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The m6A reader insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) is involved in multiple pathophysiological processes through enhanced expression of the proteins encoded by their target mRNAs. However, the functional role of IGF2BP1-mediated m6A in liver fibrosis remains elusive. Here, we report that IGF2BP1 is highly expressed in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the major driver of fibrogenesis, and TUBB4B is identified as a potential target of IGF2BP1 by re-analysis of the RNA-seq, RIP-seq, and m6A-seq data. The relevant findings were subsequently demonstrated by a series of molecular and cellular evidences. The knockdown of IGF2BP1 or TUBB4B and pharmacological inhibition of TUBB4B by mebendazole treatments significantly suppress the proliferation, migration, and activation of HSCs. Mechanistically, IGF2BP1 upregulates TUBB4B expression through stabilizing TUBB4B in an m6A-dependent manner, and TUBB4B induces liver fibrosis by activating the FAK signaling pathway. Collectively, our results indicate that targeting IGF2BP1/TUBB4B/FAK axis in HSCs could be a promising therapeutic approach for liver fibrosis., (© 2024 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is closely associated with liver fibrosis. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and cancer-associated myofibroblasts are key players in liver fibrogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis. Overexpression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors contributes to HCC development and progression. This study aimed to elucidate the role of FGFs in the HSC-HCC crosstalk. Analysis of the expression of the fifteen paracrine FGF-members revealed that FGF9 was only expressed by HSC but not by HCC cells. Also in human HCC tissues, HSC/stromal myofibroblasts were identified as cellular source of FGF9. High expression levels of FGF9 significantly correlated with poor patient survival. Stimulation with recombinant FGF9 induced ERK- and JNK-activation combined with significantly enhanced proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration of HCC cells. Moreover, FGF9 significantly reduced the sensitivity of HCC cells against sorafenib. Protumorigenic effects of FGF9 on HCC cells were almost completely abrogated by the FGFR1/2/3 inhibitor BGJ398, while the selective FGFR4 inhibitor BLU9931 had no significant effect. In conclusion, these data indicate that stroma-derived FGF9 promotes tumorigenicity and sorafenib resistance of HCC cells and FGF9 overexpression correlates with poor prognosis in HCC patients. Herewith, FGF9 appears as potential prognostic marker and novel therapeutic target in HCC.

This investigation explored the hepatoprotective capabilities of Bruceine A (BA) and its underlying mechanisms in mitigating hepatic fibrosis. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and mouse primary hepatocytes were treated with TGF-β and subsequently exposed to BA. To assess the effects of BA on the NR2F2-HMGB1 signaling cascade, these cells underwent transfection with a siRNA vector targeting NR2F2. The interaction between NR2F2 and the HMGB1 promoter was elucidated using a dual luciferase assay. In vivo, C57BL/6 mice were treated with thioacetamide (TAA) to induce liver damage, followed by administration of BA. The study found that BA moderated extracellular matrix (ECM) buildup, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and inflammatory mediator levels, while concurrently reducing NR2F2 and HMGB1 expression in activated HSCs. Furthermore, BA lessened pyroptosis in hepatocytes, curtailing the inflammatory response. The absence of NR2F2 in HSCs or hepatocytes hindered BA's inhibitory effect on this pathway. It was demonstrated that NR2F2 binds directly to the HMGB1 promoter. Treatment with BA resulted in diminished serum levels of ALT and AST, mitigated damage in hepatic tissues, and decreased the ECM and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), thus protecting hepatocytes from fibrosis. Furthermore, BA suppressed the synthesis of inflammatory mediators such as NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β by blocking the NR2F2-driven HMGB1 pathway, markedly reversing hepatic fibrosis. These observations highlight the efficacy of BA as a viable therapeutic candidate for hepatic fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Liver fibrosis may lead to cirrhosis and even cancer without effective clinical medicine available. Previous studies demonstrated that galactan-containing pectins or pectin-like polysaccharides might target Galectin-3 (Gal-3) to impede fibrosis. This research aims to discover novel pectin-like galactan to interfere with fibrosis for potential new drug development. Thus, we purify a novel homogeneous Rhamnogalacturonan-I like polysaccharide with galactan input, XHH2, from the Crocus sativus flower. XHH2 (MW: 35.7 kDa) consists of rhamnose, galacturonic acid, galactose, and arabinose in ratios of 6.6: 6.1: 25.2: 12.1. The backbone of XHH2 comprises 1, 3, 6-Gal and 1, 3, 4-GalA, with branches at O-3 of 1, 3, 6-Gal and O-4 of 1, 3, 4-GalA. O-3 branches include 1, 3-Gal, 1, 4-Gal, 1, 6-Gal, T-Gal, and T-Glc, while O-4 branches consist of 1, 2, 4-Rha, 1, 4-GalA, 1, 5-Ara, T-Ara, T-Gal, and T-α-HexA. Surface plasmon resonance measurement shows that XHH2 binds to both Gal-3 and integrin β1 to block Gal-3/integrin β1 interaction. Mechanism studies further suggest that XHH2 inactivates hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) via disturbing the Gal-3/Integrin-β1/FAK pathway to alleviate liver injury and fibrosis in vitro & in vivo. XHH2 shows a favorable drug safety in the acute toxicity test of oral administration of XHH2 in mice. Overall, XHH2 is an active ingredient against liver fibrosis by targeting the interaction between Gal-3 and Integrin-β1., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Multiple studies have shown that hepatic fibrosis, a progressive condition that represents the endpoint of various chronic liver diseases, is primarily marked by the extensive activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). However, the exact impact of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) on HSCs during the development of hepatic fibrosis remains unclear., Methods: In our study, we measured CFTR levels in tissue samples and in HSCs activated by TGF-β stimulation. We established mouse models of liver fibrosis using carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) and bile duct ligation (BDL). In vitro, we investigated the specific mechanisms of CFTR action in HSCs by exploring aggrephagy. We employed co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) experiments to identify potential downstream targets of CFTR. Finally, through rescue experiments, we examined the impact of GTPase-activating protein - binding protein 1 (G3BP1) on CFTR-mediated activation of hepatic stellate cells., Result: In activated HSCs induced by TGF-β, the reduction of CFTR, various liver fibrosis models, and fibrotic tissue samples were identified. In vitro functional experiments confirmed that CFTR promoted the expression of fibrosis-related markers and aggrephagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, we found that CFTR directly interacts with G3BP1, thereby further promoting the TGF-β/Smad2/3 pathway. The inhibition of G3BP1 caused by CFTR knockdown reduced extracellular matrix deposition, contributing to alleviating liver fibrosis., Conclusion: We emphasize that CFTR activates aggrephagy and promotes HSC activation and hepatic fibrosis by targeting G3BP1, participating in the TGF-β/Smad2/3 signaling pathway. Overall, CFTR has been identified as a potential therapeutic target for liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Liver fibrosis is a reversible process that can be delayed or even reversed through appropriate intervention during its development. The protein RECK, encoded by the Reck gene, regulates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and plays a crucial role in extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and remodeling. Reduced RECK expression is found in various fibrotic tissues. However, the impact of restoring RECK expression on the development and progression of liver fibrosis has not yet been determined. This study found that the restoration of RECK expression attenuated TGF-β1-induced hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and mitigated carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced acute liver injury. In a mouse model of liver fibrosis induced by CCl 4 , restoration of RECK expression reduced the degree of fibrosis, collagen deposition, and level of oxidative stress. RECK competes with Nrf2 for binding to Keap1, resulting in a decrease in the degradation of Nrf2 by Keap1 and an increase in the accumulation of Nrf2 in the cytoplasm. Under oxidative stress conditions, Nrf2 can be translocated to the nucleus for expression, initiating an antioxidant stress response, furthermore, Nrf2 can also activate MMP-9 and degrade the over-deposited collagen, thereby achieving the effect of alleviating liver fibrosis. Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which restoration of RECK expression ameliorates liver fibrosis, providing a promising target for combating liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Liver fibrosis is a sustained process of liver tissue damage and repair caused by various physiological and pathological factors, with the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells being central. Therefore, understanding and clarifying the relevant mechanisms of hepatic stellate cell activation and death is of great clinical significance for the treatment of liver fibrosis diseases., Methods: In vivo, recombinant adeno-associated virus was used to infect the liver of experimental mice, overexpressing ASIC1a, and based on this, a liver fibrosis model treated with sorafenib was constructed. In vitro, using RNA plasmid technology to transfect HSC-T6 cells, ASIC1a was overexpressed or silenced in the cells, and on this basis, PDGF-BB and Sorafenib were used to stimulate HSC-T6 cells, causing activated HSC-T6 to undergo ferroptosis., Results: The ferroptosis inducers Sorafenib and erastin can induce ferroptosis in HSCs, effectively inhibiting or reversing the progression of liver fibrosis. We found that the expression level of ASIC1a was significantly reduced in the livers of mice with liver fibrosis treated with Sorafenib. After treatment with an adeno-associated virus overexpressing ASIC1a, the therapeutic effect of Sorafenib was inhibited, and the level of ferroptosis induced by Sorafenib was also inhibited. The induction of ferroptosis in hepatic stellate cells in vitro depends on the presence of ASIC1a. By further exploring the potential mechanism, we observed that the overexpression of ASIC1a can promote an increase in YAP nuclear translocation, thereby regulating the activity of Hippo/YAP pathway signaling. After treatment with Sorafenib, the influx of Ca 2+ significantly increased when ASIC1a was overexpressed, and BAPTA-AM intervention eliminated the intracellular Ca 2+ accumulation induced by ASIC1a overexpression., Conclusions: This indicated that the activation of YAP depends on the calcium ion influx induced by ASIC1a, which regulates ferroptosis in hepatic stellate cells by regulating the calcium ion-dependent Hippo/YAP pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: There is no clear information on the regulation of liver blood flow by the autonomic nervous system. We conducted this study to investigate whether quiescent hepatic stellate cells (qHSCs) regulate liver blood flow in response to the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE)., Methods: qHSCs isolated from mice were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium without fetal bovine serum for 1 day on collagen gel. NE-induced qHSC contraction was evaluated using the quantitative single-cell contraction measurement method that we had developed previously. For the measurement of liver perfusion pressure in situ, a buffer solution was perfused from the portal vein in mice., Results: NE-induced a reversible contraction of qHSCs. This contraction was suppressed by the nonmuscle myosin II inhibitor blebbistatin, the myosin light chain kinase inhibitor ML-9, the Rho kinase inhibitor H-1152, the calmodulin inhibitor W-7, the store-operated calcium channel inhibitor YM-58483, and the IP 3 receptor inhibitor xestospongin C. In contrast, the transient receptor potential C channel inhibitor SKF96365 did not affect the NE-induced contraction., Conclusion: These results suggest that qHSCs contract in response to NE., New & Noteworthy: The present study provides direct evidence for the first time that norepinephrine (NE) induces a reversible contraction of isolated single quiescent hepatic stellate cells (qHSCs) and further suggests that the NE-mediated qHSC contraction participates in the regulation of liver blood flow in vivo., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Repetitive hepatic damage resulting from viral hepatitis, toxins, and alcohol abuse induces chronic inflammation and excessive accumulation of the extracellular matrix, leading to the development of liver cirrhosis. Substance P (SP) promotes endogenous wound healing by mobilizing bone marrow stem cells and stimulating anti-inflammatory responses. This study aimed to investigate whether SP exerts a therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis by recruiting endogenous stem cells and modulating immune responses. A non-clinical model of liver cirrhosis was established through repeated injections of thioacetamide and recombinant leptin. After confirming liver fibrosis, SP was administered intravenously for 6 weeks. SP treatment decreased the formation of hepatic micronodules on the external surface of the liver and the infiltration of immune cells. Furthermore, SP treatment notably reduced the deposition of collagen and the activation of hepatic stellate cells, concomitant with decreased levels of transforming growth factor-β1 and matrix metalloproteinase activity. In the context of severe hepatic damage, SP increased the number of circulating stem cells, leading to the restoration of the reparative stem cell pool in the bone marrow. The findings of this study suggest that SP alleviates liver fibrosis by modulating the mobilization of functional stem cells and the immune response., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Liver fibrosis is a disease with a high prevalence worldwide. The development of hepatic fibrosis results from a combination of factors within the liver, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation, collagen cross-linking, and inflammatory response. Heterogeneity in fibrotic liver is the result of a combination of heterogeneity in the intrahepatic microenvironment as well as heterogeneous expression of fibrosis-associated enzymes and cells, complicating the study of the mechanisms underlying the progression of liver fibrosis. The role of this heterogeneity on the crosstalk between cells and matrix and on the fibrotic process is worth exploring. In this paper, we will describe the phenomenon and mechanism of heterogeneity of liver matrix and intrahepatic cells in the process of hepatic fibrosis and discuss the crosstalk between heterogeneous factors on the development of fibrosis. The elucidation of heterogeneity is important for a deeper understanding of the pathological mechanisms of liver fibrosis as well as for clinical diagnosis and targeted therapies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competion Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aims to explore the regulating effect and mechanism of naringenin (NGN) on the hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) apoptosis and its preventive effects on MASH fibrosis. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to either high-fat diet (HFD) plus carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) injection (HFD + CCl 4 ) for 8 weeks to induce a MASH fibrosis model or bile duct ligation (BDL) to establish a liver fibrosis model, NGN was administered by gavage. LX2 cells were stimulated by oleic acid (OA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (OA + LPS) to study the effects of NGN on activated hepatic stellate cell (HSC). Additionally, LO2 cells stimulated with OA + LPS were used to assess the protective effects of NGN on lipotoxicity of hepatocytes. Our in vivo results showed that NGN administration effectively inhibited mouse liver fibrosis in both of the MASH model and BDL model. The in vitro results indicate that NGN directly inhibited HSCs activation and promoted apoptosis of the activated HSCs, while it suppressed the apoptosis of LO2 cells induced by OA + LPS. The underlying mechanisms were mainly elucidated through the reduction of TAK1 phosphorylation, leading to the downregulation of p-JNK and p-ERK expression. This in turn, inhibited the phosphorylation of FoxO3a and promoted the nuclear localization of FoxO3a. Consequently, this may enhance the transcription of apoptosis-related genes, resulting in the apoptosis of activated HSCs. In conclusion, NGN ameliorates MASH fibrosis by enhancing apoptosis of the activated HSCs. The inhibitory effects of NGN on the TAK1/MAPK/FoxO3a pathway were demonstrated