Resolvin D1 attenuates liver ischaemia/reperfusion injury through modulating thioredoxin 2-mediated mitochondrial...

Liver ischaemia and reperfusion (IR) injury is a sterile inflammatory response involving production of ROS. Mitochondrial homeostasis is maintained by mitochondrial quality control (QC). Thioredoxin (TRX) 2 is a key mitochondrial redox-sensitive protein. Resolvin D1 (RvD1), a specialized pro-resolving lipid mediator, exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. We investigated mechanisms of RvD1 protection against IR-induced oxidative damage to the liver, focusing on TRX2-mediated mitochondrial QC.

Mice underwent partial warm IR. RvD1 was administered 1 h before ischaemia and immediately prior to reperfusion. Human liver carcinoma HepG2 cells were exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation and transfected with TRX2 siRNA. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and enzyme assays were used to follow changes in mitochondrial structure and function.

RvD1 attenuated hepatocellular damage following IR, assessed by serum aminotransferase activities and histology. RvD1 reduced mitochondrial swelling, lipid peroxidation and glutamate dehydrogenase release. Impaired activities of mitochondrial complexes I and III were restored by RvD1. RvD1 enhanced expression of the mitophagy-related protein, Parkin and inhibited accumulation of PTEN-induced putative kinase 1. RvD1 restored levels of mitochondrial biogenesis proteins including PPARγ coactivator 1α, nuclear respiratory factor 1 and mitochondrial transcription factor A and mtDNA level. RvD1 attenuated the increase in levels of the mitochondrial fission-related protein, dynamin-related protein 1. IR reduced TRX2 levels while increasing TRX2 association with TRX-interacting protein. RvD1 attenuated these changes. The regulatory effects of RvD1 on mitochondrial QC were abolished by TRX2 knockdown.

We suggest that RvD1 ameliorated IR-induced hepatocellular damage by regulating TRX2-mediated mitochondrial QC.