The transcriptomic response of rat hepatic stellate cells to endotoxin: implications for hepatic inflammation and immune regulation

Located in the perisinusoidal space of Disse, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) communicate with all other liver cell types by physical association and / or by producing cytokines and chemokines. In liver disease and folllowing liver transplantation, elevated levels of endotoxin (bacterial lipopolysaccharide: LPS) stimulate HSCs to produce increased amounts of cytokines and chemokines. Transcriptomic analysis of cultured HSCs stimulated with LPS yields a survey of expression changes which potentially modulate the hepatic inflammatory and immune responses.肝星状细胞（hepatic stellate cells, HSCs）定位于迪塞窦周隙（perisinusoidal space of Disse），可通过物理关联，或分泌细胞因子与趋化因子的方式，与肝脏内所有其他细胞类型进行信号交流。在肝脏疾病进程及肝移植术后，升高的内毒素（细菌脂多糖：LPS）水平可刺激肝星状细胞，使其产生更多的细胞因子与趋化因子。对经LPS刺激的体外培养肝星状细胞进行转录组学分析，能够获取其基因表达变化谱，这些变化或可调控肝脏的炎症与免疫应答反应。