Hematopoietic cells-derived Jnk1 is crucial for chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis in an experimental model of liver injury
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE59601 | GEO | 2015/06/22
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA255681
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Chronic liver injury triggers complications such as liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which are associated with alterations in distinct signaling pathways. Of particular interest is the interaction between mechanisms controlled by IKKγ/NEMO, the regulatory IKK subunit, and Jnk activation for directing cell death and survival. In the present study, we aimed to define the relevance of Jnk in hepatocyte-specific NEMO knockout mice (NEMOΔhepa), a genetic model of chronic inflammatory liver injury. We generated global Jnk1-/-/NEMOΔhepa and Jnk2-/-/NEMOΔhepa mice by crossing NEMOΔhepa mice with Jnk1-/- and Jnk2-/- animals, respectively, and examined the progression of chronic liver disease. Moreover, we investigated the expression of Jnk during acute liver injury, evaluated the role of Jnk1 in bone marrow-derived cells, and analyzed the expression of NEMO and pJnk in human diseased-livers. Deletion of Jnk1 significantly aggravated the progression of liver disease, exacerbating apoptosis, compensatory proliferation and carcinogenesis in NEMOΔhepa mice. Jnk2-/-/NEMOΔhepa showed increased RIP-1 and RIP-3 expression and hepatic inflammation. Jnk1 in hematopoietic cells rather than hepatocytes had an impact on the progression of chronic liver disease in NEMOΔhepa livers. These findings are of clinical relevance since NEMO expression was down-regulated in hepatocytes of patients with HCC whereas NEMO and pJnk were expressed in a large amount of infiltrating cells. While Jnk1 is protective in NEMOΔhepa-depleted hepatocytes, Jnk1 in hematopoietic cells rather than hepatocytes is a crucial driver of hepatic injury. These results elucidate the complex function of Jnk in chronic inflammatory liver disease. Livers from global knockout mice for Jnk1 (Jnk1-/-) and Jnk2 (Jnk2-/- ), and double-knockout mice for Jnk1/NEMO (global Jnk1-/-/NEMOΔhepa) and Jnk2/NEMO (global Jnk2-/-/NEMOΔhepa), were subjected to gene expression profiling.
2015-06-22 | E-GEOD-59601 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Aberrant biliary hyperproliferation resulting from lack of differentiating signals favoring the maintenance of an immature and proliferative phenotype by biliary epithelial cells are ultimately responsible for ducto/cystogenesis and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) formation. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling is pivotal for CCA-related tumorigenesis. In particular, targeted inhibition of JNK signaling has shown therapeutic potential. However, the cell-type specific role and mechanisms triggered by JNK in liver parenchymal cells during CCA remains largely unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the relevance of JNK function in hepatocytes in experimental carcinogenesis. JNK signaling in hepatocytes was inhibited by crossing AlbCre-JNK1LoxP/LoxP mice with JNK2-deficient mice to generate Jnk1LoxP/LoxP/Jnk2−/− (JNKΔhepa) mice. JNKΔhepa mice were further interbred with hepatocyte-specific Nemo-knockout mice (NEMOΔhepa), a model of chronic liver inflammation and spontaneous hepatocarcinogenesis, to generate NEMO/JNKΔhepa mice. The impact of JNK deletion on liver damage, cell death, compensatory proliferation, fibrogenesis, and tumor development in NEMOΔhepa mice was determined. Moreover, regulation of essential genes was assessed by RT-PCR, immunoblottings and immunostains. Additionally, JNK2 inhibition, specifically in hepatocytes of NEMOΔhepa/JNK1Δhepa mice, was performed using siRNA (siJnk2) nanodelivery. Finally, active signaling pathways were blocked using specific inhibitors. Compound deletion of JNK1 and JNK2 in hepatocytes diminished hepatocarcinogenesis in both the DEN model of hepatocarcinogenesis and in NEMOΔhepa mice, but, in contrast, caused massive proliferation of the biliary ducts. Indeed, JNK deficiency in hepatocytes of NEMOΔhepa (NEMOΔhepa/JNKΔhepa) animals caused elevated fibrosis, increased apoptosis, increased compensatory proliferation, and elevated inflammatory cytokines expression, but reduced hepatocarcinogenesis. Furthermore, siJnk2 treatment in NEMOΔhepa/JNK1Δhepa mice recapitulated the phenotype of NEMOΔhepa/JNKΔhepa mice. Next, we sought to investigate the impact of molecular pathways in response to compound JNK deficiency in NEMOΔhepa mice. We found that NEMOΔhepa/JNKΔhepa livers exhibited overexpression of the IL-6/Stat3 pathway in addition to EGFR-Raf-MEK-ERK cascade. The functional relevance was tested by administering lapatinib - a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of ErbB2 and EGFR signaling - to NEMOΔhepa/JNKΔhepa mice. Lapatinib effectively inhibited cystogenesis, improved transaminases and effectively blocked EGFR-Raf-MEK-ERK signaling. Our study defines a novel function of JNK in cell fate as well as hepatocarcinogenesis and opens new therapeutic avenues devised to inhibit pathways of cholangiocarcinogenesis.
