment of various iron overload diseases and hepatic fibrosis.