Hepatocyte growth factor-mediated apoptosis mechanisms of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in normal and cirrhotic livers

作者：Quanyu Chen, Min Yan, Heng Lin, Jiejuan Lai, Zhiqing Yang, Deyu Hu, Yuanyu Deng, Saiyu Shi, Ling Shuai, Leida Zhang, Hongyu Zhang, Lianhua Bai · 发表于：Cell Death Discovery · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1038/s41420-023-01313-4 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Liver physiology and pathology、Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment、Organ Transplantation Techniques and Outcomes

Abstract Intrahepatic stem/progenitor cells and cytotoxic CD8 + T cells (CD8 + T cells) in the cirrhotic liver undergo apoptosis, which potentially facilitates progression to cancer. Here, we report that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling plays an important role in promoting normal and damaged liver CD8 + T cell Fas-mediated apoptosis through its only receptor, c-Met. In addition to binding with HGF, c-Met also binds to Fas to form a complex. Using a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver fibrosis/cirrhosis mouse model, immunostaining, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, we found that HGF secretion was significantly higher at 10 weeks post-DEN, the liver cirrhotic phase (LCP), than at 3 weeks post-DEN, the liver fibrotic phase (LFP). Correspondingly, differences in CD8 + T cell proliferation and apoptosis were noted between the two phases. Interestingly, staining and TUNEL assays revealed lower smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) + cell apoptosis, a marker for hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), in the LFP group than in the LCP group, which suggested a beneficial correlation among HGF, CD8 + T cells and HSCs in improving the fibrotic load during damaged liver repair. In cultures, when met different concentrations of recombinant HGF (rHGF), phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated naive mouse splenic CD8 + T cells (pn-msCD8 + T cells) responded differently; as increases in rHGF increased were associated with decreases in the clonal numb...