Extracellular histones stimulate collagen expression in vitro and promote liver fibrogenesis in a mouse model via the TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND Liver fibrosis progressing to liver cirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma is very common and causes more than one million deaths annually.Fibrosis develops from recurrent liver injury but the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood.Recently,the TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway has been reported to contribute to fibrosis.Extracellular histones are ligands of TLR4 but their roles in liver fibrosis have not been investigated.AIM To investigate the roles and potential mechanisms of extracellular histones in liver fibrosis.METHODS In vitro,LX2 human hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)were treated with histones in the presence or absence of non-anticoagulant heparin(NAHP)for neutralizing histones or TLR4-blocking antibody.The resultant cellular expression of collagen I was detected using western blotting and immunofluorescent staining.In vivo,the CCl4-induced liver fibrosis model was generated in male 6-week-old ICR mice and in TLR4 or MyD88 knockout and parental mice.Circulating histones were detected and the effect of NAHP was evaluated.RESULTS Extracellular histones strongly stimulated LX2 cells to produce collagen I.Histone-enhanced collagen expression was significantly reduced by NAHP and TLR4-blocking antibody.In CCl4-treated wild type mice,circulating histones were dramatically increased and maintained high levels during the duration of fibrosisinduction.Injection of NAHP not only reduced alanine aminotransferase and liver injury scores,but also significantly reduced fibrogenesis.Since the TLR4-blocking antibody reduced histone-enhanced collagen I production in HSC,the CCl4 model with TLR4 and MyD88 knockout mice was used to demonstrate the roles of the TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis.The levels of liver fibrosis were indeed significantly reduced in knockout mice compared to wild type parental mice.CONCLUSION Extracellular histones potentially enhance fibrogenesis via the TLR4–MyD88 signaling pathway and NAHP has therapeutic potential by detoxifying extracellular histones.

抗乙肝病毒药物市场分析

乙型肝炎(乙肝)病毒(hepatitis B virus,HBV)是引起病毒性乙肝的主要病原体,依然是影响人类健康的全球性问题。干扰素和核苷(酸)类似物是国内外获批上市的主要抗乙肝病毒药物。替诺福韦和恩替卡韦在国外抗乙肝病毒药物市场上占据巨大的份额,而早期推出的拉米夫定和阿德福韦酯因其耐受性和安全性等原因所占市场份额逐年减少。国外有39种抗乙肝病毒新药正处于临床阶段。国内临床上使用更多的是口服核苷(酸)类似药物,尤其是恩替卡韦近年来占近一半抗乙肝药物市场。抗乙肝病毒药物城市零售前10的企业市场份额占整个零售的91. 8%,市场集中度较高。虽然国内乙肝新药研发水平与欧美还存在较大差距,但是在国内创新政策推动下,出现了东阳光、正大天晴等20余家从事研发企业,并取得一定的成效。基于我国抗乙肝病毒药物发展困境,提出了继续完善抗乙肝病毒药物医保政策、部署和实施乙型肝炎重大专项等研发项目、推进产学研用深度融合等对策建议。