Potential role of Hedgehog pathway in liver response to radiation

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 16;8(9):e74141. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074141. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Radiation-induced fibrosis constitutes a major problem that is commonly observed in the patients undergoing radiotherapy; therefore, understanding its pathophysiological mechanism is important. The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway induces the proliferation of progenitors and myofibroblastic hepatic stellate cells (MF-HSCs) and promotes the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby regulating the repair response in the damaged liver. We examined the response of normal liver to radiation injury. Male mice were sacrificed at 6 weeks and 10 weeks after exposure to a single dose of 6 Gy and the livers were collected for biochemical analysis. Irradiated (IR) and control mice were compared for progenitors, fibrosis, Hh pathway, and EMT at 6 and 10 weeks post irradiation. Fatty hepatocytes were observed and the expressions of Hh ligand, Indian Hh. were greater in the livers at 6 weeks, whereas expression of another Hh ligand, Sonic Hh, increased at 10 weeks post irradiation. Both Smoothened, Hh receptor, and Gli2, Hh-target gene, were up-regulated at 6 and 10 weeks after irradiation. Accumulation of progenitors (CD44, Pan-cytokeratin, and Sox9) was significant in IR livers at 6 and 10 weeks. RNA analysis showed enhanced expression of the EMT-stimulating factor, tgf-β, in the IR livers at 6 weeks and the upregulation of mesenchymal markers (α-SMA, collagen, N-cadherin, and s100a4), but down-regulation of EMT inhibitors, in IR mouse livers at 6 and 10 weeks. Increased fibrosis was observed in IR mouse livers at 10 weeks. Treatment of mice with Hh inhibitor, GDC-0449, suppressed Hh activity and block the proliferation of hepatic progenitor and expression of EMT-stimulating genes in irradiated mice. Therefore, those results demonstrated that the Hh pathway increased in response to liver injury by radiation and promoted a compensatory proliferation of MF-HSCs and progenitors, thereby regulating liver remodeling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anilides / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / drug effects
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / radiation effects
  • Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism*
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Liver / radiation effects*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Pyridines / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / radiation effects*

Substances

  • Anilides
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • HhAntag691
  • Pyridines

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2012-0007141) and National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (No. 2011-0019037) awarded to Youngmi Jung. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.