scRNA sequencing revealed the effect of celecoxib on thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in mice

Aims: We sought to discover the effect of celecoxib on thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in mice with single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Methods: A fibrotic mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of thioacetamide, and celecoxib was used as the treatment. Mice livers were collected and analyzed with scENA-seq. Results: scRNA-seq revealed prominent transcriptomic changes especially in B cells in liver fibrosis and after celecoxib treatment. KEGG pathways of the B-cell receptor signaling pathway and antigen processing and presentation were enriched, and the gene expression of receptors such as CXCR4 was altered. Conclusions: Celecoxib might modulate intrahepatic B cells to ameliorate liver fibrosis. A mouse model of liver fibrosis was established by intraperitoneal injection of thioacetamide (TAA) for 12 weeks, and 7.5 mg/kg celecoxib (C7.5) or 30 mg/kg celecoxib (C30) treatment was given orally by gavage started from 5th week of TAA injection to fibrotic mice. Mice were allocated to the control group, TAA group, TAA+C7.5 and TAA+C30 group with 1 in each according to the treatment. Hepatic nonparenchymal cells were isolated from one mouse for each group (control, TAA, TAA+C7.5, and TAA+C30 groups) and subjected to scRNA-seq.