https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(08)00429-0/pdf

Mechanisms of Hepatic Fibrogenesis

The hepatic stellate cell has surprised and engaged physiologists, pathologists, and hepatologists for over 130 years, yet clear evidence of its role in hepatic injury and fibrosis only emerged following the refinement of methods for its isolation and characterization. The paradigm in liver injury of activation of quiescent vitamin A-rich stellate cells into proliferative, contractile, and fibrogenic myofibroblasts has launched an era of astonishing progress in understanding the mechanistic basis of hepatic fibrosis progression and regression. But this simple paradigm has now yielded to a remarkably broad appreciation of the cell's functions not only in liver injury, but also in hepatic development, regeneration, xenobiotic responses, intermediary metabolism, and immunoregulation. Among the most exciting prospects is that stellate cells are essential for hepatic progenitor cell amplification and differentiation. Equally intriguing is the remarkable plasticity of stellate cells, not only in their variable intermediate filament phenotype, but also in their functions. Stellate cells can be viewed as the nexus in a complex sinusoidal milieu that requires tightly regulated autocrine and paracrine cross-talk, rapid responses to evolving extracellular matrix content, and exquisite responsiveness to the metabolic needs imposed by liver growth and repair. Moreover, roles vital to systemic homeostasis include their storage and mobilization of retinoids, their emerging capacity for antigen presentation and induction of tolerance, as well as their emerging relationship to bone marrow-derived cells. As interest in this cell type intensifies, more surprises and mysteries are sure to unfold that will ultimately benefit our understanding of liver physiology and the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease.

/pdf/hepatic-stellate-cells-protean-multifunctional-and-enigmatic-1ctrvjmfhn.pdf

Hepatic Stellate Cells: Protean, Multifunctional, and Enigmatic Cells of the Liver

Hepatic stellate cells as key target in liver fibrosis

Chronic liver inflammation leads to fibrosis and cirrhosis, which is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. Hepatocyte steatosis is a component of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Hepatic steatosis may be benign or progress to hepatocyte injury and the initiation of inflammation, which activates immune cells. While Kupffer cells are the resident macrophage in the liver, inflammatory cells such as infiltrating macrophages, T lymphocytes, neutrophils, and DCs all contribute to liver inflammation. The inflammatory cells activate hepatic stellate cells, which are the major source of myofibroblasts in the liver. Here we review the initiation of inflammation in the liver, the liver inflammatory cells, and their crosstalk with myofibroblasts.

/pdf/liver-inflammation-and-fibrosis-50agm6rq30.pdf

Liver inflammation and fibrosis

Tissue integrity is maintained by the stroma in physiology. In cancer, however, tissue invasion is driven by the stroma. Myofibroblasts and cancer-associated fibroblasts are important components of the tumor stroma. The origin of myofibroblasts remains controversial, although fibroblasts and bone marrow-derived precursors are considered to be the main progenitor cells. Myofibroblast reactions also occur in fibrosis. Therefore, we wonder whether nontumorous myofibroblasts have different characteristics and different origins as compared to tumor-associated myofibroblasts. The mutual interaction between cancer cells and myofibroblasts is dependent on multiple invasive growth-promoting factors, through direct cell-cell contacts and paracrine signals. Since fibrosis is a major side effect of radiotherapy, we address the question how the main methods of cancer management, including chemotherapy, hormonotherapy and surgery affect myofibroblasts and by inference the surrogate endpoints invasion and metastasis.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ijc.23925

Stromal myofibroblasts are drivers of invasive cancer growth.

Liver fibrosis induced by hepatic overexpression of PDGF-B in transgenic mice

AIM: To explore the role of the adaptor molecule in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH).

METHODS: We used transgenic mice expressing an N-terminal truncated form of MORT1/FADD under the control of the albumin promoter. As previously shown, this transgenic protein abrogated CD95- and CD120a-mediated apoptosis in the liver. Cyclin A expression was detected using Western blotting. ELISA and RT-PCR were used to detect IL-6 and IL-6 mRNA, respectively. DNA synthesis in liver tissue was measured by BrdU staining.

RESULTS: Resection of 70% of the liver was followed by a reduced early regenerative response in the transgenic group at 36 h. Accordingly, 36 h after hepatectomy, cyclin A expression was only detectable in wild-type animals. Consequently, the onset of liver mass restoration was retarded as measured by MRI volumetry and mortality was significantly higher in the transgenic group.

CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate for the first time an involvement of the death receptor molecule MORT1/FADD in liver regeneration, beyond its well described role as part of the intracellular death signaling pathway.

MORT1/FADD is involved in liver regeneration.

610 Anti IL-6 therapy rescues transgenic mice with liver specific overexpression of TGF-β1 from death after LPS mediated liver injury

We evaluated a newly developed miniaturized confocal laser microscopy probe for real-time in vivo molecular and morphological imaging of normal, inflammatory, and malignant tissue in rodents. In the rigid mini-microscopy probe (diameter 7 mm), a single line laser delivers an excitation wavelength of 488 nm. Optical slice thickness is 7 μm, lateral resolution 0.7 μm. The range of the z-axis is 0 - 250 μm below the tissue surface. Organ systems were examined in vivo in rodent models of human diseases. FITC-labeled Lycopersion esculentum lectin was injected or selected cell populations stained for molecular targeting. Morphological imaging was performed using fluorescein sodium, FITC-labeled dextran, and/or acriflavine hydrochloride. Cellular and subcellular details could be readily visualised in vivo at high resolution. Tissue characteristics of different organs were rendered at real time. Selective blood cell staining allowed observation of blood flow and cell migration. Inflammatory diseases such as hepatitis were diagnosed, and tumors were characterized under microscopic control in vivo. Confocal mini-microscopy allows real time in vivo molecular and morphological histologic imaging at high resolution of normal and diseased tissue. Since confocal microscopy is applicable to humans, this technology will have a high impact on different faculties in medicine.© (2006) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

J. F. Garcia-Lazaro

Papers

Liver fibrosis induced by hepatic overexpression of PDGF-B in transgenic mice

MORT1/FADD is involved in liver regeneration.

610 Anti IL-6 therapy rescues transgenic mice with liver specific overexpression of TGF-β1 from death after LPS mediated liver injury

In vivo molecular and morphological imaging by real time confocal mini-microscopy