as its preventive mechanisms against MASH fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Rong Qi reports was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are pericytes of the liver responsible for liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, which are the end stages of chronic liver diseases. TGF-β activates HSCs, leading to the differentiation of myofibroblasts in the process of liver fibrosis. While the heterogeneity of HSCs is appreciated in the fibrotic liver, it remains elusive which HSC subsets mainly contribute to fibrosis. Here, we show that the expression of the pericyte marker FoxD1 specifically marks a subset of HSCs in FoxD1-fate tracer mice. HSCs fate-mapped by FoxD1 were preferentially localized in the portal and peripheral areas of both the homeostatic and fibrotic liver induced by carbon tetrachloride. Furthermore, the deletion of Cbfβ, which is necessary for TGF-β signaling, in FoxD1-expressing cells ameliorated liver fibrosis. Thus, we identified an HSC subset that preferentially responds to liver injuries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a broad category of disorders that begin with liver injury, lead to liver fibrosis, and ultimately conclude in alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis, the most chronic and irreversible liver damage. Liver fibrosis (LF) is a common pathological characteristic observed in most chronic liver inflammatory conditions that involve prolonged inflammation. In this review, we have summarized ethanol-mediated hepatic stellate cell (HSCs) activation and its role in liver fibrosis progression. We highlight important molecular mechanisms that are modulated by ethanol, play a role in the activation of HSCs and the progression of liver fibrosis and identifying potential targets to ameliorate liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ficus hirta Vahl., a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used in the Lingnan region, has been extensively used for liver disease treatment in China. Its notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have been reported in previous studies. However, its potential effect and underlying mechanism on liver fibrosis remains unclear., Aim of Study: This study was aimed to investigate the effect and its underlying mechanism of Ficus hirta Vahl on liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo., Materials and Methods: The main components of Ficus hirta Vahl in blood were investigated by using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS. Two animal models of liver fibrosis, the CCl 4 and MCD induced mice, were used to assess the efficacy of Ficus hirta Vahl on liver fibrosis. Metabolomics was used to detect the level of metabolites in the serum of liver fibrosis mice after Ficus hirta Vahl treatment. Furthermore, the mechanism was validated in vitro using the human liver stellate cell line LX-2. The binding affinities of the active ingredients of Ficus hirta Vahl to the main targets of liver fibrosis were also determined. Finally, we identified the key active ingredients responsible for the treatment of liver fibrosis in vivo., Results: Fibrosis and inflammatory markers were significant down-regulation in both CCl 4 and MCD induced liver fibrosis mice after Ficus hirta Vahl administration in a dose-dependent manner. We found that Ficus hirta Vahl may primarily exert its effect on liver fibrosis through the glutathione metabolic pathway. Importantly, the glutathione metabolic pathway is closely associated with ferroptosis, and our subsequent in vitro experiments provided evidence supporting this association. Ficus hirta Vahl was found to modulate the GSH/GPX4 pathway, ultimately leading to the amelioration of liver fibrosis. Moreover, using serum pharmacochemistry and molecular docking, we successfully identified apigenin as a probable efficacious monomer for the management of liver fibrosis and subsequently validated its efficacy in mice with CCl 4 -induced hepatic fibrosis., Conclusion: Ficus hirta Vahl triggered the ferroptosis of hepatic stellate cell by regulating the GSH/GPX4 pathway, thereby alleviating liver fibrosis in mice. Moreover, apigenin is a key compound in Ficus hirta Vahl responsible for the effective treatment of liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study evaluated the cellular heterogeneity and molecular mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), transcriptomic data, histone lactylation-related genes were collected from public databases. Cell-cell interaction, trajectory, pathway, and spatial transcriptome analyses were executed. Differential expression and survival analyses were conducted. Western blot, Real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), and Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) assay were used to detect the expression of αSMA, AKR1B10 and its target genes, and verify the roles of AKR1B10 in HCC cells. Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) subgroups strongly interacted with tumor cell subgroups, and their spatial distribution was heterogeneous. Two candidate prognostic genes (AKR1B10 and RMRP) were obtained. LONP1, NPIPB3, and ZSWIM6 were determined as AKR1B10 targets. Besides, the expression levels of AKR1B10 and αSMA were significantly increased in LX-2 + HepG2 and LX-2 + HuH7 groups compared to those in LX-2 group, respectively. sh-AKR1B10 significantly inhibited the HCC cell proliferation and change the expression of AKR1B10 target genes, Bcl-2, Bax, Pan Kla, and H3K18la at protein levels. Our findings unveil the pivotal role of HSCs in HCC pathogenesis through regulating histone lactylation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a role in hepatic fibrosis and sphingosine kinase (SphK) is involved in biological processes. As studies on the regulatory mechanisms and functions of SphK in HSCs during liver fibrosis are currently limited, this study aimed to elucidate the regulatory mechanism and connected pathways of SphK upon HSC activation. The expression of SphK1 was higher in HSCs than in hepatocytes, and upregulated in activated primary HSCs. SphK1 was also increased in liver homogenates of carbon tetrachloride-treated or bile duct ligated mice and in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-treated LX-2 cells. TGF-β-mediated SphK1 induction was due to Smad3 signaling in LX-2 cells. SphK1 modulation altered the expression of liver fibrogenesis-related genes. This SphK1-mediated profibrogenic effect was dependent on SphK1/sphingosine-1-phosphate/sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor signaling through ERK. Epigallocatechin gallate blocked TGF-β-induced SphK1 expression and hepatic fibrogenesis by attenuating Smad and MAPK activation. SphK1 induced by TGF-β facilitates HSC activation and liver fibrogenesis, which is reversed by epigallocatechin gallate. Accordingly, SphK1 and related signal transduction may be utilized to treat liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection continues to be a prominent cause of liver fibrosis and end-stage liver disease in China, necessitating the development of effective therapeutic strategies. This study investigated the potential of targeting TGR5 to alleviate liver fibrosis by impeding the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which play a pivotal role in fibrotic progression. Using the human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 overexpressing hepatitis B virus X protein (HBX), this study revealed that TGR5 activation through INT-777 inhibits HBX-induced LX-2 cell activation, thereby ameliorating liver fibrosis, which is associated with the attenuation of mitochondrial fission and introduces a novel regulatory pathway in liver fibrosis. Additional experiments with mitochondrial fission inducers and inhibitors confirm the crucial role of mitochondrial dynamics in TGR5-mediated effects. In vivo studies using TGR5 knockout mice substantiate these findings, demonstrating exacerbated fibrosis in the absence of TGR5 and its alleviation with the mitochondrial fission inhibitor Mdivi-1. Overall, this study provides insights into TGR5-mediated regulation of liver fibrosis through the modulation of mitochondrial fission in HSCs, suggesting potential therapeutic strategies for liver fibrosis intervention., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The vicious crosstalk among capillarization of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), activation of hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs), and hepatocyte damage poses a significant impediment to the successful treatment of liver fibrosis. In this study, we propose a sequential combination therapy aimed at disrupting the