Skip to main content
. 2024 May 16;300(6):107376. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107376

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Hepatocyte Fendrr promotes the activation of HSC in a paracrine manner through enhancing IL-6 expression.A and B, Fendrr promotes IL-6 expression in AML12 cells. The increase of IL-6 in AML12-Fendrr cells was detected by qRT-PCR (A) and Western blot (B) respectively. C, detection of IL-6 product in the medium of AML12-Fendrr cells by ELISA. D and E, the CM of AML12-Fendrr cells promotes the activation of HSC. HSC-T6 cells were incubated with IL-6 at a final concentration of 10 ng/ml or the CM from AML12-Fendrr subline for 48 h. TGF-β1 and α-SMA expressions were assayed by qRT-PCR (D). STAT3, pSTAT3, and α-SMA were detected by Western blot (E). Relative protein level was calculated by band intensity against β-tubulin. F, delivery of lv-Fendrr into mouse led to a significant increase of IL-6 mRNA in liver and the isolated hepatocytes. G, serum IL-6 is increased in the lv-Fendrr-injected mice. H, Western blot assay of IL-6 and α-SMA in the liver of lv-Fendrr-injected mice. I, Immunostaining for α-SMA in the liver sections of lv-Fendrr-injected mice. Nuclei were visualized using DAPI staining (blue). The scale bar represents top, 50 μm; bottom, 25 μm. J, hepatic IL-6 was detected by Western blot in the specimens from liver cirrhosis patients. K, IL-6 mRNA expression was determined by qRT-PCR in the specimens from liver cirrhosis patients (n = 41). Nondiseased liver tissue from the hemangiomas patients was used as normal control (n = 4). L, serum IL-6 in liver cirrhosis patients was assayed by ELISA. M, the mRNA expression IL-6 is positively correlated with Fendrr, collagen I and α-SMA in the specimens from liver cirrhosis patients (n = 41). The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) is shown. Data are the mean ± SD of at least three independent experiments. ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001, and ns, no significant change. α-SMA, smooth muscle α-actin; CM, conditioned medium; DAPI, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; HSC, hepatic stellate cell; IL-6, interleukin 6; qRT-PCR, quantitative real-time PCR; TGFβ, transforming growth factor-beta.