title: Attenuation of early liver fibrosis by pharmacological inhibition of smoothened receptor signaling.
abstract: Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. It has been previously shown that Hh-inhibitor cyclopamine (CYA) can reduce liver fibrosis in rats. However, CYA is not stable in vivo, which limits its clinical application. This study compares the antifibrotic potential of two known Hh antagonists, vismodegib (GDC-0449, abbreviated to GDC) and CYA. GDC is a synthetic molecule presently in clinical cancer trials and has been reported to be safe and efficacious. These drugs attenuated early liver fibrosis in common bile duct ligated rats, improved liver function, and prevented hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, thereby suppressing epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). While both CYA and GDC increased the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen positive liver cells in vivo, only CYA increased Caspase-3 expression in HSCs in rat livers, suggesting that while GDC and CYA effectively attenuate early liver fibrosis, their hepatoprotective effects may be mediated through different modes of action. Thus, GDC has the potential to serve as a new therapeutic agent for treating early liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Solid Organ Transplantation, Methodist University Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Akshay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pratap
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Vaibhav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mundra
authors.forename: Ningning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ravikiran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Panakanti
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Eason
authors.forename: Ram I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Mahato
mesh_terms: D000813:Anilides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000813:Anilides; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; C538724:HhAntag691; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011725:Pyridines; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C498555:Smo protein, rat; D000072086:Smoothened Receptor; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids; D053148:Caspase 3; C000541:cyclopamine