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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 4

Myeloid Gsk3β deficiency enhances proresolving gene expressions in macrophages.

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Myeloid Gsk3β deficiency enhances proresolving gene expressions in macro...
NPCs were isolated from sham and IR livers at days 3 and 7 after reperfusion in CL-treated WT or myeloid Gsk3β-KO mice, as described in Methods. (A) Average ratios of target gene to HPRT. (B) Western blot of MerTK levels in liver NPCs of different experimental groups at indicated time points after reperfusion. (C and D) BMMs derived from WT or myeloid Gsk3β-KO mice were stimulated in vitro for 24 hours with LPS (C) or the LXR agonist DMHCA (D). Average ratios of target gene to HPRT of different experiment groups are plotted. KCs isolated from WT sham livers were used as the control in D. (E) Western blot of MerTK in LXR-stimulated BMMs. Gene expression was measured by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. Data represent mean ± SEM. Representative results from 3–4 livers/group. *P < 0.05 (Student’s t test). Ctl, control.

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