2020-06-08 | GSE140498 | GEO
Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS: c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1 and JNK2 are expressed in hepatocytes and have overlapping and distinct functions. JNK proteins are activated, via phosphorylation, in response to acetaminophen- or CCl4-induced liver damage; the level of activation correlates with the degree of injury. SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, has been reported to block acetaminophen-induced liver injury. We investigated the role of JNK in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in liver tissues from patients and in mice with genetic deletion of JNK in hepatocytes. METHODS: We studied liver sections from patients with DILI (due to acetaminophen, phenprocoumon, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or autoimmune hepatitis), or patients without acute liver failure (controls), collected from a DILI Biobank in Germany. Levels of total and activated (phosphorylated) JNK were measured by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Mice with hepatocyte-specific deletion of Jnk1 (Jnk1Îhepa) or combination of Jnk1 and Jnk2 (JnkÎhepa), as well as Jnk1-floxed C57BL/6 (control) mice, were given injections of CCl4 (to induce fibrosis) or acetaminophen (to induce toxic liver injury). We performed gene expression microarray, and phosphoproteomic analyses to determine mechanisms of JNK activity in hepatocytes. RESULTS: Liver samples from DILI patients contained more activated JNK, predominantly in nuclei of hepatocytes and in immune cells, than healthy tissue. Administration of acetaminophen to JnkÎhepa mice produced a greater level of liver injury than that observed in Jnk1Îhepa or control mice, based on levels of serum markers and microscopic and histologic analysis of liver tissues. Administration of CCl4 also induced stronger hepatic injury in JnkÎhepa mice, based on increased inflammation, cell proliferation, and fibrosis progression, compared to Jnk1Îhepa or control mice. Hepatocytes from JnkÎhepa mice given acetaminophen had an increased oxidative stress response, leading to decreased activation of AMPK, total protein AMPK levels, and pJunD and subsequent necrosis. Administration of SP600125 before or with acetaminophen protected JnkÎhepa and control mice from liver injury. CONCLUSIONS: In hepatocytes, JNK1 and JNK2 appear to have combined effects in protecting mice from CCl4- and acetaminophen-induced liver injury. It is important to study the tissue-specific functions of both proteins, rather than just JNK1, in the onset of toxic liver injury. JNK inhibition with SP600125 shows off-target effects. Livers and primary hepatocytes were isolated from wild type and JNKÎhepa (Jnk1Îhepa/global Jnk2-/-) double-knockout mice and subjected to gene expression profiling.
2016-01-04 | E-GEOD-59602 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Death receptor-mediated hepatocyte apoptosis is implicated in a wide range of liver diseases including viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, ischemia/reperfusion injury, fulminant hepatic failure, cholestatic liver injury and cancer. Deletion of NF-ĸB essential modulator in hepatocytes (NemoΔhepa) causes the spontaneous development of hepatocellular carcinoma preceded by steatohepatitis in mice and thus serves as an excellent model for the progression from chronic hepatitis to liver cancer. In the present study we aimed to dissect the death-receptor mediated pathways that contribute to liver injury in NemoΔhepa mice. Therefore, we generated NemoΔhepa/TRAIL-/- and NemoΔhepa/TNFR1-/- animals and analyzed the progression of liver injury. NemoΔhepa/TRAIL-/- displayed a similar phenotype to NemoΔhepa mice characteristic of high apoptosis, infiltration of immune cells, hepatocyte proliferation and steatohepatitis. These pathophysiological features were significantly ameliorated in NemoΔhepa/TNFR1-/- livers. Hepatocyte apoptosis was increased in NemoΔhepa and NemoΔhepa/TRAIL-/- mice while NemoΔhepa/TNFR1-/- animals showed reduced cell death concomitant with a strong reduction in pJNK levels. Cell cycle parameters were significantly less activated in NemoΔhepa/TNFR1-/- livers. Additionally, markers of liver fibrosis and indicators of tumour progression were significantly decreased in these animals. The present data demonstrate that the death receptor TNFR1 but not TRAIL is important in determining progression of liver injury in hepatocyte-specific Nemo knockout mice. Expression profiling of livers from wild type, NEMO, NEMO-TRIAL, and NEMO-TNFR null mice
