Aim: To investigate whether Notch signaling is involved in liver fibrosis by regulating the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).
Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Notch3 in fibrotic liver tissues of patients with chronic active hepatitis. The expression of Notch3 in HSC-T6 cells treated or not with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. The expression of Notch3 and myofibroblastic marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I in HSC-T6 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1-N3ICD or control vector were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Moreover, effects of Notch3 knockdown in HSC-T6 by Notch3 siRNA were investigated by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining.
Results: The expression of Notch3 was significantly up-regulated in fibrotic liver tissues of patients with chronic active hepatitis, but not detected in normal liver tissues. Active Notch signaling was found in HSC-T6 cells. TGF-β1 treatment led to up-regulation of Notch3 expression in HSC-T6 cells, and over-expression of Notch3 increased the expression of α-SMA and collagen I in HSC-T6 without TGF-β1 treatment. Interestingly, transient knockdown of Notch3 decreased the expression of myofibroblastic marker and antagonized TGF-β1-induced expression of α-SMA and collagen I in HSC-T6.
Conclusion: Notch3 may regulate the activation of HSCs, and the selective interruption of Notch3 may provide an anti-fibrotic strategy in hepatic fibrosis.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3319968 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v18.i12.1397 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
Neuroscience and Ophthalmology, Department of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a significant cause of lifelong disability, with no available disease-modifying treatments to promote neuroprotection and axon regeneration after injury. Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a promising therapy which has proven effective at restoring lost function after SCI in pre-clinical models. However, the precise mechanism of action is yet to be determined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCNS Neurosci Ther
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Mental and Neurological Disease Research Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of glymphatic function of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy, subcortical infarcts, and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), the most common monogenic small vessel disease caused by NOTCH3 mutation, and to explore potential therapeutic strategies to improve glymphatic function.
Methods: We assessed glymphatic influx and efflux function in CADASIL mouse models (Notch3) and correlated these findings with brain atrophy in CADASIL patients. We also investigated the underlying mechanisms of glymphatic impairment, focusing the expression of AQP4 in astrocytic endfeet.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
January 2025
Graduate School of Engineering, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Chemistry and Life Science, School of Advanced Engineering, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address:
Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, involves endothelial cell proliferation and migration, accompanied by the remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Type IV collagen, a major ECM component, plays a critical role in vascular basement membrane regeneration, influencing cell polarity, migration, and survival. This study examines the regulatory role of Notch signaling, mediated by Notch3, in type IV collagen expression using TIG-1 fibroblasts and a co-culture angiogenesis model with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Neuropathol
January 2025
Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund Brain Injury Laboratory for Neurosurgical Research, Lund University, 222 20, Lund, Sweden.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often leads to impaired regulation of cerebral blood flow, which may be caused by pathological changes of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the arterial wall. Moreover, these cerebrovascular changes may contribute to the development of various neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's-like pathologies that include amyloid beta aggregation. Despite its importance, the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for VSMC dysfunction after TBI have rarely been evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Appl Toxicol
January 2025
Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Cadmium (Cd) is a widely available metal that has been found to have a role in causing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the detailed toxicological targets and mechanisms by which Cd causes NAFLD are unknown. Therefore, the present work aims to reveal the main targets of action, cellular processes, and molecular pathways by which cadmium causes NAFLD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!