Open AccessLoss of hepatocyte cell division leads to liver inflammation and fibrosis
Author(s) -
Matthew R. Dewhurst,
Jin Rong Ow,
Gözde Zafer,
Noémi Van Hul,
Heike Wollmann,
Xavier Bisteau,
David Brough,
Hyungwon Choi,
Philipp Kaldis
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.587
H-Index - 233
eISSN - 1553-7404
pISSN - 1553-7390
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009084
Subject(s) - biology , hepatocyte , inflammation , fibrosis , liver injury , liver disease , immunology , phenotype , cancer research , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , pathology , genetics , medicine , in vitro , biochemistry , gene
The liver possesses a remarkable regenerative capacity based partly on the ability of hepatocytes to re-enter the cell cycle and divide to replace damaged cells. This capability is substantially reduced upon chronic damage, but it is not clear if this is a cause or consequence of liver disease. Here, we investigate whether blocking hepatocyte division using two different mouse models affects physiology as well as clinical liver manifestations like fibrosis and inflammation. We find that in P14 Cdk1 Liv-/- mice, where the division of hepatocytes is abolished, polyploidy, DNA damage, and increased p53 signaling are prevalent. Cdk1 Liv-/- mice display classical markers of liver damage two weeks after birth, including elevated ALT, ALP, and bilirubin levels, despite the lack of exogenous liver injury. Inflammation was further studied using cytokine arrays, unveiling elevated levels of CCL2, TIMP1, CXCL10, and IL1-Rn in Cdk1 Liv-/- liver, which resulted in increased numbers of monocytes. Ablation of CDK2-dependent DNA re-replication and polyploidy in Cdk1 Liv-/- mice reversed most of these phenotypes. Overall, our data indicate that blocking hepatocyte division induces biological processes driving the onset of the disease phenotype. It suggests that the decrease in hepatocyte division observed in liver disease may not only be a consequence of fibrosis and inflammation, but also a pathological cue.