Hepatocyte Ninjurin2 promotes hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis through the IGF1R/EGR1/PDGF-BB signaling pathway

Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrogenesis is orchestrated by the paracrine signaling interaction between several resident cell types regulating the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying paracrine regulation are largely unknown. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of Ninjurin2 in the crosstalk between hepatocytes and HSCs and better understand the implications of Ninjurin2 in liver fibrosis.

METHODS: Ninj2 knockout mice (Ninj2-/-) and hepatocyte-specific Ninj2 overexpression mice (Ninj2Hep-tg) were constructed and followed by the induction of liver fibrosis using methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet. The relationship between Ninjurin2 and liver fibrosis phenotype was evaluated in vivo by measurement of fibrotic markers and related genes. We used an in vitro transwell cell co-culture model to examine the impact of Ninjurin2 in hepatocytes on the crosstalk to HSCs. The interaction of Ninjurin2 and IGF1R and the regulation of PI3K-AKT-EGR1 were analyzed in vivo and in vitro. Finally, an inhibitory Ninjurin2 peptide was injected intravenously via the tail vein to investigate whether inhibiting of Ninjurin2 cascade can attenuate MCD diet-induced liver fibrosis in mice.

RESULTS: We found that hepatic Ninjurin2 expression was significantly increased in fibrotic human liver and MCD diet-induced liver injury mouse models. In the mouse model, hepatocyte-specific overexpression of Ninj2 exacerbates MCD-induced liver fibrosis, while global Ninj2 knockout reverses the phenotype. To mimic hepatocyte-HSC crosstalk during liver fibrosis, we used co-culture systems containing hepatocytes and HSCs and determined that Ninjurin2 overexpression in hepatocytes directly activates HSCs in vitro. Mechanistically, Ninjurin2 directly interacts with insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and increases the hepatocyte secretion of the fibrogenic cytokine, platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) through IGF1R-PI3K-AKT-EGR1 cascade. Inhibition of PDGFRB signaling in HSCs can abolish the profibrogenic effect of Ninjurin2. In addition, we demonstrated that a specific inhibitory Ninjurin2 peptide containing an N-terminal adhesion motif mitigates liver fibrosis and improves hepatic function in the mouse models by negatively regulating the sensitivity of IGF1R to IGF1 in hepatocytes.

CONCLUSION: Hepatic Ninjurin2 plays a key role in liver fibrosis through paracrine regulation of PDGF-BB/PDGFRB signaling in HSCs, and the results suggesting Ninjurin2 may be a potential therapeutic target.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:140

Enthalten in:

Metabolism: clinical and experimental - 140(2023) vom: 01. März, Seite 155380

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Wang, Yifan [VerfasserIn]
Wang, Pengyun [VerfasserIn]
Yu, Yubing [VerfasserIn]
Huang, Erwen [VerfasserIn]
Yao, Yufeng [VerfasserIn]
Guo, Di [VerfasserIn]
Peng, Huixin [VerfasserIn]
Tian, Beijia [VerfasserIn]
Zheng, Qian [VerfasserIn]
Jia, Mengru [VerfasserIn]
Wang, Jing [VerfasserIn]
Wu, Xinna [VerfasserIn]
Cheng, Jianding [VerfasserIn]
Liu, Huiying [VerfasserIn]
Wang, Qing K [VerfasserIn]
Xu, Chengqi [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

1B56C968OA
Becaplermin
Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal
EGR1 protein, human
Early Growth Response Protein 1
Egr1 protein, mouse
Fibrogenic cytokine
IGF1R protein, human
Journal Article
NINJ2 protein, human
Ninj2 protein, mouse
Ninjurin2
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
PDGFRB signaling
Paracrine regulation
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 15.02.2023

Date Revised 27.02.2023

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.metabol.2022.155380

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM350609624