Role of the receptor for advanced glycation end products in hepatic fibrosis

AIM:To study the role of advanced glycation end products(AGE)and their specifi c receptor(RAGE)in the pathogenesis of liver fi brogenesis.METHODS:In vitro RAGE expression and extracellular matrix-related gene expression in both rat and human hepatic stellate cells(HSC)were measured after stimulation with the two RAGE ligands,advanced glycation end product-bovine serum albumin(AGE-BSA)and Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine(CML)-BSA,or with tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α).In vivo RAGE expression was examined in models of hepatic fi brosis induced by bile duct ligation or thioacetamide.The effects of AGE-BSA and CML-BSA on HSC proliferation,signal transduction and profi brogenic gene expression were studied in vitro.RESULTS:In hepatic fibrosis,RAGE expression was enhanced in activated HSC,and also in endothelial cells,inflammatory cells and activated bile duct epithelia.HSC expressed RAGE which was upregulated after stimulation with AGE-BSA,CML-BSA,and TNF-α.RAGE stimulation with AGE-BSA and CML-BSA did not alter HSC proliferation,apoptosis,fibrogenic signal transduction and fibrosis-or fibrolysis-related gene expression,except for marginal upregulation of procollagen α1(Ⅰ)mRNA by AGE-BSA.CONCLUSION:Despite upregulation of RAGE in activated HSC,RAGE stimulation by AGE does not alter their fibrogenic activation.Therefore,RAGE does not contribute directly to hepatic fibrogenesis.

Regulation of dipeptidyl peptidase 8 and 9 expression in activated lymphocytes and injured liver

AIM:To investigate the expression of dipeptidyl peptidase(DPP) 8 and DPP9 in lymphocytes and various models of liver fibrosis.METHODS:DPP8 and DPP9 expression were measured in mouse splenic CD4 + T-cells,CD8 + T-cells and B-cells(B220 +),human lymphoma cell lines and mouse splenocytes stimulated with pokeweed mitogen(PWM) or lipopolysaccharide(LPS),and in dithiothreitol(DTT) and mitomycin-C treated Raji cells.DPP8 and DPP9 expression were measured in epidermal growth factor(EGF) treated Huh7 hepatoma cells,in fibrotic liver samples from mice treated with carbon tetrachloride(CCl 4) and from multidrug resistance gene 2(Mdr2 /Abcb4) gene knockout(gko) mice with biliary fibrosis,and in human end stage primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC).RESULTS:All three lymphocyte subsets expressed DPP8 and DPP9 mRNA.DPP8 and DPP9 expression were upregulated in both PWM and LPS stimulated mouse splenocytes and in both Jurkat T-and Raji B-cell lines.DPP8 and DPP9 were downregulated in DTT treated and upregulated in mitomycin-C treated Raji cells.DPP9transfected Raji cells exhibited more annexin V + cells and associated apoptosis.DPP8 and DPP9 mRNA were upregulated in CCl 4 induced fibrotic livers but not in the lymphocytes isolated from such livers,while DPP9 was upregulated in EGF stimulated Huh7 cells.In contrast,intrahepatic DPP8 and DPP9 mRNA expression levels were low in the Mdr2 gko mouse and in human PBC compared to non-diseased livers.CONCLUSION:These expression patterns point to biological roles for DPP8 and DPP9 in lymphocyte activation and apoptosis and in hepatocytes during liver disease pathogenesis.

Daily high-dose aspirin does not lower APRI in the Aspirin-Myocardial Infarction Study

Antiplatelet agents reduce liver fibrosis by inhibiting platelet activation and platelet-derived growth factor production. Previous cross-sectional epidemiological studies suggest that the use of aspirin is related to reduced liver fibrosis. The Aspirin-Myocardial Infarction Study(AMIS) aims to examine this relationship in a multicenter,randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. The existing clinical trial of aspirin was conducted to study the benefit of one gram aspirin daily among 4 524 individuals who had experienced at least one documented myocardial infarction. The aspartate aminotransferase(AST)-to-Platelet Ratio Index(APRI) was calculated at baseline and annually from the platelet count and AST levels. Participants in the AMIS trial had a mean baseline APRI of 0.34±0.36, and only 1% individuals had APRI scores higher than 1.0, a common cutoff for cirrhosis. The daily use of aspirin was associated with an increase, rather than a reduction of APRI, by 0.007 per year(95% CI0.002-0.015, P=0.12). The use of aspirin did not significantly affect platelet counts. In a sensitivity analysis of individuals with probable significant fibrosis at baseline(APRI≥0.7), the aspirin group had a sustained reduction in APRI over time, although this change was not significant compared to that in the placebo group. In the AMIS trial, the daily use of high-dose aspirin did not significantly affect APRI, a surrogate index of liver fibrosis. This study highlights the need for de novo clinical trials to investigate the potential benefit of antiplatelet agents on liver fibrosis.

Degenerations of Jordan Algebras and“Marginal”Algebras

We describe all degenerations of the variety ■3 of Jordan algebras of dimension three over C.In particular,we describe all irreducible components in ■3.For every n we define an n-dimensional rigid“marginal”Jordan algebra of level one.Moreover,we discuss marginal algebras in associative,alternative,left alternative,non-commutative Jordan,Leibniz and anticommutative cases.