Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Bile Duct Ligation in Mice: Induction of Inflammatory Liver Injury and Fibrosis by Obstructive Cholestasis
08:56

Bile Duct Ligation in Mice: Induction of Inflammatory Liver Injury and Fibrosis by Obstructive Cholestasis

Published on: February 10, 2015

52.4K

Zbtb14 Promotes Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-Associated Fibrosis in Gerbils via the β-Catenin Pathway

Guocan Chen1, Xiaobing Wang2, Yongfen Zhu3

  • 1Center for Drug Safety Evaluation, Hangzhou Medical College, 310013 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition)
|October 5, 2023
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Zinc Finger and BTB Domain Containing 14 (Zbtb14) drives non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis by regulating hepatic stellate cell activation. This study identifies Zbtb14 as a potential therapeutic target for treating liver fibrosis in NAFLD.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver condition lacking approved treatments.
  • Liver fibrosis is a key indicator of drug efficacy in NAFLD, necessitating research into its mechanisms and therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms underlying NAFLD-associated liver fibrosis.
  • To identify potential therapeutic targets for NAFLD.

Main Methods:

  • A gerbil model of NAFLD-associated fibrosis was established using a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet.
  • Liver injury and fibrosis were assessed via histological staining and biochemical assays (ALT, AST, Hyp).
  • Differential gene expression was analyzed using mRNA sequencing, and cell viability was tested using the Cell Counting Kit-8.

Main Results:

  • The gerbil model exhibited liver injury and fibrosis, with elevated ALT, AST, and Hyp levels.
  • Differentially expressed genes were primarily associated with negative regulation of hemopoiesis, response to interleukin-1, and granulocyte migration.
  • Zinc Finger and BTB Domain Containing 14 (Zbtb14) was found to be upregulated in fibrotic liver tissues and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), regulating HSC activation via the β-catenin pathway.

Conclusions:

  • Zbtb14 plays a novel role in regulating NAFLD-associated fibrosis through the β-catenin pathway.
  • Zbtb14 represents a potential therapeutic target for NAFLD treatment.
Keywords:
Zbtb14fibrosishepatic stellate cellsnon-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseβ-catenin

More Related Videos

Development of an Ethanol-induced Fibrotic Liver Model in Zebrafish to Study Progenitor Cell-mediated Hepatocyte Regeneration10:42

Development of an Ethanol-induced Fibrotic Liver Model in Zebrafish to Study Progenitor Cell-mediated Hepatocyte Regeneration

Published on: May 13, 2016

9.2K
Analysis of Liver Microenvironment During Early Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Zebrafish09:27

Analysis of Liver Microenvironment During Early Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Zebrafish

Published on: April 1, 2021

3.5K

Related Concept Videos

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway02:54

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

The gene encoding the main signaling molecules of the Wnt signaling pathways (the Wnt proteins) was discovered almost four decades ago by Nüsslein-Volhard and Wieschaus. They identified and originally named the gene "wingless" (wg) after a phenotype discovered during their landmark genetic screen in Drosophila for body pattern defects. At around the same time, another researcher named Harold Varmus found that a murine tumor virus activates the mammalian wg homolog, Int-1, which results in tumor...
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways01:41

Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

Wnt is a zygotic effect gene that is expressed during very early embryonic development. It regulates various processes in animals starting from early development through the adult stage, such as organogenesis in the embryo and maintenance of neuronal and blood stem cells. Wnt proteins can induce a wide variety of intracellular pathways depending upon the specific abilities of different Wnt ligands to form a complex with shared and cognate receptors in the presence of different co-receptors. The...
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors are of three kinds RI, RII, and RIII. The RI...
Catenins01:23

Catenins

Catenins are characterized by multiple binding domains and dynamic structures that allow them to function as linker proteins in cell junction complexes. All catenins, except α-catenin, contain a characteristic protein sequence called the armadillo repeat and are therefore also called armadillo proteins.
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...
Chronic Pancreatitis II: Pathophysiology01:21

Chronic Pancreatitis II: Pathophysiology

Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive and irreversible inflammation of the pancreas, most often caused by long-term alcohol abuse, but it can also be related to ductal obstruction, smoking, or genetic factors.Chronic pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas is repeatedly exposed to harmful agents like alcohol, smoking, ductal obstruction, or genetic predisposition. These factors lead to the release of toxic metabolites and inflammatory cytokines, sustaining chronic inflammation in the pancreatic...