bleomycin ͉ inflammation

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after liver surgery. The role of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in hepatic I/R injury remains elusive. Using human and mouse livers, we investigated the effects of I/R on hepatocellular SIRT1. SIRT1 expression was significantly decreased after I/R. Genetic overexpression or pharmacological activation of SIRT1 markedly suppressed defective autophagy, onset of the mitochondrial permeability transition, and hepatocyte death after I/R, whereas SIRT1-null hepatocytes exhibited increased sensitivity to I/R injury. Biochemical approaches revealed that SIRT1 interacts with mitofusin-2 (MFN2). Furthermore, MFN2, but not MFN1, was deacetylated by SIRT1. Moreover, SIRT1 overexpression substantially increased autophagy in wild-type cells, but not in MFN2-deficient cells. Thus, our results demonstrate that the loss of SIRT1 causes a sequential chain of defective autophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hepatocyte death after I/R. Cell Death and Differentiation (2016) 23, 279-290; doi:10.1038/cdd.2015; published online 17 July 2015During hepatic resection and liver transplantation operations, inflow occlusion is employed to temporarily limit blood flow to minimize intraoperative blood loss. Although prolonged ischemia eventually causes tissue injury, severe damage paradoxically does not occur until recovery of blood flow and restitutions of normal physiological pH.1 Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a key cause of postoperative liver failure during hemorrhagic shock, hepatectomy, and liver transplantation. Despite continuous efforts, substantial benefits from current strategies have not been realized, mainly because of the multifactorial nature of I/R injury.I/R initiates opening of high-conductance permeability transition pores in the mitochondrial inner membranes, leading to mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT).2 Onset of the MPT uncouples oxidative phosphorylation and depolarizes mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ m ) that in turn causes ATP depletion and cell death.Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process. Among the three forms of autophagy, macroautophagy is of particular importance in the liver, as it not only degrades unneeded intracellular proteins but also digests injured or dysfunctional organelles such as abnormal mitochondria. 3 We have shown that impaired autophagy contributes to liver I/R injury. [4][5][6] Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) deacetylates Lys residues of both histone and nonhistone targets, and is activated in response to fasting and calorie restriction in the liver, a condition inducing autophagy. 7,8 Despite its extramitochondrial localization, SIRT1 appears to affect mitochondrial biogenesis 9 and bioenergetics, 10 but its mechanisms remain elusive. Using isolated hepatocytes, mouse livers, SIRT1-null mice, and human livers, we here demonstrate that I/R depletes livers of SIRT1 and that specific overexpression of SIRT1 mitigates defective autophagy, onset of the MPT, and subsequent hepatocyte death after both in vitro...

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains a major complication of liver resection, transplantation, and hemorrhagic shock. Although the mechanisms that contribute to hepatic I/R are complex and diverse involving the interaction of cell injury in hepatocytes, immune cells, and endothelium, mitochondrial dysfunction is a cardinal event culminating in hepatic reperfusion injury. Mitochondrial autophagy, so-called mitophagy, is a key cellular process that regulates mitochondrial homeostasis and eliminates damaged mitochondria in a timely manner. Growing evidence accumulates that I/R injury is attributed to defective mitophagy. This review aims to summarize the current understanding of autophagy and its role in hepatic I/R injury and highlight the various therapeutic approaches that have been studied to ameliorate injury.

SummaryIschemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a causative factor contributing to morbidity and mortality during liver resection and transplantation. Livers from elderly patients have a poorer recovery from these surgeries, indicating reduced reparative capacity with aging. Mechanisms underlying this age‐mediated hypersensitivity to I/R injury remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated how sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and mitofusin 2 (MFN2) are affected by I/R in aged livers. Young (3 months) and old (23–26 months) male C57/BL6 mice were subjected to hepatic I/R in vivo. Primary hepatocytes isolated from each age group were also exposed to simulated in vitro I/R. Biochemical, genetic, and imaging analyses were performed to assess cell death, autophagy flux, mitophagy, and mitochondrial function. Compared to young mice, old livers showed accelerated liver injury following mild I/R. Reperfusion of old hepatocytes also showed necrosis, accompanied with defective autophagy, onset of the mitochondrial permeability transition, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Biochemical analysis indicated a near‐complete loss of both SIRT1 and MFN2 after I/R in old hepatocytes, which did not occur in young cells. Overexpression of either SIRT1 or MFN2 alone in old hepatocytes failed to mitigate I/R injury, while co‐overexpression of both proteins promoted autophagy and prevented mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death after reperfusion. Genetic approaches with deletion and point mutants revealed that SIRT1 deacetylated K655 and K662 residues in the C‐terminus of MFN2, leading to autophagy activation. The SIRT1‐MFN2 axis is pivotal during I/R recovery and may be a novel therapeutic target to reduce I/R injury in aged livers.

Through the orthotopic implantation technique described, we demonstrate a highly reproducible model that recapitulates both local and systemic aspects of human PC.

Chronic liver disease and its progression to liver failure are induced by various etiologies including viral infection, alcoholic and nonalcoholic hepatosteatosis. It is anticipated that the prevalence of fatty liver disease will continue to rise due to the growing incidence of obesity and metabolic disorder. Evidence is accumulating to indicate that the onset of fatty liver disease is causatively linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal lipid accumulation. Current treatment options for this disease are limited. Autophagy is an integral catabolic pathway that maintains cellular homeostasis both selectively and nonselectively. As mitophagy and lipophagy selectively remove dysfunctional mitochondria and excess lipids, respectively, stimulation of autophagy could have therapeutic potential to ameliorate liver function in steatotic patients. This review highlights our up-to-date knowledge on mechanistic roles of autophagy in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease and its vulnerability to surgical stress, with an emphasis on mitophagy and lipophagy.

Macrophages play a fundamental role in innate immunity and the pathogenesis of silicosis. Phagocytosis of silica particles is associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), secretion of cytokines, such as TNF, and cell death that contribute to silica-induced lung disease. In macrophages, ROS production is executed primarily by activation of the NADPH oxidase (Phox) and by generation of mitochondrial ROS (mtROS); however, the relative contribution is unclear, and the effects on macrophage function and fate are unknown. In this study, we used primary human and mouse macrophages (C57BL/6, BALB/c, and p47phox−/−) and macrophage cell lines (RAW 264.7 and IC21) to investigate the contribution of Phox and mtROS to silica-induced lung injury. We demonstrate that reduced p47phox expression in IC21 macrophages is linked to enhanced mtROS generation, cardiolipin oxidation, and accumulation of cardiolipin hydrolysis products, culminating in cell death. mtROS production is also observed in p47phox−/− macrophages, and p47phox−/− mice exhibit increased inflammation and fibrosis in the lung following silica exposure. Silica induces interaction between TNFR1 and Phox in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Moreover, TNFR1 expression in mitochondria decreased mtROS production and increased RAW 264.7 macrophage survival to silica. These results identify TNFR1/Phox interaction as a key event in the pathogenesis of silicosis that prevents mtROS formation and reduces macrophage apoptosis.

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