malignant crosstalk and reshaping the benign microenvironment while repairing damaged hepatocytes to achieve effective treatment of liver fibrosis. Firstly, H-subunit apoferrin (Ferritin) was adopted to load platycodonin D (PLD) and MnO 2 , forming ferritin@MnO 2 /PLD (FMP) nanoparticles, which exploited the high affinity of ferritin for the highly expressed transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) to achieve the precise targeted delivery of FMP in the liver. Upon PLD intervention, restoration of the fenestration pores in capillarized LSECs was facilitated by modulating the phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) and Kruppel Like Factor 2 (KLF2) signaling pathways both in vitro and in vivo, enabling efficient entry of FMP into the Disse space. Subsequently, FMP NPs effectively inhibited HSC activation by modulating the TLR2/TLR4/NF-κB-p65 signaling pathway. Moreover, FMP NPs efficiently scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitigated the expression of inflammatory mediators, thereby reshaping the microenvironment to support hepatocyte repair. Finally, administration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) was employed to promote the regeneration and functional recovery of damaged hepatocytes. In conclusion, the combined sequential therapy involving FMP and BMMSCs effectively attenuated liver fibrosis induced by CCl 4 administration, resulting in significant amelioration of the fibrotic condition. The therapeutic strategy outlined in this study underscores the significance of disrupting the deleterious cellular interactions and remodeling the microenvironment, thereby presenting a promising avenue for clinical intervention in liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cirrhosis leads to portal hypertension (PHT), affecting survival with limited treatment options. This study investigated Imperatorin (IMP), a furanocoumarin with anti-inflammatory and hypotensive properties, for its therapeutic role and mechanisms in cirrhotic PHT., Methods: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) inhibition by IMP was evaluated using LX-2 cell line. Rat cirrhosis was induced via CCl 4 for 16 weeks. Experimental group were orally administered IMP (15/25 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. We subsequently examined portal pressure (PP), cirrhosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, and vascular remodeling. Network pharmacology was employed for mechanistic insights., Results: IMP significantly inhibited the fibrogenesis in HSCs and suppressed cell viability. CCl 4 exposure induced cirrhosis, inflammation, angiogenesis, vascular remodeling and PHT. IMP significantly reduced PP from 22.85 ± 3.88 mmHg to 6.67 ± 0.6 mmHg, diminished collagen deposition and pro-fibrotic factor expression, alleviated inflammation, and improved liver function. Vessel wall thickness in superior mesenteric arteries was restored, and intra-/extrahepatic angiogenesis was inhibited via VEGF and vWF. Furthermore, IMP induced sinusoidal vasodilation by upregulating eNOS and GCH1. Enrichment analysis indicated that IMP was involved in various biological processes associated with cirrhosis, such as the regulation of blood pressure, tissue remodeling, response to inflammation, and regulation of angiogenesis, etc. Additionally, IMP suppressed hepatic expression of TGF-β both in vitro and in vivo, which was further supported by KEGG analysis., Conclusion: Our research demonstrated that IMP significantly mitigated cirrhosis PHT by reducing hepatic fibrosis and inflammation, curbing angiogenesis and vascular remodeling, and promoting vasodilation. This protective mechanism appears to be facilitated through the downregulation of TGF-β., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Hepatic fibrosis is a reversible pathological phenomenon caused by the abnormal proliferation of connective tissues in the liver for self-repair after persistent liver injury. Among these tissues, the activation status of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is crucial. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) agents have been proven to have excellent anti-fibrosis effects, but their targets are unclear., Purpose: To investigate the anti-hepatic fibrosis effect of GA and its target in activated HSCs., Methods: A mouse model of hepatic fibrosis was prepared with 20 % carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) and GA was administered continuously for 4 weeks. Subsequently, the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), type Ⅲ procollagen peptide (P III P), laminin (LN), hyaluronic acid (HA), and type Ⅳ collagen (Col Ⅳ) were measured. Liver tissues were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (HE), Masson, and Sirius red staining and proteome sequencing analysis. Based on LX-2 cells, activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) was used to investigate the potential targets of GA, which was further validated by the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), immunofluorescence co-localization, molecular docking, small interfering RNA (siRNA) and western blot (WB) assays., Results: In vivo, GA significantly reduced serum ALT, AST, HA, P III P, Col IV, and LN levels. HE, Masson, and Sirius red staining showed that GA significantly ameliorated hepatic inflammatory response and collagen deposition in CCl 4- treated mice. Proteome sequencing results showed that GA mainly regulated glutathione S-transferase family members involved in glutathione metabolism. In vitro, GA significantly inhibited LX-2 cell proliferation and reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation. ABPP suggested that aldo-keto reductase family 7 member A2 (AKR7A2) was the major binding protein of GA in LX-2 cells. CETSA, fluorescence co-localization, molecular docking, and surface plasmon resonance further validated GA binding to AKR7A2. The WB results showed that GA up-regulated AKR7A2 expression both in vitro and in vivo and was corroborated by siRNA experiments., Conclusion: GA targeted AKR7A2 in LX-2 cells to defend against sustained oxidative stress injury, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of activated HSCs and reversing hepatic fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) is the main enzyme producing retinyl esters (REs) in quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). When cultured on stiff plastic culture plates, quiescent HSCs activate and lose their RE stores in a process similar to that in the liver following tissue damage, leading to fibrosis. Here we validated HSC cultures in soft gels to study RE metabolism in stable quiescent HSCs and investigated RE synthesis and breakdown in activating HSCs. HSCs cultured in a soft gel maintained characteristics of quiescent HSCs, including the size, amount and composition of their characteristic large lipid droplets. Quiescent gel-cultured HSCs maintained high expression levels of Lrat and a RE storing phenotype with low levels of RE breakdown. Newly formed REs are highly enriched in retinyl palmitate (RP), similar to freshly isolated quiescent HSCs, which is associated with high LRAT activity. Comparison of these quiescent gel-cultured HSCs with activated plastic-cultured HSCs showed that although during early activation the total RE levels and RP-enrichment are reduced, levels of RE formation are maintained and mediated by LRAT. Loss of REs was caused by enhanced RE breakdown in activating HSCs. Upon prolonged culturing, activated HSCs have lost their LRAT activity and produce small amounts of REs by DGAT1. This study reveals unexpected dynamics in RE metabolism during early HSC activation, which might be important in liver disease as early stages are reversible. Soft gel cultures provide a promising model to study RE metabolism in quiescent HSCs, allowing detailed molecular investigations on the mechanisms for storage and release., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nimodipine, a calcium antagonist, exert beneficial neurovascular protective effects in clinic. Recently, Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) was reported to protect against liver fibrosis in mice, while the exact effects of Nimodipine on liver injury and hepatic fibrosis remain unclear. In this study, we assessed the effect of nimodipine in Thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis mouse model. Then, the collagen deposition and liver inflammation were assessed by HE straining. Also, the frequency and phenotype of NK cells, CD4 + T and CD8 + T cells and MDSC in liver and spleen were analyzed using flow cytometry. Furthermore, activation and apoptosis of primary Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and