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NDRG2 ameliorates hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-?1/Smad pathway and altering the MMP2/TIMP2 ratio in rats.

ABSTRACT: Liver fibrosis is a worldwide clinical issue. It has been well established that activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are responsible for excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in chronically damaged livers. The identification of key elements that control HSCs activation will help to further our understanding of liver fibrosis and improve the outcome of clinical treatment. This study demonstrates that N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is a potential regulator of liver fibrosis as NDRG2 mRNA and protein levels were reduced during HSCs activation. In addition, enhanced NDRG2 expression reduced Smad3 transcription and phosphorylation, which inhibited HSCs activation by blocking the TGF-?1 signal. Moreover, NDRG2 contributed to an increase in the ratio of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) to tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2), which may facilitate the degradation of the ECM. In dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced fibrotic rat livers, adenovirus-mediated NDRG2 overexpression resulted in decreased ECM deposition and improved liver function compared with controls. In conclusion, the present findings indicate that the modulation of NDRG2 is a promising strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis.

SUBMITTER: Yang J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3218018 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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NDRG2 ameliorates hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad pathway and altering the MMP2/TIMP2 ratio in rats.

Yang Jiandong J Zheng Jin J Wu Lin L Shi Ming M Zhang Hongtao H Wang Xing X Xia Ning N Wang Desheng D Liu Xinping X Yao Libo L Li Yan Y Li Yan Y Dou Kefeng K

PloS one 20111116 11

Liver fibrosis is a worldwide clinical issue. It has been well established that activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are responsible for excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in chronically damaged livers. The identification of key elements that control HSCs activation will help to further our understanding of liver fibrosis and improve the outcome of clinical treatment. This study demonstrates that N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is a potential regulator of liver fibrosis ...[more]

PMID: 22110735

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Project description:Chinese medicine CGA formula consists of polysaccharide from Cordyceps sinensis mycelia (CS-PS), gypenosides and amygdalin, which is derived from Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) capsule for treating liver fibrosis. In this study we attempted to confirm the therapeutic effects of CGA formula in dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced liver fibrosis in rats, and to identify the mechanisms of anti-fibrotic actions.Rats were injected with DMN (10 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), ip) for 3 consecutive days per week over a 4-week period. The rats then were orally administered with CGA formula (CS-PS 60 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), gypenosides 50 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) and amygdalin 80 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) daily in the next 2 weeks. CS-PS, gypenosides or amygdalin alone were administered as individual component controls, whereas colchicine and FZHY were used as positive controls. Serum biomarkers were measured. Hepatic injury, collagen deposition and stellate cell activation were examined. The MMP activities, expression of TIMP protein and proteins involved in the TGF-?1/Smad signaling pathways in liver tissues were assayed.In DMN-treated rats, administration of CGA formula significantly decreased serum ALT, AST and total bilirubin and hepatic hydroxyproline levels, increased serum albumin level, and attenuated liver fibrosis as shown by histological examination. Furthermore, these effects were comparable to those caused by administration of FZHY, and superior to those caused by administration of colchicine or the individual components of CGA formula. Moreover, administration of CGA formula significantly decreased the protein levels of ?-SMA, TGF-?1, TGF-?1 receptor (T?R-I), p-T?R-I, p-T?R-II, p-Smad2, p-Smad3, TIMP1 and TIMP2, as well as MMP2 and MMP9 activities in liver tissues of DMN-treated rats.Chinese medicine CGA formula ameliorates DMN-induced liver fibrosis in rats, and this effect was likely associated with the down-regulation of MMP2/9 activities, TIMP1/2 protein expression and the TGF-?1/Smad signaling pathways in the liver.

Project description:PurposePathological fibrosis of the myodural bridge (MDB) affects cerebrospinal fluid circulation. However, no optimal drug treatments are available. We aimed to explore the antifibrotic effect of resveratrol on bleomycin-induced pathological fibrosis of the MDB and its underlying mechanisms.MethodsGenes common to the potential targets of resveratrol were determined using network pharmacology, genes related to muscle and tendon fibrosis were acquired from the GeneCards database, and genes related to MDB development were determined using Venny. These genes were considered potential resveratrol treatment targets in bleomycin-induced pathological fibrosis of the MDB and were annotated using bioinformatics methods. We validated the intersected genes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and performed molecular docking analysis to calculate the binding activity between the target gene and resveratrol. Hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining were used to detect the morphological changes in bleomycin-induced fibrosis of the MDB following resveratrol treatment. We used qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry to evaluate the expression of the sirtuin 3 (SIRT3)/transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad pathway and the profibrotic markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Collagen Ⅰ.ResultsThrough network pharmacology and bioinformatics analyses, we identified four core intersected genes, and SIRT3 expression was validated using qRT-PCR. Molecular docking analysis revealed that resveratrol had good binding affinity for SIRT3. Resveratrol ameliorated morphological abnormalities in bleomycin-induced pathological fibrosis of the MDB by inhibiting fibroblast activation and excessive collagen fiber deposition. Resveratrol exerted its antifibrotic effect by regulating the SIRT3/TGF-β1/Smad pathway.ConclusionResveratrol has an antifibrotic effect in bleomycin-induced pathological fibrosis of the MDB in vivo and may be considered a novel therapeutic strategy.

Project description:An altered liver microenvironment characterized by a dysregulated extracellular matrix (ECM) supports the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The development of experimental platforms able to reproduce these physio-pathological conditions is essential in order to identify and validate new therapeutic targets for HCC. The aim of this work was to validate a new in vitro model based on engineering three-dimensional (3D) healthy and cirrhotic human liver scaffolds with HCC cells recreating the micro-environmental features favoring HCC. Healthy and cirrhotic human livers ECM scaffolds were developed using a high shear stress oscillation-decellularization procedure. The scaffolds bio-physical/bio-chemical properties were analyzed by qualitative and quantitative approaches. Cirrhotic 3D scaffolds were characterized by biomechanical properties and microarchitecture typical of the native cirrhotic tissue. Proteomic analysis was employed on decellularized 3D scaffolds and showed specific enriched proteins in cirrhotic ECM in comparison to healthy ECM proteins. Cell repopulation of cirrhotic scaffolds highlighted a unique up-regulation in genes related to epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and TGFβ signaling. This was also supported by the presence and release of higher concentration of endogenous TGFβ1 in cirrhotic scaffolds in comparison to healthy scaffolds. Fibronectin secretion was significantly upregulated in cells grown in cirrhotic scaffolds in comparison to cells engrafted in healthy scaffolds. TGFβ1 induced the phosphorylation of canonical proteins Smad2/3, which was ECM scaffold-dependent. Important, TGFβ1-induced phosphorylation of Smad2/3 was significantly reduced and ECM scaffold-independent when pre/simultaneously treated with the TGFβ-R1 kinase inhibitor Galunisertib. In conclusion, the inherent features of cirrhotic human liver ECM micro-environment were dissected and characterized for the first time as key pro-carcinogenic components in HCC development.

Dataset Information

NDRG2 ameliorates hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-?1/Smad pathway and altering the MMP2/TIMP2 ratio in rats.

Publications

NDRG2 ameliorates hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad pathway and altering the MMP2/TIMP2 ratio in rats.

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