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Updated: Nov 20, 2025
Establishment of the Dual Humanized TK-NOG Mouse Model for HIV-associated Liver Pathogenesis
Published on: September 11, 2019
Alcohol-and-HIV-Induced Lysosomal Dysfunction Regulates Extracellular Vesicles Secretion in Vitro and in
Raghubendra Singh Dagur1,2, Moses New-Aaron1,3, Murali Ganesan1,2
1Research Service, Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE 68105, USA.
Background:
Alcohol abuse is common in people living with HIV-1 and dramaticallyenhances the severity of HIV-induced liver damage by inducing oxidative stress and lysosomaldysfunction in the liver cells. We hypothesize that the increased release of extracellular vesicles(EVs) in hepatocytes and liver humanized mouse model is linked to lysosome dysfunction.
Methods:
The study was performed on primary human hepatocytes and human hepatoma RLWXP-GFP (Huh7.5 cells stably transfected with CYP2E1 and XPack-GFP) cells and validated on ethanol-fed liverhumanizedfumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (Fah)-/-, Rag2-/-, common cytokine receptor gamma chainknockout (FRG-KO) mice. Cells and mice were infected with HIV-1ADA virus.
Results:
We observedan increase in the secretion of EVs associated with a decrease in lysosomal activity and expressionof lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1. Next-generation RNA sequencing of primary humanhepatocytes revealed 63 differentially expressed genes, with 13 downregulated and 50 upregulatedgenes in the alcohol-HIV-treated group. Upstream regulator analysis of differentially expressedgenes through Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified transcriptional regulators affecting downstreamgenes associated with increased oxidative stress, lysosomal associated disease, and function andEVs biogenesis. Our in vitro findings were corroborated by in vivo studies on human hepatocytetransplantedhumanized mice, indicating that intensive EVs' generation by human hepatocytes andtheir secretion to serum was associated with increased oxidative stress and reduction in lysosomalactivities triggered by HIV infection and ethanol diet.
Conclusion:
HIV-and-ethanol-metabolisminducedEVs release is tightly controlled by lysosome status in hepatocytes and participates in thedevelopment of double-insult-induced liver injury.