HSC line LX2 were detected using α-SMA staining and TUNEL assay, respectively. We found that nimodipine administration significantly attenuated liver inflammation and fibrosis. And the increase of the numbers of hepatic NK and NKT cells, a reversed CD4 + /CD8 + T ratio, and reduced the numbers of MDSC were observed after nimodipine treatment. Furthermore, nimodipine administration significantly decreased α-SMA expression in liver tissues, and increased TUNEL staining adjacent to hepatic stellate cells. Nimodipine also reduced the proliferation of LX2, and significantly promoted high level of apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, nimodipine downregulated Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, simultaneously increased expression of JNK, p-JNK, and Caspase-3. Together, nimodipine mediated suppression of growth and fibrogenesis of HSCs may warrant its potential use in the treatment of liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are a major source of fibrogenic cells and play a central role in liver fibrogenesis. HSC activation depends on metabolic activation, for which it is well established that fatty acid oxidation (FAO) sustains their rapid proliferative rate. Studies have indicated that tanshinones inhibit HSC activation, however, the anti-fibrosis mechanisms of tanshinones are remain unclear. Herein, we reported that cryptotanshinone (CTS), a lipid-soluble ingredient of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects on HSC-LX2 proliferation and activation. CTS could induce lipocyte phenotype in mouse primary HSC and HSC-LX2. Transcriptomic sequencing and qPCR revealed that CTS regulated fatty acid metabolism and inhibited CPT1A and CPT1B expression. Target prediction suggested CTS regulates lipid metabolism by targeting STAT3. Mechanistically, the level of ATP and acetyl-CoA were reduced by the treatment of CTS, indicating that CTS could inhibit the level of FAO. Furthermore, CTS could inhibit the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3. Additionally, CPT1A overexpression reversed the efficacy of CTS. Finally, CTS (40 mg/kg/day) attenuated CCl 4 -induced liver fibrosis and inhibited collagen production and HSC activation. Moreover, the results of immunofluorescence showed that α-SMA and p-STAT3 were co-located, and CTS could reduce the levels of p-STAT3 and α-SMA. In summary, CTS alleviated liver fibrosis by inhibiting the p-STAT3/CPT1A-dependent FAO both in vitro and in vivo, making it a potential candidate drug for the treatment of liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel functional non-coding RNA(ncRNA) that plays a role in the occurrence and development of multiple human liver diseases, including liver fibrosis (LF). LF is a reversible repair response after liver injury, and the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the core event. However, the regulatory mechanisms by which circRNAs induce the activation of HSCs in LF are still poorly understood. The circAno6/miR-296-3p/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling axis that mediates the inflammatory response and causes the activation of HSCs was investigated in this study., Methods: First, a circAno6 overexpression plasmid and small interfering RNA were transfected into cells to determine whether circAno6 can affect the function of HSCs. Second, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) were used to detect the effects of circAno6 plasmid/siRNA transfection on HSC activation indices, inflammatory markers and the circAno6/miR-296-3p/TLR4 signaling axis. The subcellular position of circAno6 was then examined by nucleo-cytoplasmic separation and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Finally, a luciferase reporter gene assay was used to identify the relationship between circAno6 and miR-296-3p as well as the relationship between miR-296-3p and TLR4., Results: CircAno6 was considerably upregulated in HSCs and positively correlated with cell proliferation and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I, NOD-likereceptorthermalproteindomainassociatedprotein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) expression. Overexpression of circAno6 increased the inflammatory response and induced HSC activation, whereas interference resulted in the opposite effects. FISH experiments revealed the localization of circAno6 in the cytoplasm. Then, a double luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-296-3p significantly inhibited luciferase activity in the circAno6-WT and TLR4-WT groups., Conclusion: This study suggests that circAno6 and miR-296-3p/TLR4 may form a regulatory axis and regulate the inflammatory response, which in turn induces HSC activation. Targeting circAno6 may be a potential therapeutic strategy to treat LF., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Liver fibrosis, a progressive process of fibrous scarring, results from the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins (ECM). If left untreated, it often progresses to diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Lycorine, a natural alkaloid derived from medicinal plants, has shown diverse bioactivities by targeting JAK2/STAT3 signaling, but its pharmacological effects and potential molecular mechanisms in liver fibrosis remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the pharmacological activity and molecular mechanism of lycorine in anti-hepatic fibrosis. Findings indicate that lycorine significantly inhibited hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation by reducing the expression of α-SMA and collagen-1. In vivo, lycorine treatment alleviated carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) -induced mice liver fibrosis, improving liver function, decreasing ECM deposition, and inhibiting fibrosis-related markers' expression. Mechanistically, it was found that lycorine exerts protective activity through the JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, as evidenced by transcriptome sequencing technology and small molecule inhibitors. These results underscore lycorine's potential as a therapeutic drug for liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Liver fibrosis is a significant health concern globally due to its association with severe liver conditions like cirrhosis and liver cancer. Histone lactylation has been implicated in the progression of hepatic fibrosis, but its specific role in liver fibrosis, particularly regarding H3K18 lactylation, remained unclear. To investigate this, we established in vivo and in vitro models of liver fibrosis using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) injection in rats and stimulation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) with TGF-β1, respectively. We found that histone lactylation, particularly H3K18 lactylation, was upregulated in both CCl4-induced rats and TGF-β1-activated HSCs, indicating its potential involvement in liver fibrosis. Further experiments revealed that lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) knockdown inhibited H3K18 lactylation and had a beneficial effect on liver fibrosis by suppressing HSC proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. This suggests that H3K18 lactylation promotes liver fibrosis progression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that H3K18 lactylation facilitated the transcription of SOX9, a transcription factor associated with fibrosis. Importantly, overexpression of SOX9 counteracted the effects of LDHA silencing on activated HSCs, indicating that SOX9 is downstream of H3K18 lactylation in promoting liver fibrosis. In summary, this study uncovers a novel mechanism by which H3K18 lactylation contributes to liver fibrosis by activating SOX9 transcription. This finding opens avenues for exploring new therapeutic strategies for hepatic fibrosis targeting histone lactylation pathways., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Ba-Qi-Rougan formula (BQRGF) is a traditional and effective compound prescription from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) utilized in treating hepatic fibrosis (HF)., Aim of the Study: We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of BQRGF on HF and explore the underlying mechanisms of action., Materials and Methods: UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology was employed to identify the material basis of BQRGF. Mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced HF received BQRGF at three doses (3.87, 7.74, and 15.48 g/kg per day). We examined serum and liver biochemical indicators and liver histology to assess the therapeutic impact. Primary mouse cells were isolated and utilized for experimental analysis. MSMP