Project description:To investigate the altered gene expression levels in mouse fibrotic liver tissues, C57BL6/J mice were intraperitoneally injected with CCl4 or vehicle twice every week. After 8 weeks, livers were harvested and RNA was extracted by Trizol. The gene expression levels were analyzed and compared between CCl4 treated group and vehicle treated (control) group.
Project description:To investigate the differences in microRNA expression profiles between fibrotic and normal livers, we performed microRNA microarrays for total RNA extracts isolated from mouse livers treated with carbontetrachloride (CCl4) or corn-oil for 10 weeks (n=3/group). MicroRNAs were considered to have significant differences in expression level when the expression difference showed more than two-fold change between the experimental and control groups at p<0.05. We found that 12 miRNAs were differentially expressed in CCl4-induced fibrotic liver. To induce chronic liver fibrosis, seven-week-old mice received 0.6 ml/kg body weight of carbon-tetrachloride (CCl4) dissolved in corn-oil by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection, twice a week for 10 weeks (n=3). As a control, same number of mice was injected with equal volume of corn-oil for 10 weeks.
Project description:Purpose: To identify the alterations of genes transcriptional profile of livers obtained from Tgfbr2f/f mice and Tgfbr2HKO mice treated with CCl4. Methods: we generated hepatocyte-specific Tgfbr2 knockout (Tgfbr2HKO) mice by AAV8-TBG-Cre injection via the tail vein of Tgfbr2f/f. Tgfbr2f/f mice and Tgfbr2HKO were intraperitoneally injected with 0.25 ml/kg CCl4 (diluted 1:3 (v/v) in olive oil) twice a week for 4 weeks to induce liver fibrosis.
Project description:Background and aims: We aimed to study the pathogenesis of AH in an animal model of acute-on-chronic alcoholic liver disease which combines chronic hepatic fibrosis with intragastric alcohol administration. Methods: Adult male C57BL6/J mice were treated with CCl4 (0.2 ml/kg, 2×weekly by intraperitoneal injections for 6 weeks) to induce chronic liver fibrosis. Then, ethyl alcohol (EtOH) (up to 25 g/kg/day, for 3 weeks) was administered continuously to mice via a gastric feeding tube, with or without one-half dose of CCl4. Liver and serum markers were evaluated to characterize acute-on-chronic-alcoholic liver disease in our model. Results: CCl4 or EtOH treatment alone induced liver fibrosis or steatohepatitis, respectively, findings that were consistent with expected pathology. Combined treatment with CCl4 and EtOH resulted in a marked exacerbation of liver injury, as evident by the development of hepatic inflammation, marked steatosis, and pericellular fibrosis, and by increased serum transaminase levels, compared to mice treated with either treatment alone. Liver transcriptomic changes specific to combined treatment group demonstrated close concordance with pathways perturbed in human severe cases of AH. In addition to gene expression changes, E. coli and Candida species were also significantly more abundant in livers of mice co-treated with CCl4 and EtOH. Conclusions: Mice treated with CCl4 and EtOH displayed several key characteristics of human AH, including pericellular fibrosis, increased hepatic bacterial load, and dysregulation of the same molecular pathways. This model may be useful for developing therapeutics for AH.
Project description:To gain insight into the differential signaling pathways triggered in N-RAS-/- versus N-RAS+/+ mice during liver injury and fibrosis, we performed microarray analyses of livers 28 days after CCl4 treatment and BDL surgery, respectively. Our findings suggested that increased cell proliferation and matrix deposition as well as loss of cell homeostasis were characteristic of N-RAS-/- after experimental fibrosis. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying CCl4 and BDL challenge,
Project description:Adult (12 weeks old) WT, LKO and KO male mice from C57Bl6J were either treated with a control diet (CTRL) or an High Fat Diet (HFD) during 12 weeks prior to liver gene expression analysis
Project description:Regeneration of skeletal muscle following injury is accompanied by transient inflammation initiation and resolution. However, it is unclear what signals control these processes. To better understand the biological pathways by C3a-C3aR activation in monocyte druing muscle regeneration,we examined global transcriptional changes in macrophages from the muscle after CTX injury.Male C57BL/6J mice were used at 12 weeks of age. 30 ul 10uM Cardiotoxin (CTX) was injected to TA muscle to injury muscle. CD11b+ cells was isolated from WT and C3aR-/- muscle at 1 day after CTX injury by FACS , then total RNA obtained from these cells were used for the analysis of RNA-seq.
Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS: c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1 and JNK2 are expressed in hepatocytes and have overlapping and distinct functions. JNK proteins are activated, via phosphorylation, in response to acetaminophen- or CCl4-induced liver damage; the level of activation correlates with the degree of injury. SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, has been reported to block acetaminophen-induced liver injury. We investigated the role of JNK in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in liver tissues from patients and in mice with genetic deletion of JNK in hepatocytes. METHODS: We studied liver sections from patients with DILI (due to acetaminophen, phenprocoumon, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or autoimmune hepatitis), or patients without acute liver failure (controls), collected from a DILI Biobank in Germany. Levels of total and activated (phosphorylated) JNK were measured by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Mice with hepatocyte-specific deletion of Jnk1 (Jnk1Îhepa) or combination of Jnk1 and Jnk2 (JnkÎhepa), as well as Jnk1-floxed C57BL/6 (control) mice, were given injections of CCl4 (to induce fibrosis) or acetaminophen (to induce toxic liver injury). We performed gene expression microarray, and phosphoproteomic analyses to determine mechanisms of JNK activity in hepatocytes. RESULTS: Liver samples from DILI patients contained more activated JNK, predominantly in nuclei of hepatocytes and in immune cells, than healthy tissue. Administration of acetaminophen to JnkÎhepa mice produced a greater level of liver injury than that observed in Jnk1Îhepa or control mice, based on levels of serum markers and microscopic and histologic analysis of liver tissues. Administration of CCl4 also induced stronger hepatic injury in JnkÎhepa mice, based on increased inflammation, cell proliferation, and fibrosis progression, compared to Jnk1Îhepa or control mice. Hepatocytes from JnkÎhepa mice given acetaminophen had an increased oxidative stress response, leading to decreased activation of AMPK, total protein AMPK levels, and pJunD and subsequent necrosis. Administration of SP600125 before or with acetaminophen protected JnkÎhepa and control mice from liver injury. CONCLUSIONS: In hepatocytes, JNK1 and JNK2 appear to have combined effects in protecting mice from CCl4- and acetaminophen-induced liver injury. It is important to study the tissue-specific functions of both proteins, rather than just JNK1, in the onset of toxic liver injury. JNK inhibition with SP600125 shows off-target effects. Livers and primary hepatocytes were isolated from wild type and JNKÎhepa (Jnk1Îhepa/global Jnk2-/-) double-knockout mice and subjected to gene expression profiling.
Project description:Liver firbrosis model of hepatocyte-specific FOXA2 knockout mice. Adeno-associated virus AAV8-TBG-Control or AAV8-TBG-Cre was injected via the tail vein of FOXA2flox/flox (FOXA2f/f) mice 2 weeks prior to CCl4 administration. Hepatic fibrosis was induced by injection of CCl4 twice per week for 4 weeks.
Project description:In this study, we examined C57BL/6J and AJ mice who received either sham surgery or cholestatic intestinal injury. Mice were anesthetized by inhaled isoflurane anesthesia. The abdomen was clipped and then prepared in sterile fashion with 70% ethyl-ethanol followed by betadine. A transverse upper abdominal incision was performed. The CBD was dissected away from the portal vein and was ligated near its junction with the duodenum using aneurysm clips engineered with a precisely standardized opening/closing mechanism. The abdominal wall was then closed in a two-layer fashion using absorbable sutures. Sham-operated mice were treated identically but without dissection or ligation of the CBD. Male AJ and C57BL6J mice, 8 weeks of age, were randomly assigned to surgery or sham (n=3 microarrays per strain/condition).