The decrease in SAMe levels was associated with lower MATII activ

The decrease in SAMe levels was associated with lower MATII activity during activation. MAT2A silencing in primary HSCs and MAT2A or MAT2β silencing in the human stellate cell line LX-2 resulted in decreased collagen and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression and cell growth and increased apoptosis. MAT2A knockdown decreased intracellular SAMe levels in LX-2 cells. Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase signaling in LX-2 cells required the expression of MAT2β but not that of MAT2A. Conclusion: MAT2A and MAT2β genes are

induced during HSC activation and are essential for this process. selleck products The SAMe level falls, resulting in global DNA hypomethylation. (HEPATOLOGY 2010.) The hepatic stellate cell (HSC) is now well established as the key cellular element involved in the development of hepatic fibrosis. Because of its importance in the fibrotic process, there is considerable interest in establishing the molecular events that trigger and perpetuate HSC activation. Development of liver fibrosis entails major alterations in the quantity Selleck Pictilisib and quality of hepatic extracellular matrix (ECM) and there is overwhelming evidence that activated HSCs are the major producers of the fibrotic neomatrix.1 In normal liver, HSCs are the major storage sites of vitamin

A, stored in the cytoplasm as retinyl esters. Following chronic liver injury, HSCs proliferate, lose their vitamin A, and undergo a major phenotypical transformation to α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-positive activated HSCs, which produce a wide variety of collagenous and noncollagenous ECM proteins.1 The profibrogenic potential of activated HSCs is due to their capacity to synthesize fibrotic matrix proteins and components that inhibit

fibrosis degradation. Among the large number of factors identified as activators of matrix production are transforming growth factor-β,2 connective tissue growth factor,3 leptin,4 and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF).5 Activation of HSCs is mediated by various cytokines and reactive oxygen species released from damaged hepatocytes and activated Kupffer cells.6 Hence, inhibition of HSC activation and its related 上海皓元 events such as ECM formation and cellular proliferation are important targets for therapeutic intervention. Quiescent primary HSCs undergo spontaneous activation when plated on uncoated plastic and attain a myofibroblast-like phenotype with loss of vitamin A and increased expression of α-SMA and collagen.7, 8In vivo activated HSCs can be obtained from livers of animals undergoing experimentally induced biliary fibrosis resulting from bile duct ligation (BDL).9 In this animal model the number of activated HSCs increase during liver injury.10 The BDL model has been used extensively to study the pathogenesis of liver injury, HSC activation, and to test the efficiency of potential antifibrotic drugs.

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