2014-09-03 | E-GEOD-33161 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS: c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1 and JNK2 are expressed in hepatocytes and have overlapping and distinct functions. JNK proteins are activated, via phosphorylation, in response to acetaminophen- or CCl4-induced liver damage; the level of activation correlates with the degree of injury. SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, has been reported to block acetaminophen-induced liver injury. We investigated the role of JNK in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in liver tissues from patients and in mice with genetic deletion of JNK in hepatocytes. METHODS: We studied liver sections from patients with DILI (due to acetaminophen, phenprocoumon, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or autoimmune hepatitis), or patients without acute liver failure (controls), collected from a DILI Biobank in Germany. Levels of total and activated (phosphorylated) JNK were measured by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Mice with hepatocyte-specific deletion of Jnk1 (Jnk1Δhepa) or combination of Jnk1 and Jnk2 (JnkΔhepa), as well as Jnk1-floxed C57BL/6 (control) mice, were given injections of CCl4 (to induce fibrosis) or acetaminophen (to induce toxic liver injury). We performed gene expression microarray, and phosphoproteomic analyses to determine mechanisms of JNK activity in hepatocytes. RESULTS: Liver samples from DILI patients contained more activated JNK, predominantly in nuclei of hepatocytes and in immune cells, than healthy tissue. Administration of acetaminophen to JnkΔhepa mice produced a greater level of liver injury than that observed in Jnk1Δhepa or control mice, based on levels of serum markers and microscopic and histologic analysis of liver tissues. Administration of CCl4 also induced stronger hepatic injury in JnkΔhepa mice, based on increased inflammation, cell proliferation, and fibrosis progression, compared to Jnk1Δhepa or control mice. Hepatocytes from JnkΔhepa mice given acetaminophen had an increased oxidative stress response, leading to decreased activation of AMPK, total protein AMPK levels, and pJunD and subsequent necrosis. Administration of SP600125 before or with acetaminophen protected JnkΔhepa and control mice from liver injury. CONCLUSIONS: In hepatocytes, JNK1 and JNK2 appear to have combined effects in protecting mice from CCl4- and acetaminophen-induced liver injury. It is important to study the tissue-specific functions of both proteins, rather than just JNK1, in the onset of toxic liver injury. JNK inhibition with SP600125 shows off-target effects.
2016-01-04 | GSE59602 | GEO
Project description:Death receptor-mediated hepatocyte apoptosis is implicated in a wide range of liver diseases including viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, ischemia/reperfusion injury, fulminant hepatic failure, cholestatic liver injury and cancer. Deletion of NF-ĸB essential modulator in hepatocytes (NemoΔhepa) causes the spontaneous development of hepatocellular carcinoma preceded by steatohepatitis in mice and thus serves as an excellent model for the progression from chronic hepatitis to liver cancer. In the present study we aimed to dissect the death-receptor mediated pathways that contribute to liver injury in NemoΔhepa mice. Therefore, we generated NemoΔhepa/TRAIL-/- and NemoΔhepa/TNFR1-/- animals and analyzed the progression of liver injury. NemoΔhepa/TRAIL-/- displayed a similar phenotype to NemoΔhepa mice characteristic of high apoptosis, infiltration of immune cells, hepatocyte proliferation and steatohepatitis. These pathophysiological features were significantly ameliorated in NemoΔhepa/TNFR1-/- livers. Hepatocyte apoptosis was increased in NemoΔhepa and NemoΔhepa/TRAIL-/- mice while NemoΔhepa/TNFR1-/- animals showed reduced cell death concomitant with a strong reduction in pJNK levels. Cell cycle parameters were significantly less activated in NemoΔhepa/TNFR1-/- livers. Additionally, markers of liver fibrosis and indicators of tumour progression were significantly decreased in these animals. The present data demonstrate that the death receptor TNFR1 but not TRAIL is important in determining progression of liver injury in hepatocyte-specific Nemo knockout mice.
2014-09-03 | GSE33161 | GEO
Project description:Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic cell death characterized by the generation of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. However, it remains largely unknown whether signaling pathways, such as the ROS-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, affect ferroptosis. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), a MAPK signaling molecule that plays an essential role in apoptosis, is activated in response to various stimuli, including oxidative stress. In this study, we examined the functional role of JNK in cell death induced by imidazole ketone erastin (IKE), a potent ferroptosis inducer, using gene knockout technology. We found that JNK1/2 double-knockout cells, but not JNK1 or JNK2 single-knockout cells, were much more tolerant to IKE-induced cell death compared to control cells. We further demonstrated that IKE-induced increase in CTH and HMOX1, key genes in ferroptosis, in control cells was substantially suppressed by the depletion of JNK1 and JNK2. These results suggested that JNK1 and JNK2 play an important, overlapping role in ferroptosis. Our findings advance our understanding of the JNK pathway, which could contribute to future pharmacological developments in ferroptosis-related diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.
2023-06-19 | GSE234894 | GEO
Project description:Analysis of JNK-dependent fibroblast-derived soluble factors at gene expression level. The hypothesis tested in the present study was that loss of c-Jun N-terminal kinases 1 and 2, JNK1 and JNK2, in MEFs causes a strong alteration of the gene expression program coding for soluble factors, which promote an efficient keratinocyte differentiation. Results provide important information of the repertoire of fibroblast transcripts encoding secreted proteins, which is severely disarranged upon loss of JNK activity under the in vitro co-culture conditions applied. In vitro transwell co-culture experiments were performed using jnk1-/-jnk2-/- or wildtype immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and differentiating primary normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) over a time course of 6 days. Every second day, fibroblast-loaded inserts were changed resulting in 3 triads (triads 1, 2, and 3). Total RNA was obtained from jnk1-/-jnk2-/- and wildtype immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) prior to co-cultivation (day 0) and of each triad 1, 2, or 3.
2013-11-26 | E-GEOD-48612 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Background & Aims: Inflammation in chronic liver diseases induces oxidative stress and thus may contribute to progression of liver injury, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. The KEAP1/NRF2 axis is a major regulator of cellular redox balance. In the present study, we investigated whether the KEAP1/NRF2 system is involved in liver disease progression in human and mice. Methods: The clinical relevance of oxidative stress was investigated in a well-characterized cohort of NAFLD patients (n=63) by liver RNA sequencing and correlated with histological and clinical parameters. For functional analysis hepatocyte-specific NEMO knock-out (NEMO∆hepa) mice were crossed with hepatocyte-specific KEAP1 knock-out (KEAP1∆hepa) mice. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis of human liver sections showed increased oxidative stress and high NRF2 expression in patients with chronic liver disease. RNA sequencing of liver samples in a human pediatric NAFLD cohort revealed a significant increase of NRF2 activation correlating with the grade of inflammation, but not with the grade of steatosis, which could be confirmed in a second adult NASH cohort. In mice, microarray analysis revealed that KEAP1 deletion induces NRF2 target genes involved in glutathione metabolism and xenobiotic stress (e.g., Nqo1). Furthermore, deficiency of one of the most important antioxidants, glutathione (GSH), in NEMO∆hepa livers was rescued after deleting KEAP1. As a consequence, NEMO∆hepa/KEAP1∆hepa livers showed reduced apoptosis compared to NEMO∆hepa livers as well as a dramatic downregulation of genes involved in cell cycle regulation and DNA replication. Consequently, NEMO∆hepa/KEAP1∆hepa compared to NEMOΔhepa livers displayed decreased fibrogenesis, lower tumor incidence, reduced tumor number, and decreased tumor size. Conclusions: NRF2 activation in NASH patients correlates with the grade of inflammation, but not steatosis. Functional analysis in mice demonstrated that NRF2 activation in chronic liver disease is protective by ameliorating fibrogenesis, initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
2021-05-26 | GSE156838 | GEO
Project description:Hepatic fibrosis is a wound-healing response to chronic liver injury, which may result in cirrhosis and liver failure. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase-1 (JNK1) gene has been shown to be involved in liver fibrosis. Here, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism and identify the cell-type involved in mediating the JNK1-dependent effect on liver fibrogenesis Wild-type (WT), JNK1−/− and JNK1Δhepa (hepatocyte-specific deletion of JNK1) mice were subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL). Additionally, we performed bone marrow transplantations (BMT), isolated primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and studied their activation in vitro. Serum markers of liver damage (liver transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin) and liver histology revealed reduced injury in JNK1−/− compared to WT and JNK1Δhepa mice. Hepatocyte cell death and proliferation was reduced in JNK1−/− compared to WT and JNK1Δhepa. Parameters of liver fibrosis such as Sirius Red staining as well as Collagen IA1 and αSMA expression were down-regulated in JNK1−/− compared to WT and JNK1Δhepa livers, 4 weeks after BDL. To delineate the essential cell-type, we performed BMT of WT and JNK1-/- into JNK1-/- and WT mice, respectively. BMT experiments excluded bone marrow derived cells from having a major impact on the JNK1-dependent effect on fibrogenesis. Hence, we investigated primary HSCs from JNK1−/− livers showing reduced transdifferentiation compared with WT and JNK1Δhepa-derived HSCs. We conclude that JNK1 in HSCs plays a crucial role in hepatic fibrogenesis and thus represents a promising target for cell-directed treatment options for liver fibrosis. Control (JNK1f/f), JNK1 null (JNK1-/-) and hepatocyte-specific JNK1 null (JNK1Δhepa) mice were subjected to control, acute and chronic injury, i.e. sham or bile-duct ligation for 48h or 28 days resp., whereafter gene expression profiles were determined.
2013-11-27 | E-GEOD-40041 | biostudies-arrayexpress