Project description:Clonorchiasis is associated with bile duct malignancy and the subsequent development of cholangiocarcinoma. Although this is likely caused by adult Clonorchis sinensis and its excretory-secretory products (ESP), the precise molecular mechanisms remain obscure. To evaluate the effect of C. sinensis infection on differential gene expression in host hepatocytes, we used cDNA microarrays in human cholangiocarcinoma cells through the mimicking of C. sinensis infestation, and analyzed differential mRNA expression patterns of host cells. Keywords: Time course
Project description:We examined gene expression profiles (27028 genes) in the livers of Sprague-Dawley rats with no infection and at 2 and 4 weeks after Clonorchis sinensis infection using Whole Rat Genome Microarray 4x44K v3 (GPL14745, Agilent-028282)
Project description:Obstruction of bile flow results in bacterial proliferation and mucosal injury in the small intestine that can lead to the translocation of bacteria across the epithelial barrier and systemic infection. These adverse effects of biliary obstruction can be inhibited by administration of bile acids. Here we show that the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor for bile acids, induces genes involved in enteroprotection and inhibits bacterial overgrowth and mucosal injury in ileum caused by bile duct ligation. Mice lacking FXR have increased ileal levels of bacteria and a compromised epithelial barrier. These findings reveal a central role for FXR in protecting the distal small intestine from bacterial invasion and suggest that FXR agonists may prevent epithelial deterioration and bacterial translocation in patients with impaired bile flow. In this report we have examined the role of FXR in the ileum. We demonstrate that it plays a crucial role in preventing bacterial overgrowth and maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelium
Project description:We investigated bile-acid induced gene expression patterns in regulatory T-cells, and applied those gene sets to gene expression profiles of liver samples obtained from children with biliary atresia and intrahepatic cholestasis. Patient subgroups identified using the regulatory T-cell gene sets were then assessed for association with two-year outcome in patients with biliary atresia.
Project description:Analysis of host response to the infected Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae and adult worm. The infected tissues evidenced altered expression of genes involved in systems such as immune response and cell cycle regulation, as compared with normal tissues. Total RNA obtained from isolated liver tissues subjected to 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks post-infection compared to uninfected liver tissues.
Project description:Clonorchis sinensis is a zoonotic parasite causing clonorchiasis associated with human diseases such as biliary calculi, cholecystitis, liver cirrhosis, and is classified as carcinogenic to humans for cholangiocarcinoma. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding, regulating small RNA molecules essential for the complex life cycle of parasites and involved in parasitic infections. To identify and characterize miRNAs expressed in adult C. sinensis residing chronically in the biliary tract, we developed an integrative approach combining deep sequencing, bioinformatic predictions with stem-loop real-time PCR analysis. Here we report the use of this approach to identify and clone 6 new and 62,512 conserved C. sinensis miRNAs which belong to 284 families. There is strong bias on families, family members and sequence nucleotides in C. sinensis. Uracil is the dominant nucleotide, particularly at positions 1, 14 and 22, which were located approximately at the beginning, middle and the end of conserved miRNAs. There is no significant M-bM-^@M-^\seed regionM-bM-^@M-^] at the first and ninth positions commonly found in human, animals and plants. Categorization of conserved miRNAs indicated that miRNAs of C. sinensis are still innovated and concentrated along three branches of the phylogenetic tree leading to bilaterians, insects and coelomates. There are two miRNA strategies in C. sinensis for its parasitic life: keeping a large category of miRNA families of different animals and keeping a stringent conserved seed region with high active innovation in other place of miRNA mainly in the middle and the end, which are perfect for the parasite to perform its complex life style and for host changes. The present study represents the first large scale characterization of C. sinensis miRNAs, which have implications for understanding the complex biology of this zoonotic parasite, as well as the miRNA studies of other related species such as Opisthorchis felineus and O. viverrini of human and animal health significance. Analysis of miRNA profile in parasite of C. sinensis
Project description:Clonorchis sinensis (Cs) infection is prevalent in Southeast Asia and has been classified as a Group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, posing significant risks to the human liver and biliary system. While recent studies have linked Cs infection to poorer outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying its effect on HCC remain to be fully elucidated. This study investigates the epigenetic changes in Cs-infected HCC using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and whole-genome oxidative bisulfite sequencing to map 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine profiles at single-nucleotide resolution. We identified 29 differentially methylated regions and 13 differentially hydroxymethylated regions in Cs-infected HCC, which were associated with 28 differentially methylated/hydroxymethylated-associated genes (DAGs/DhAGs). The methylation levels of four promoter Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) sites of DAGs/DhAGs were found to correlate with prognosis in Cs-infected HCC, while two key DMR/DhMR-associated genes, DHDH and KCNQ3, were significantly linked to overall survival of HCC. Our study provides the first detailed epigenetic map of Cs-associated HCC, uncovering novel insights into potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets that could enhance prognostic predictions and inform treatment strategies for patients affected by this condition.
