摘要
BACKGROUND Liver fibrosis is a compensatory response during the tissue repair process in chronic liver injury,and finally leads to liver cirrhosis or even hepatocellular carcinoma.The pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis is associated with the progressive accumulation of activated hepatic stellate cells(HSCs),which can transdiffer-entiate into myofibroblasts to produce an excess of the extracellular matrix(ECM).Myofibroblasts are the main source of the excessive ECM responsible for hepatic fibrosis.Therefore,activated hepatic stellate cells(aHSCs),the principal ECM producing cells in the injured liver,are a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.AIM To explore the effect of taurine on aHSC proliferation and the mechanisms involved.METHODS Human HSCs(LX-2)were randomly divided into five groups:Normal control group,platelet-derived growth factor-BB(PDGF-BB)(20 ng/mL)treated group,mmol/L,respectively)with PDGF-BB(20 ng/mL)treated group.Cell Counting Kit-8 method was performed to evaluate the effect of taurine on the viability of aHSCs.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to estimate the effect of taurine on the levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS),malondialdehyde,glutathione,and iron concen-tration.Transmission electron microscopy was applied to observe the effect of taurine on the autophagosomes and ferroptosis features in aHSCs.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were performed to detect the effect of taurine on the expression ofα-SMA,Collagen I,Fibronectin 1,LC3B,ATG5,Beclin 1,PTGS2,SLC7A11,and p62.RESULTS Taurine promoted the death of aHSCs and reduced the deposition of the ECM.Treatment with taurine could alleviate autophagy in HSCs to inhibit their activation,by decreasing autophagosome formation,downregulating LC3B and Beclin 1 protein expression,and upregulating p62 protein expression.Meanwhile,treatment with taurine triggered ferroptosis and ferritinophagy to eliminate aHSCs characterized by iron overload,lipid ROS accumu-lation,glutathione depletion,and lipid peroxidation.Furthermore,bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that taurine had a direct targeting effect on nuclear receptor coactivator 4,exhibiting the best average binding affinity of-20.99 kcal/mol.CONCLUSION Taurine exerts therapeutic effects on liver fibrosis via mechanisms that involve inhibition of autophagy and trigger of ferroptosis and ferritinophagy in HSCs to eliminate aHSCs.
基金
Supported by Guangxi Natural Science Foundation Program,No.2020GXNSFAA297160 and No.2018GXNSFBA050050
Guipai Xinglin Youth Talent Project of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine,No.2022C042.
作者简介
Corresponding author:Xiao-Fang Zhao,MA,Chief Doctor,Doctor,Department of Science and Technology,Ruikang Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine,No.10 Huadong Road,Nanning 541100,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,China.ORCID number:0000-0003-4697-9157.37940097@qq.com;ORCID number:Xing-Qiu Liang,0000-0003-3378-1336;ORCID number:Ming-Kun Liang,0000-0002-3854-6434。