expression levels were examined in vitro and in vivo experimental models, including human and mouse tissue. Furthermore, lentivirus and small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfections were employed to manipulate microseminoprotein (MSMP) expression in LO2 cells (human normal liver cells). These manipulated LO2 cells were then co-cultured with LX2 human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Through the modulation of MSMP expression in co-cultured cells, administering recombinant MSMP (rMSMP) with or without BQRGF-medicated serum, and using specific pathway inhibitors or agonists in LX2 cells, we elucidated the underlying mechanisms., Results: A total of 48 compounds were identified from BQRGF, with 12 compounds being absorbed into the bloodstream and 9 compounds being absorbed into the liver. Four weeks of BQRGF treatment in the HF mouse model led to significant improvements in biochemical and molecular assays and histopathology, particularly in the medium and high-dose groups. These improvements included a reduction in the level of liver injury and fibrosis-related factors. MSMP levels were elevated in human and mouse fibrotic liver tissues, and this increase was mitigated in HF mice treated with BQRGF. Moreover, primary cells and co-culture studies revealed that BQRGF reduced MSMP expression, decreased the expression of the hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation markers, and suppressed critical phosphorylated protein levels in the CCR2/PI3K/AKT pathway. These findings were further validated using CCR2/PI3K/AKT signaling inhibitors and agonists in MSMP-activated LX2 cells., Conclusions: Collectively, our results suggest that BQRGF combats HF by diminishing MSMP levels and inhibiting MSMP-induced HSC activation through the CCR2/PI3K/AKT pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Arctigenin (ATG), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is a natural lignan compound extracted from the seeds of burdock (Arctium lappa L, Asteraceae). As a natural product with multiple biological activities, the effect and mechanism of ATG against liver fibrosis are not fully elucidated yet. In current work, we first discovered that ATG could improve CCl 4 -induced liver injury reflected by lower plasma ALT and AST levels, liver coefficient and pathological scoring of ballooning. Furthermore, it also could reduce the positive areas of Masson, Sirius red and α-SMA staining, inhibit the expression of fibrosis-related genes (Col1a1, Col3a1, Acta2), and decrease the content of hydroxyproline, indicated ATG treatment had benefits in alleviating CCl 4 -induced liver fibrosis. In vitro, we observed that ATG can inhibit collagen production stimulated by TGF-β1 in LX2 cells. By analysis of the information obtained from SymMap and GeneCards databases and in vitro validation experiments, ATG was proven to be an indirect PPARγ agonist and its effect on collagen production was dependent on PPARγ. Subsequently, we confirmed that ATG activating AMPK was the contributor of its effect on PPARγ and collagen production. Finally, the transformation of activated hepatic stellate cells was determined after treated with ATG, in which ATG treatment could return activated LX2 cells to quiescence because of the elevated quiescent markers and lipid droplets. Our work has highlighted the potential of ATG in the treatment of liver fibrosis and clarified that ATG can activate AMPK/PPARγ pathway to restore the activated hepatic stellate cell to quiescence thereby improving liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a pathological process of structural and functional impairment of the liver and is a key component in the progression of chronic liver disease. There are no specific anti-hepatic fibrosis (anti-HF) drugs, and HF can only be improved or prevented by alleviating the cause. Autophagy of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is closely related to the development of HF. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has achieved good therapeutic effects in the prevention and treatment of HF. Several active ingredients from TCM (AITCM) can regulate autophagy in HSCs to exert anti-HF effects through different pathways, but relevant reviews are lacking. This paper reviewed the research progress of AITCM regulating HSCs autophagy against HF, and also discussed the relationship between HSCs autophagy and HF, pointing out the problems and limitations of the current study, in order to provide references for the development of anti-HF drugs targeting HSCs autophagy in TCM. By reviewing the literature in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI and other databases, we found that the relationship between autophagy of HSCs and HF is currently controversial. HSCs autophagy may promote HF by consuming lipid droplets (LDs) to provide energy for their activation. However, in contrast, inducing autophagy in HSCs can exert the anti-HF effect by stimulating their apoptosis or senescence, reducing type I collagen accumulation, inhibiting the extracellular vesicles release, degrading pro-fibrotic factors and other mechanisms. Some AITCM inhibit HSCs autophagy to resist HF, with the most promising direction being to target LDs. While, others induce HSCs autophagy to resist HF, with the most promising direction being to target HSCs apoptosis. Future research needs to focus on cell targeting research, autophagy targeting research and in vivo verification research, and to explore the reasons for the contradictory effects of HSCs autophagy on HF., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Liu et al.)

The compound known as Sodium arsenite (NaAsO 2 ), which is a prevalent type of inorganic arsenic found in the environment, has been strongly associated with liver fibrosis (LF), a key characteristic of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which has been demonstrated in our previous study. Our previous research has shown that exposure to NaAsO 2 triggers the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), a crucial event in the development of LF. However, the molecular mechanism is still unknown. N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification is the most crucial post-transcriptional modification in liver disease. Nevertheless, the precise function of m 6 A alteration in triggering HSCs and initiating LF caused by NaAsO 2 remains unknown. Here, we found that NaAsO 2 induced LF and HSCs activation through TGF-β/Smad signaling, which could be reversed by TGF-β1 knockdown. Furthermore, NaAsO 2 treatment enhanced the m 6 A modification level both in vivo and in vitro. Significantly, NaAsO 2 promoted the specific interaction of METTL14 and IGF2BP2 with TGF-β1 and enhanced the TGF-β1 mRNA stability. Notably, NaAsO 2 -induced TGF-β/Smad pathway and HSC-t6 cells activation might be avoided by limiting METTL14/IGF2BP2-mediated m 6 A modification. Our findings showed that the NaAsO 2 -induced activation of HSCs and LF is made possible by the METTL14/IGF2BP2-mediated m 6 A methylation of TGF-β1, which may open up new therapeutic options for LF brought on by environmental hazards., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The alleviating effect of paeoniflorin (Pae) on liver fibrosis has been established; however, the molecular mechanism and specific target(s) underlying this effect remain elusive., Purpose: This study was to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the regulatory effect of Pae on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation in liver fibrosis, with a specific focus on the role of Pae in modulating histone methylation modifications., Methods: The therapeutic effect of Pae was evaluated by establishing in vivo and in vitro models of carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced mice and transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF-β 1 )-induced LX-2 cells, respectively. Molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative real time PCR (ChIP-qPCR) and other molecular biological methods were used to clarify the molecular mechanism of Pae regulating HSCs activation., Results: Our study found that Pae inhibited HSCs activation and histone trimethylation modification in liver of CCl 4 -induced mice and LX-2 cells. We demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of Pae on the activation of HSCs was dependent on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). Mechanistically, Pae directly binded to EZH2 to effectively suppress its enzymatic activity. This attenuation leaded to the suppression of histone H3K27 trimethylation in the PPARγ promoter region, which induced upregulation of PPARγ expression., Conclusion: This investigative not