10 In this study we describe a new spontaneous model of cholangiopathy associated with bile duct proliferation leading to liver cirrhosis, based on the overexpression of the transcription factor fra-1. ALP, alkaline phosphatase; BD, bile duct; CD3, cluster of differentiation 3; ChIP, chromatin Immunoprecipitation; CK19, cytokeratine 19; selleck fra-1tg, fra-1 transgenic mice; GVHD, graft versus host disease; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HSC, hepatic stellate cells; IHC, immunohistochemistry; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; NK cells, natural killer cells; NKT cells, natural killer
T cells; PBC, primary biliary cirrhosis; PSC, primary sclerosing cholangitis; PDGF, transforming growth factor; PMNC, polymorphonuclear cells; RT-PCR, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction; TIMP-1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases; TGF-β1, transforming growth factor β1. For more details, regarding the following procedures, see the Supporting Information. Mice that constitutively overexpress fra-1 under the major histocompatibility complex class I antigen H2-Kb (H2) promoter (fra-1tg mice, background: C57Bl6) were used.3Fra-1tg × rag 2−/− mice were obtained by cross-breeding. Human liver biopsy specimens were obtained from University Hospitals Graz. Biopsy specimens were registered in the respective biobank and kept anonymous. The research project was authorized by the ethical committee of the Medical University of Graz (Ref.
No. 1.0 24/11/2008). The study protocol was in accordance
with the ethical guidelines of the Helsinki Declaration. Histology analyses were Selleckchem JNK inhibitor made on paraffin sections of liver tissue. Hepatic levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were analyzed spectrophotometrically. Liver collagen content was assessed by analyzing the hydroxyproline content.11 The value of the liver hydroxyproline level was expressed as μg/50mg wet tissue. Total RNA was extracted from liver tissue and complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesized using a Reverse Transcription System Kit. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was performed using LightCycler technology. Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin sections (5 μm thickness). Antibodies used in IHC are provided in the Supporting Information. Intrahepatic nonparenchymal Roflumilast and blood cells were isolated using 37% Percoll solution and further characterized by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. Expression of chemokines and cytokines was determined in liver tissue of 6-week-old fra-1tg and wildtype mice by RT2 Profiler PCR Array (SABioscience, Germany). Bile duct tissue was isolated using a modified protocol from Aviva. ChIP analysis was performed using a commercially available kit from Cell Signaling. Data are expressed as the mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Group mean values of histological data were compared by paired Student’s t test. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant.