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Published on: August 7, 2012
Cardiotrophin-1 decreases liver apoptosis through calpastatin induction
Carmen Herencia1, Yolanda Almadén2, Gustavo Ferrín1
1Instituto Maimónides para la Investigación Biomédica (IMIBIC). Hospital Reina Sofia, Universidad de Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Background:
Cardiotrophin-1 (CT1) has been used to prevent cell death in different models of liver injury in rats. D-galactosamine induces cell death in culture rat and human hepatocytes. The present study evaluated the cytoprotective effects of CT1 in an experimental model of apoptosis induced by D-galactosamine in hepatocytes.
Methods:
DNA fragmentation, calpain activity and Western blots of caspase-3, calpastatin and Stat3, and Akt phosphorylation were measured. Stat3 and Akt inhibitors were used to analyze the mechanisms of action of CT1.
Results:
CT1 caused an increase in Stat3 and Akt phosphorylation and a decrease of DNA fragmentation, calpain activity, and caspase-3 induced by D-galactosamine. The reduction of calpain activity by CT1 was associated with an increase of calpastatin (its endogenous inhibitor). The effects of CT1 were also dependent on the activation of Sta3 or Akt.
Conclusions:
CT1 decreases cell death through a mechanism related to Stat3 and Akt phosphorylation and activation of calpastatin in D-galactosamine-treated hepatocytes.
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