only sheds new light on the precise targets that underlie the remission of hepatic fibrogenesis induced by Pae but also emphasizes the critical significance of EZH2-mediated H3K27 trimethylation in driving the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background: Liver fibrosis (LF) is a pathological process of the liver that threatens human health. Currently, effective treatments are still lacking. Esculin, a prominent constituent found in the Fraxinus rhynchophylla. (bark), Aesculus hippocastanum. (bark), and Cichorium intybus. (herb), has been shown to possess significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. However, to date, there have been no studies investigating its potential efficacy in the treatment of LF., Objective: The study aims to investigate the therapeutic effect of esculin on LF and elucidate its potential molecular mechanism., Methods: Carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) was injected intraperitoneally to induce LF in mice, and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was injected to induce LX-2 cells to investigate the improvement effect of esculin on LF. Kit, histopathological staining, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and western blot (WB) were used to detect the expression of fiber markers and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) signaling pathway in liver tissue and LX-2 cells. Finally, molecular docking, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) were used to verify the targeting between Nrf2 and esculin., Results: Esculin significantly inhibited CCl 4 -induced hepatic fibrosis and inflammation in mice. This was evidenced by the improvement of liver function indexes, fibrosis indicators, and histopathology. Additionally, esculin treatment prominently reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and liver Fe 2+ in CCl 4 -induced mice. In vitro studies also showed that esculin treatment significantly inhibited TGF-β1-induced LX-2 cell activation and decreased alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I expression. Mechanism experiments proved that esculin can activate the Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway and inhibit liver ferroptosis. However, when LX-2 cells were treated with the Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385), the therapeutic effect of esculin significantly decreased., Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate that esculin is a potential natural active ingredient in the treatment of LF, which can inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and improve LF. Its therapeutic effect is related to the activation of the Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

In the development of chronic liver disease, the hepatic stellate cell (HSC) plays a pivotal role in increasing intrahepatic vascular resistance (IHVR) and inducing portal hypertension (PH) in cirrhosis. Our research demonstrated that HSC contraction, prompted by angiotensin II (Ang II), significantly contributed to the elevation of type I collagen (COL1A1) expression. This increase was intimately associated with enhanced cell tension and YAP nuclear translocation, mediated through α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, microfilaments (MF) polymerization, and stress fibers (SF) assembly. Further investigation revealed that the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway regulated MF polymerization and SF assembly by facilitating the phosphorylation of cofilin and MLC, while Ca 2+ chiefly governed SF assembly via MLC. Inhibiting α-SMA-MF-SF assembly changed Ang II-induced cell contraction, YAP nuclear translocation, and COL1A1 expression, findings corroborated in cirrhotic mice models. Overall, our study offers insights into mitigating IHVR and PH through cell mechanics, heralding potential breakthroughs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Environmental aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) exposure has been proposed to contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma by promoting liver fibrosis, but the potential mechanisms remain to be further elucidated. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were recognized as crucial traffickers for hepatic intercellular communication and play a vital role in the pathological process of liver fibrosis. The AFB 1 -exposed hepatocyte-derived EVs (AFB 1 -EVs) were extracted, and the functional effects of AFB 1 -EVs on the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were explored to investigate the molecular mechanism of AFB 1 exposure-induced liver fibrogenesis. Our results revealed that an environment-level AFB 1 exposure induced liver fibrosis via HSCs activation in mice, while the AFB 1 -EVs mediated hepatotoxicity and liver fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo. AFB 1 exposure in vitro increased PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy in hepatocytes, where upregulated transcription of the PARK2 gene via p53 nuclear translocation and mitochondrial recruitment of Parkin, and promoted AFB 1 -EVs-mediated mitochondria-trafficking communication between hepatocytes and HSCs. The knockdown of Parkin in HepaRG cells reversed HSCs activation by blocking the mitophagy-related AFB 1 -EVs trafficking. This study further revealed that the hepatic fibrogenesis of AFB 1 exposure was rescued by genetic intervention with siPARK2 or p53's Pifithrin-α (PFTα) inhibitors. Furthermore, AFB 1 -EVs-induced HSCs activation was relieved by GW4869 pharmaceutic inhibition of EVs secretion. These results revealed a novel mechanism that AFB 1 exposure-induced p53-Parkin signal axis regulated mitophagy-dependent hepatocyte-derived EVs to mediate the mitochondria-trafficking intercellular communication between hepatocytes and HSCs in the local hepatotoxic microenvironment to promote the activated HSCs-associated liver fibrogenesis. Our study provided insight into p53-Parkin-dependent pathway regulation and promised an advanced strategy targeting intervention to EVs-mediated mitochondria trafficking for preventing xenobiotics-induced liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hepatic fibrosis is a complex chronic liver disease in which both macrophages and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play important roles. Many studies have shown that clodronate liposomes (CLD-lipos) effectively deplete macrophages. However, no liposomes have been developed that target both HSCs and macrophages. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of lipopolysaccharide-coupled clodronate liposomes (LPS-CLD-lipos) and the effects of liposomes size on hepatic fibrosis. Three rat models of hepatic fibrosis were established in vivo; diethylnitrosamine (DEN), bile duct ligation (BDL), and carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ). Hematoxylin and eosin staining and serological liver function indices were used to analyze pathological liver damage. Masson's trichrome and Sirius red staining were used to evaluate the effect of liposomes on liver collagen fibers. The hydroxyproline content in liver tissues was determined. In vitro cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and immunofluorescence assays were used to further explore the effects of LPS modification and liposomes size on the killing of macrophages and HSCs. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that 200 nm LPS-CLD-lipos significantly inhibited hepatic fibrosis and the abnormal deposition of collagen fibers in the liver and improved the related indicators of liver function. Further results showed that 200 nm LPS-CLD-lipos increased the clearance of macrophages and induced apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells, significantly. The present study demonstrated that 200 nm LPS-CLD-lipos could significantly inhibit hepatic fibrosis and improve liver function-related indices and this study may provide novel ideas and directions for hepatic fibrosis treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cordycepin (CRD) is an active component derived from Cordyceps militaris, which possesses multiple biological activities and uses in liver disease. However, whether CRD improves liver fibrosis by regulating hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation has remained unknown. The study aims further to clarify the activities of CRD on liver fibrosis and elucidate the possible mechanism. Our results demonstrated that CRD significantly relieved hepatocyte injury and inhibited HSC activation, alleviating hepatic fibrogenesis in the Diethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethyl-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate (DDC)-induced mice