Project description:Specific bile acids are potent signaling molecules that modulate metabolic pathways affecting lipid, glucose and bile acid homeostasis, and the microbiota. Bile acids are synthesized from cholesterol in the liver, and the key enzymes involved in bile acid synthesis (Cyp7a1, Cyp8b1) are regulated transcriptionally by the nuclear receptor FXR. We have identified an FXR-regulated pathway upstream of a transcriptional repressor that controls multiple bile acid metabolism genes. We identify MafG as an FXR target gene and show that hepatic MAFG overexpression represses genes of the bile acid synthetic pathway and modifies the biliary bile acid composition. In contrast, loss-of-function studies using MafG(+/-) mice causes de-repression of the same genes with concordant changes in biliary bile acid levels. Finally, we identify functional MafG response elements in bile acid metabolism genes using ChIP-seq analysis. Our studies identify a molecular mechanism for the complex feedback regulation of bile acid synthesis controlled by FXR.
Project description:Specific bile acids are potent signaling molecules that modulate metabolic pathways affecting lipid, glucose and bile acid homeostasis, and the microbiota. Bile acids are synthesized from cholesterol in the liver, and the key enzymes involved in bile acid synthesis (Cyp7a1, Cyp8b1) are regulated transcriptionally by the nuclear receptor FXR. We have identified an FXR-regulated pathway upstream of a transcriptional repressor that controls multiple bile acid metabolism genes. We identify MafG as an FXR target gene and show that hepatic MAFG overexpression represses genes of the bile acid synthetic pathway and modifies the biliary bile acid composition. In contrast, loss-of-function studies using MafG(+/-) mice causes de-repression of the same genes with concordant changes in biliary bile acid levels. Finally, we identify functional MafG response elements in bile acid metabolism genes using ChIP-seq analysis. Our studies identify a molecular mechanism for the complex feedback regulation of bile acid synthesis controlled by FXR
Project description:Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare cholestatic disease of unknown etiology that affects infants and shows an incidence of 1 out of 18,000 live births in Europe (1). The first therapeutic option is a timely performed portoenterostomy. However, the majority of patients suffer from a progressive inflammatory process, which leads to complete destruction of the extra- and intrahepatic biliary system followed by end-stage liver cirrhosis. Hence, BA is the leading indication for pediatric liver transplantation worldwide (2, 3). To understand the pathogenesis of the disease and improve theoutcome of BA patients, research has focused on the inflammatory process in liver and bile ducts, in which several factors are remarkably elevated, such as activated CD4 and CD8 T-cells, TNF alpha,IFN alpha and other proinflammatory TH1 cytokines (3-8). By the time of diagnosis, however, the disease has already reached an advanced state, characterized by the complete obstruction of the extrahepatic bile ducts with impaired bile flow and fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver. Therefore, studies in humans focusing on the trigger mechanism of BA are limited due to the paucity of liver and availability of bile duct tissue for research. One infectious animal model has been developed, in which newborn Balb/c mice exclusively show the experimental BA phenotype after infection with rhesus rotavirus (RRV) (9, 10). This model allows the analysis of the inflammatory reactions in liver and bile ducts at early steps in the development of bile duct atresia (11-20). Furthermore, inbred mouse strains have been shown to have a different susceptibility for the development of experimental BA, suggesting that Balb/c mice have an immunological gap responsible for disease progression (10, 12). The aim of this study was to identify key genes responsible for the BA phenotype by comparing the transcriptomes at an early time point after virus infection, i.e. before bile duct atresia, between two mouse strains with different susceptibilities to BA. Differences in the virus titration and the clinical course of infected mice were analyzed, and variations in the hepatic gene response assessed by comparative microarray assays were correlated to variances in the hepatic inflammatory reaction. Balb/c mice and C57Black/6 (Black/6) mice were infected with RRV postpartum and signs of BA and survival were noted. Liver sections of diseased, healthy and control animals were assessed for T-cell expression, and the virus loads were determined. Second, mice were sacrificed after three days, and isolated hepatic RNA was subjected to gene expression analysis using Affymetrix Gene Chip MOE 430 2.0.We compared three individual expression profiles from RRV-infected Balb/c mice against 2 individual expression profiles from RRV-infected C57/BL6 control mice using the Affymetrix GeneChip MOE 430 2.0.