Abstract
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) progresses from a normal liver, to steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite intensive studies, the pathogenesis of ALD is poorly understood, in part due to a lack of suitable animal models which mimic the stages of ALD progression. Furthermore, the role of IL-17 in ALD has not been evaluated. We and others have recently demonstrated that IL-17 signaling plays a critical role in the development of liver fibrosis and cancer. Here we summarize the most recent evidence supporting the role of IL-17 in ALD. As a result of a collaborative effort of Drs. Karin, Gao, Tsukamoto, and Kisseleva, we developed several improved models of ALD in mice: (1) chronic-plus-binge model that mimics early stages of steatohepatitis, (2) intragastric ethanol feeding model that mimics alcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis, and (3) diethylnitrosamine (DEN) + alcohol model that mimics alcoholic liver cancer. These models might provide new insights into the mechanism of IL-17 signaling in ALD and help identify novel therapeutic targets.
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Abbreviations
- Col:
-
Collagen α1(I)
- α-SMA:
-
α-Smooth muscle actin
- qHSCs:
-
Quiescent hepatic stellate cells
- aHSCs:
-
Activated hepatic stellate cells
- iHSCs:
-
Inactivated hepatic stellate cells
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Supported by the National Institutes of Health (DK088837, U01AA022614, AI0777802 P50 AA011999).
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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cytokines That Affect Liver Fibrosis and Activation of Hepatic Myofibroblasts.
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Ma, HY., Xu, J., Liu, X. et al. The Role of IL-17 Signaling in Regulation of the Liver–Brain Axis and Intestinal Permeability in Alcoholic Liver Disease. Curr Pathobiol Rep 4, 27–35 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40139-016-0097-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40139-016-0097-3