FEBS Letters
Volume 581, Issue 16 , Pages 2954-2958, 26 June 2007

Wnt signaling enhances the activation and survival of human hepatic stellate cells

Edited by Veli-Pekka Lehto

  • Sun Jung Myung

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Jung-Hwan Yoon

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Fax: +82 2 743 6701.
    • ,
  • Geum-Youn Gwak

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Won Kim

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Jeong-Hoon Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Kang Mo Kim

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Chan Soo Shin

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Ja June Jang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Sung-Hee Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Soo-Mi Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
    • ,
  • Hyo-Suk Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Received 25 January 2007; received in revised form 9 May 2007; accepted 18 May 2007. published online 30 May 2007.

Abstract 

Wnt signaling was implicated in pulmonary and renal fibrosis. Since Wnt activity is enhanced in liver cirrhosis, Wnt signaling may also participate in hepatic fibrogenesis. Thus, we determined if Wnt signaling modulates hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and survival. Wnt3A treatment significantly activated human HSCs, while this was inhibited in secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (sFRP1) overexpressing cells. Wnt3A treatment significantly suppressed TRAIL-induced apoptosis in control HSCs versus sFRP1 over-expressing cells. Particularly, caspase 3 was more activated in sFRP1 over-expressing cells following TRAIL and Wnt3A treatment. These observations imply that Wnt signaling promotes hepatic fibrosis by enhancing HSC activation and survival.

Keywords: Hepatic stellate cell, Fibrosis, Wnt, Secreted frizzled-related protein 1, Apoptosis

 

PII: S0014-5793(07)00584-4

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2007.05.050

FEBS Letters
Volume 581, Issue 16 , Pages 2954-2958, 26 June 2007

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