Osteopontin Deficiency Alters Biliary Homeostasis and Protects against Gallstone Formation.

ABSTRACT: The precipitation of excess biliary cholesterol as solid crystals is a prerequisite for cholesterol gallstone formation, which occurs due to disturbed biliary homeostasis. Biliary homeostasis is regulated by an elaborate network of genes in hepatocytes. If unmanaged, the cholesterol crystals will aggregate, fuse and form gallstones. We have previously observed that the levels of osteopontin (OPN) in bile and gallbladder were reduced in gallstone patients. However, the role and mechanism for hepatic OPN in cholesterol gallstone formation is undetermined. In this study, we found that the expression of hepatic OPN was increased in gallstone patients compared with gallstone-free counterparts. Then, we observed that OPN-deficient mice were less vulnerable to cholesterol gallstone formation than

SUBMITTER: Lin J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4971489 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature