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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 5

Myeloid Gsk3β deficiency enhances proresolution functions in BMMs in vitro.

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Myeloid Gsk3β deficiency enhances proresolution functions in BMMs in vit...
BMMs derived from WT or myeloid Gsk3β-KO mice were stimulated in vitro for 24 hours with a control (Ctl) or the LXR agonist DMHCA and tested in an in vitro efferocytosis assay by incubating with pHrodo-labeled apoptotic thymocytes, as described in Methods. Cells were stained with FITC-labeled anti–F4/80, and efferocytosis was quantitated under a confocal microscope. (A) Representative fluorescence images of F4/80-stained BMMs. (B) Average percentage of efferocytes in total macrophage population. (C) Average TNF-α and IL-10 levels in the culture supernatants of WT and Gsk3β KO BMMs stimulated with LPS for 24 hours in the absence or presence of apoptotic thymocytes. Cytokine levels were quantitated by ELISA. Data represent mean ± SEM. Representative results from 4 livers/group. *P < 0.05 (Student’s t test). AC, apoptotic cells.

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