Expression data from murine hepatic stellate cells

Wnt/β-catenin is involved in every aspect of embryonic development and in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, and is also implicated in organ fibrosis. However, the role of β-catenin-mediated signaling on liver fibrosis remains unclear. To explore this issue, the effects of PRI-724, a selective inhibitor of the cAMP-response element-binding protein-binding protein (CBP)/β-catenin interaction, on liver fibrosis were examined using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)- or bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced mouse liver fibrosis models. Following repetitive CCl4 administrations, the nuclear translocation of β-catenin was observed only in the non-parenchymal cells in the liver. PRI-724 treatment reduced the fibrosis induced by CCl4 or BDL, accompanied by the suppression of S100A4 expression, a CBP/β-catenin transcript. C-82, an active form of PRI-724, inhibited the activation of isolated primary mouse quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and promoted cell death in culture-activated HSCs. During the fibrosis resolution period, an increase in F4/80+ CD11b+ and Ly6Clow CD11b+ macrophages was induced by CCl4 and was sustained for two weeks thereafter, even after having stopped CCl4 treatment. PRI-724 accelerated the resolution of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis, and this was accompanied by increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, MMP-2, and MMP-8 expression in intrahepatic leukocytes. These results suggest that the inhibition of CBP/β-catenin suppresses liver fibrosis through the inhibition of HSCs activation, the induction of activated HSC death, and the production of MMPs from macrophages. Thus, targeting the CBP/β-catenin interaction may become a new therapeutic strategy in treating liver fibrosis. We used microarrays to detail the global change of gene expression by PRI-724 (C-82)-treatment in culture-activated murine hepatic stellate cells. RNA was extracted from murine hepatic stellate cells in the presense/absence of PRI-724 (C-82) and was hybridized on Affymetrix microarrays. We compared gene expression levels among quiescent and PRI-724-treated or vehcle-treated culture-activated hepatic stelalte cells. Moreover, we juxtaposed hepatic stellate cells from young and old mice under the same experimantal condition.