Nrf2 deficiency causes hepatocyte dedifferentiation and reduced albumin production in an experimental extrahepatic cholestasis model

• Published in: PloS one 2022-06, Vol.17 (6), p.e0269383-e0269383
• Main Authors: Wang, Guo-Ying, Garcia, Veronica, Lee, Joonyong, Yanum, Jennifer, Lin, Jingmei, Jiang, Huaizhou, Dai, Guoli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Albumin; Albumins; Albumins - metabolism; Animals; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Bile ducts; Bile Ducts - pathology; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain tumors; Cell Differentiation; Cholestasis; Cholestasis - metabolism; Cholestasis, Extrahepatic - pathology; Cybernetics; DMBT1 protein; Epigenetics; Gallbladder diseases; Genotype & phenotype; Health aspects; Hepatocytes; Hepatocytes - metabolism; Homeostasis; Laboratory animals; Ligation; Liver; Liver - metabolism; Liver diseases; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 - metabolism; Oxidative stress; Phenotypes; Research and Analysis Methods; Rodents; Statistical analysis; Tumor necrosis factor; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269383

The transcription factor Nrf2 modulates the initiation and progression of a number of diseases including liver disorders. We evaluated whether Nrf2 mediates hepatic adaptive responses to cholestasis. Wild-type and Nrf2-null mice were subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL) or a sham operation. As cholestasis progressed to day 15 post-BDL, hepatocytes in the wild-type mice exhibited a tendency to dedifferentiate, indicated by the very weak expression of hepatic progenitor markers: CD133 and tumor necrosis factor-like weak induced apoptosis receptor (Fn14). During the same period, Nrf2 deficiency augmented this tendency, manifested by higher CD133 expression, earlier, stronger, and continuous induction of Fn14 expression, and markedly reduced albumin production. Remarkably, as cholestasis advanced to the late stage (40 days after BDL), hepatocytes in the wild-type mice exhibited a Fn14+ phenotype and strikingly upregulated the expression of deleted in malignant brain tumor 1 (DMBT1), a protein essential for epithelial differentiation during development. In contrast, at this stage, hepatocytes in the Nrf2-null mice entirely inhibited the upregulation of DMBT1 expression, displayed a strong CD133+/Fn14+ phenotype indicative of severe dedifferentiation, and persistently reduced albumin production. We revealed that Nrf2 maintains hepatocytes in the differentiated state potentially via the increased activity of the Nrf2/DMBT1 pathway during cholestasis.