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Gsk3β regulates the resolution of liver ischemia/reperfusion injury via MerTK
Hanwen Zhang, Ming Ni, Han Wang, Jing Zhang, Dan Jin, Ronald W. Busuttil, Jerzy W. Kupiec-Weglinski, Wei Li, Xuehao Wang, Yuan Zhai
Hanwen Zhang, Ming Ni, Han Wang, Jing Zhang, Dan Jin, Ronald W. Busuttil, Jerzy W. Kupiec-Weglinski, Wei Li, Xuehao Wang, Yuan Zhai
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Research Article Hepatology Immunology

Gsk3β regulates the resolution of liver ischemia/reperfusion injury via MerTK

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Abstract

Although glycogen synthase kinase β (Gsk3β) has been shown to regulate tissue inflammation, whether and how it regulates inflammation resolution versus inflammation activation is unclear. In a murine liver, partial warm ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) model, we found that Gsk3β inhibitory phosphorylation increased at both the early-activation and late-resolution stages of the disease. Myeloid Gsk3β deficiency not only alleviated liver injuries, it also facilitated the restoration of liver homeostasis. Depletion of Kupffer cells prior to the onset of liver ischemia diminished the differences between the WT and Gsk3β-KO mice in the activation of liver IRI. However, the resolution of liver IRI remained accelerated in Gsk3β-KO mice. In CD11b-DTR mice, Gsk3β-deficient BM-derived macrophages (BMMs) facilitated the resolution of liver IRI as compared with WT cells. Furthermore, Gsk3β deficiency promoted the reparative phenotype differentiation in vivo in liver-infiltrating macrophages and in vitro in BMMs. Gsk3 pharmacological inhibition promoted the resolution of liver IRI in WT, but not myeloid MerTK-deficient, mice. Thus, Gsk3β regulates liver IRI at both activation and resolution stages of the disease. Gsk3 inactivation enhances the proresolving function of liver-infiltrating macrophages in an MerTK-dependent manner.

Authors

Hanwen Zhang, Ming Ni, Han Wang, Jing Zhang, Dan Jin, Ronald W. Busuttil, Jerzy W. Kupiec-Weglinski, Wei Li, Xuehao Wang, Yuan Zhai

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Figure 1

Gsk3β N-terminal phosphorylation and its regulation of the resolution of liver IRI.

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Gsk3β N-terminal phosphorylation and its regulation of the resolution of...
Myeloid Gsk3β WT and Gsk3β-KO mice were treated with control (Ctl) Ig or anti–IL-10 Ab 1 hour prior to the start of liver ischemia. Serum and liver tissues were harvested at various times after reperfusion, as described in Methods. (A) Western blots of total and S9-phosphorylated Gsk3β and β-actin in sham and IR livers of WT B6 mice at 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and days 3 and 7 after reperfusion. Average serum ALT (sALT) levels (B) and average Suzuki scores (C) in different experimental groups at indicated time points after reperfusion. (D) Representative liver histological images (H&E staining; original magnification, ×40; scale bar: 0.2 mm) of different experimental groups at indicated time points after reperfusion. n = 6–8 livers/group. *P < 0.05. (E) Average ratios of target gene to HPRT expression (by a removing PCR) in livers of different experimental groups at days 3 and 7 after reperfusion. Data represent mean ± SEM. Representative results from 4 livers/group. *P < 0.05 (Student’s t test).

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