Cholangiocyte Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a potential molecular mechanism driving ischemic cholangiopathy in liver transplantation.

ABSTRACT: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) has expanded the donor pool for liver transplantation. However, ischemic cholangiopathy (IC) after DCD liver transplantation causes inferior outcomes. The molecular mechanisms of IC are currently unknown but may depend on ischemia-induced genetic reprograming of the biliary epithelium to mesenchymal-like cells. The main objective of this study was to determine if cholangiocytes undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) after exposure to DCD conditions and if this causally contributes to the phenotype of IC. Human cholangiocyte cultures were exposed to periods of warm and cold ischemia to mimic DCD liver donation. EMT was tested by assays of cell migration, cell morphology, and differential gene expression. Transplantation of syngeneic rat liv

SUBMITTER: Wickramaratne N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8263302 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature