Noncanonical Wnt5a/JNK Signaling Contributes to the Development of D-Gal/LPS-Induced Acute Liver Failure

Abstract

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a deadly clinical disorder with few effective treatments and unclear pathogenesis. In our previous study, we demonstrated that aberrant Wnt5a expression was involved in acute on chronic liver failure. However, the role of Wnt5a in ALF is unknown. We investigated the expression of Wnt5a and its downstream signaling of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in a mouse model of ALF established by co-injection of D-galactosamine (D-Gal) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in C57BL/6 mice. We also investigated the role of Box5, a Wnt5a antagonist in vivo. Moreover, the effect of Wnt5a/JNK signaling on downstream in ammatory cytokines expression, phagocytosis and migration in THP-1 macrophages was studied in vitro. Aberrant Wnt5a expression and JNK activation were detected in D-Gal/LPS-induced ALF mice. Box5 pretreatment reversed JNK activation, and eventually decreased the mortality rate of D-Gal/LPS-treated mice with reduced hepatic necrosis and apoptosis, serum ALT and AST levels, and liver in ammatory cytokines expression, although the last was not signi cant. We further demonstrated that recombined Wnt5a (rWnt5a) induced tumor necrosis α (TNF-α) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA expression, and increased the phagocytosis ability of THP-1 macrophages in a JNK-dependent manner, which could be restored by Box5. In addition, rWnt5a-induced migration of THP-1 macrophages was also turned by Box5. Our ndings suggested that Wnt5a/JNK signaling play important role in the development of ALF, and Box5 could have particular hepatoprotecive effects in ALF.