Mitochondrial dysfunction is the major mechanism precipitating ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury which commonly occurs during liver surgery, trauma, hemorrhagic shock and liver transplantation. Mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) is the only cellular process that selectively removes abnormal mitochondria. The contribution of mitophagy to liver injury after warm ischemia is unknown. The goal of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying lethal I/R injury to liver and to develop therapeutic strategies to improve liver function after I/R. In preliminary studies, we observed the loss of Atg7 and Beclin-1, key mitophagy proteins, after I/R. We have shown that Ca2+ overloading after I/R stimulates calpain isoform-2 and that activated calpain-2 degrades Atg7 and Beclin-1. Suppression of mitophagy protein depletion prevents onset of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), hepatocellular necrosis and apoptosis, and protects mitochondrial function after I/R. Furthermore, we noted that loss of mitophagy proteins occurs in an in vivo model of hepatic I/R in mice, concomitant with mitochondrial depolarization and cell death. We propose that I/R impairs mitophagy, which in turn leads to accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria and ultimately hepatic failure. Therefore, restoration or enhancement of mitophagy in ischemic liver will promote the clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria and consequently ameliorate liver dysfunction after reperfusion. Our principle hypothesis is that Ca2+ overloading causes increased calpain-2 activity that subsequently results in hydrolyzation of key mitophagy proteins leading to impaired mitophagy and MPT-dependent hepatocyte death after I/R. These studies provide critical mechanistic insights into lethal I/R injury to liver, and will establish novel therapeutic approaches for improving I/R-mediated liver failure.

Public Health Relevance

Impairment of blood flow causes a tissue ischemia and recovery of blood flow causes reperfusion injury to liver. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a causative factor of morbidity and mortality during liver resection, hemorrhagic shock, cardiovascular surgery with extracorporeal circulation, transplantation and abdominal compartment syndrome. I/R injury remains a fundamental complication of hepatic surgery, and patients with preexisting liver diseases that often require inflow occlusion are more likely to develop severe postoperative I/R injury. Better understanding of the mechanisms underlying ischemia/reperfusion injury would establish novel therapeutic approaches for improving liver function after liver surgery.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DK079879-04
Application #
8212405
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SBIB-E (02))
Program Officer
Sherker, Averell H
Project Start
2009-03-05
Project End
2013-12-31
Budget Start
2012-01-01
Budget End
2012-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$307,852
Indirect Cost
$94,680
Name
University of Florida
Department
Surgery
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
969663814
City
Gainesville
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
32611
Kim, Kyu Min; Han, Chang Yeob; Kim, Ji Young et al. (2018) G?12 overexpression induced by miR-16 dysregulation contributes to liver fibrosis by promoting autophagy in hepatic stellate cells. J Hepatol 68:493-504
Picca, Anna; Mankowski, Robert T; Burman, Jonathon L et al. (2018) Mitochondrial quality control mechanisms as molecular targets in cardiac ageing. Nat Rev Cardiol 15:543-554
Kim, Do-Sung; Song, Lili; Wang, Jingjing et al. (2018) Carbon Monoxide Inhibits Islet Apoptosis via Induction of Autophagy. Antioxid Redox Signal 28:1309-1322
Chun, Sung Kook; Lee, Sooyeon; Flores-Toro, Joseph et al. (2018) Loss of sirtuin 1 and mitofusin 2 contributes to enhanced ischemia/reperfusion injury in aged livers. Aging Cell :e12761
Cho, Joonseok; Zhang, Yujian; Park, Shi-Young et al. (2017) Mitochondrial ATP transporter depletion protects mice against liver steatosis and insulin resistance. Nat Commun 8:14477
Chun, Sung Kook; Lee, Sooyeon; Yang, Ming-Jim et al. (2017) Exercise-Induced Autophagy in Fatty Liver Disease. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 45:181-186
Klionsky, Daniel J (see original citation for additional authors) (2016) Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition). Autophagy 12:1-222
Biel, T G; Lee, S; Flores-Toro, J A et al. (2016) Sirtuin 1 suppresses mitochondrial dysfunction of ischemic mouse livers in a mitofusin 2-dependent manner. Cell Death Differ 23:279-90
Chun, Sung Kook; Go, Kristina; Yang, Ming-Jim et al. (2016) Autophagy in Ischemic Livers: A Critical Role of Sirtuin 1/Mitofusin 2 Axis in Autophagy Induction. Toxicol Res 32:35-46
Law, Mary E; Ferreira, Renan B; Davis, Bradley J et al. (2016) CUB domain-containing protein 1 and the epidermal growth factor receptor cooperate to induce cell detachment. Breast Cancer Res 18:80

Showing the most recent 10 out of 34 publications