Activation of WNT/Beta-Catenin Signaling and Regulation of the Farnesoid X Receptor/Beta-Catenin Complex After Murine Bile Duct Ligation.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: We have recently shown that loss of ?-catenin prevents the development of cholestatic liver injury and fibrosis after bile duct ligation (BDL) due to loss of the inhibitory farnesoid X receptor (FXR)/?-catenin complex, which results in decreased hepatic bile acids (BAs) through activation of FXR. To further understand the role of Wnt/?-catenin signaling in regulating BA metabolism and cholestasis, we performed BDL on mice in which hepatocyte Wnt signaling is deficient but ?-catenin is intact (low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein [LRP]5/6 knockout [DKO]) as well as mice that have enhanced hepatocyte ?-catenin expression (serine 45 mutated to aspartic acid [S45D] transgenic [TG] mice). Despite decreased biliary injury after BDL, hepatic injury, fibrosis, and inflammation were comparable in DKO and wild-type (WT) mice. Notably, the FXR/?-catenin complex was maintained in DKO livers after BDL, coincident with significantly elevated hepatic BA levels. Similarly, TG mice did not display accelerated injury or increased mortality despite overexpression of ?-catenin. There was no augmentation of FXR/?-catenin association in TG livers; this resulted in equivalent hepatic BAs in WT and TG mice after BDL. Finally, we analyzed the effect of BDL on ?-catenin activity and identified an increase in periportal cytoplasmic stabilization and association with T-cell factor 4 that correlated with increased expression of distinct downstream target genes. Conclusion: Localization of ?-catenin and expression of Wnt-regulated genes were altered in liver after BDL; however, neither elimination of Wnt/?-catenin signaling nor overexpression of ?-catenin in hepatocytes significantly impacted the phenotype or progression of BA-driven cholestatic injury.
SUBMITTER: Zhang R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6887668 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
ACCESS DATA