Fig. 8. ZHX2 expression is increased in human DILI and silencing ZHX2 accelerates liver recovery in mice with CCl4-induced injury.

a–d Human samples from normal non-tumor sections of patients with hepatic hemangioma (Healthy) (n = 4) and from patients with drug-induced liver injury (DILI) (n = 27) were used for examination. a Representative H&E images and IF staining of ZHX2 and TOM20 of DILI patients and healthy donors were displayed. Scale bar: 50 μm. b, c showed the quantified data. Data are presented as mean ± sd. Two-tailed Student’s t-test. d Correlation analysis of fluorescence intensity of ZHX2 and TOM20 in DILI patients. Right, representative images. Left, quantitative data. Scale bar: 20 μm. Data are represented as mean ± s.e.m. Pearson’s correlation coefficients (r) and p values (p) for two-sided correlation tests are shown. e–h C57BL/6 mice were injected with Vector or pSilencer-shZhx2 via the tail vein hydrodynamic injection, respectively. Five days later, the mice were used to induce liver injury by CCl4 injection. e Expression of ZHX2 in mice liver with or without Zhx2 knockdown was determined by western blot. Representative images of H&E staining (f), Ki67-positive cells (g) and TUNEL-positive cells (h) of liver sections at indicated time points after CCl4 injection are displayed at left panel. The quantitative data are presented on the right panel. f Scale bar: 100 μm. g, h Scale bar: 50 μm. Data are represented as mean ± s.e.m. (two-tailed Student’s t-test. n = 4 mice per group). i The plasma ALT, AST, ALP, TNIL, TBA and GGT levels were determined at indicated time points after CCl4 injection. Data are presented as mean ± s.e.m. (two-tailed Student’s t-test. n = 4 mice per group).