Lipopolysaccharide stimulates endogenous β-glucuronidase via PKC/NF-κB/c-myc signaling cascade: a possible factor in...

Hepatolithiasis is commonly encountered in Southeastern and Eastern Asian countries, but the pathogenesis mechanism of stone formation is still not well understood. Now, the role of endogenous β-glucuronidase in pigment stones formation is being gradually recognized. In this study, the mechanism of increased expression and secretion of endogenous β-glucuronidase during hepatolithiasis formation was investigated. We assessed the endogenous β-glucuronidase, c-myc, p-p65, and p-PKC expression in liver specimens with hepatolithiasis by immunohistochemical staining, and found that compared with that in normal liver samples, the expression of endogenous β-glucuronidase, c-myc, p-p65, and p-PKC in liver specimens with hepatolithiasis significantly increased, and their expressions were positively correlated with each other. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced increased expression of endogenous β-glucuronidase and c-myc in hepatocytes and intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and endogenous β-glucuronidase secretion increased, correspondingly. C-myc siRNA transfection effectively inhibited the LPS-induced expression of endogenous β-glucuronidase. Furthermore, NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate or PKC inhibitor chelerythrine could effectively inhibit the LPS-induced expression of c-myc and endogenous β-glucuronidase, and the expression of p-p65 was also partly inhibited by chelerythrine. Our clinical observations and experimental data indicate that LPS could induce the increased expression and secretion of endogenous β-glucuronidase via a signaling cascade of PKC/NF-κB/c-myc in hepatocytes and intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells, and endogenous β-glucuronidase might play a possible role in the formation of hepatolithiasis.