model. In vitro, CRD exhibited dose-dependent repress effects on HSC proliferation, migration, and pro-fibrotic function in TGF-β1-activated LX-2 and JS-1 cells. The functional enrichment analysis of RNA-seq data indicated that the pathway through which CRD alleviates HSC activation involves cellular senescence and cell cycle-related pathways. Furthermore, it was observed that CRD accumulated the number of senescence-associated a-galactosidase positive cells and the levels of senescencemarker p21, and provoked S phasearrestof activated HSC. Remarkably, CRD treatment abolished TGF-β-induced yes-associated protein (YAP) nuclear translocation that acts upstream of glutaminolysis in activated HSC. On the whole, CRD significantly inhibited glutaminolysis of activated-HSC and induced cell senescence through the YAP signaling pathway, consequently alleviating liver fibrosis, which may be a valuable supplement for treating liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Thioacetamide (TAA) within the liver generates hepatotoxic metabolites that can be induce hepatic fibrosis, similar to the clinical pathological features of chronic human liver disease. The potential protective effect of Albiflorin (ALB), a monoterpenoid glycoside found in Paeonia lactiflora Pall, against hepatic fibrosis was investigated. The mouse hepatic fibrosis model was induced with an intraperitoneal injection of TAA. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were subjected to treatment with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), while lipopolysaccharide/adenosine triphosphate (LPS/ATP) was added to stimulate mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPMs), leading to the acquisition of conditioned medium. For TAA-treated mice, ALB reduced ALT, AST, HYP levels in serum or liver. The administration of ALB reduced histopathological abnormalities, and significantly regulated the expressions of nuclear receptor-related 1 protein (NURR1) and the P2X purinoceptor 7 receptor (P2×7r) in liver. ALB could suppress HSCs epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and pro-inflammatory factor level. ALB also remarkably up-regulated NURR1, inhibited P2×7r signaling pathway, and worked as working as C-DIM12, a NURR1 agonist. Moreover, deficiency of NURR1 in activated HSCs and Kupffer cells weakened the regulatory effect of ALB on P2×7r inhibition. NURR1-mediated inhibition of inflammatory contributed to the regulation of ALB ameliorates TAA-induced hepatic fibrosis, especially based on involving in the crosstalk of HSCs-macrophage. Therefore, ALB plays a significant part in the mitigation of TAA-induced hepatotoxicity this highlights the potential of ALB as a protective intervention for hepatic fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Hai-Ming Sun reports financial support was provided by the Scientific and Technological Developing Scheme of Jilin Province. Zheng Luo reports financial support was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Gui-Yun Zhao reports financial support was provided by Jilin City Science and Technology Innovation Development Plan Project. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hepatic fibrosis, a common pathological process that occurs in end-stage liver diseases, is a serious public health problem and lacks effective therapy. Notoginsenoside R1 (NR1) is a small molecule derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Sanqi, exhibiting great potential in treating diverse metabolie disorders. Here we aimed to enquired the role of NR1 in liver fibrosis and its underlying mechanism in hepatoprotective effects., Methods: We investigated the anti-fibrosis effect of NR1 using CCl 4 -induced mouse mode of liver fibrosis as well as TGF-β1-activated JS-1, LX-2 cells and primary hepatic stellate cell. Cell samples treated by NR1 were collected for transcriptomic profiling analysis. PPAR-γ mediated TGF-β1/Smads signaling was examined using PPAR-γ selective inhibitors and agonists intervention, immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis. Additionally, we designed and studied the binding of NR1 to PPAR-γ using molecular docking., Results: NR1 obviously attenuated liver histological damage, reduced serum ALT, AST levels, and decreased liver fibrogenesis markers in mouse mode. Mechanistically, NR1 elevated PPAR-γ and decreased TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3 expression. The TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway and fibrotic phenotype were altered in JS-1 cells after using PPAR-γ selective inhibitors and agonists respectively, confirming PPAR-γ played a pivotal protection role inNR1 treating liver fibrosis. Further molecular docking indicated NR1 had a strong binding tendency to PPAR-γ with minimum free energy., Conclusions: NR1 attenuates hepatic stellate cell activation and hepatic fibrosis by elevating PPAR-γ to inhibit TGF-β1/Smads signalling. NR1 may be a potential candidate compound for reliving liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver disease characterized by a progressive wound healing response caused by chronic liver injury. Currently, there are no approved clinical treatments for liver fibrosis. Sevelamer is used clinically to treat hyperphosphatemia and has shown potential therapeutic effects on liver diseases. However, there have been few studies evaluating the therapeutic effects of sevelamer on liver fibrosis, and the specific mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the antifibrotic effects of sevelamer-induced low inorganic phosphate (Pi) stress in vitro and in vivo and analyzed the detailed mechanisms. We found that low Pi stress could inhibit the proliferation of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by promoting apoptosis, effectively suppressing the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of hepatic stellate cells. Additionally, low Pi stress significantly increased the antioxidant stress response. It is worth noting that low Pi stress indirectly inhibited the activation and migration of HSCs by suppressing transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) expression in macrophages. In a rat model of liver fibrosis, oral administration of sevelamer significantly decreased blood phosphorus levels, improved liver function, reduced liver inflammation, and increased the antioxidant stress response in the liver. Our study revealed that the key mechanism by which sevelamer inhibited liver fibrosis involved binding to gastrointestinal phosphate, resulting in a decrease in blood phosphorus levels, the downregulation of TGF-β expression in macrophages, and the inhibition of HSC migration and fibrosis-related protein expression. Therefore, our results suggest that sevelamer-induced low Pi stress can attenuate hepatic stellate cell activation and inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis, making it a potential option for the treatment of liver fibrosis and other refractory chronic liver diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chronic liver diseases (CLD) impact over 800 million people globally, causing about 2 million deaths annually. Arbidol (ARB), an indole-derivative used to treat influenza virus infection, was extensively used during COVID-19 pandemic in China. In recent years, studies have shown that ARB, compared to other antiviral drugs, exhibits greater liver-protective efficacy, indicating a potential hepatoprotective effect beyond its antiviral activity. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of ARB on liver injury/fibrosis in bile duct ligated (BDL) mice and its effect on spontaneous and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)-induced activation of primary cultured hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Oral administration of ARB significantly ameliorated BDL-induced liver injury/fibrosis as reflected by decreased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), reduced collagen deposition, and diminished mRNA expression of fibrosis markers. ARB notably inhibited spontaneous and TGF-β1-induced activation of primary cultured HSCs. Moreover, ARB also drastically attenuated mRNA expression levels of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (Pdgfr), transforming growth factor-beta receptor (Tgfbr) 1, Tgfbr2, matrix metalloproteinase (Mmp)-2, and Mmp-9 in activated HSCs. We further demonstrate that ARB mitigated Smad2/3 phosphorylation in both TGF-β1 treated HSCs and BDL mice. These data together demonstrate that the therapeutic efficacy of ARB on liver fibrosis is independent of its antiviral activity and likely is achieved by blocking TGF-β1 signaling-mediated HSC activation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)