Featured Publications
Covid‐19 and Liver Injury: Role of Inflammatory Endotheliopathy, Platelet Dysfunction, and Thrombosis
McConnell MJ, Kondo R, Kawaguchi N, Iwakiri Y. Covid‐19 and Liver Injury: Role of Inflammatory Endotheliopathy, Platelet Dysfunction, and Thrombosis. Hepatology Communications 2022, 6: 255-269. PMID: 34658172, PMCID: PMC8652692, DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1843.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLiver injurySARS-CoV-2Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptomsAcute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Alcohol-related liver diseaseSARS-CoV-2 infectionRespiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Chronic liver failureLiver-related complicationsDirect viral infectionElevated aspartate aminotransferaseSyndrome coronavirus 2COVID-19Pathophysiologic explanationLiver failureLiver diseasePlatelet dysfunctionVascular inflammationInflammatory environmentHepatic effectsAlanine aminotransferaseViral infectionAspartate aminotransferaseHepatic fociLiver injury in COVID-19 and IL-6 trans-signaling-induced endotheliopathy
McConnell MJ, Kawaguchi N, Kondo R, Sonzogni A, Licini L, Valle C, Bonaffini PA, Sironi S, Alessio MG, Previtali G, Seghezzi M, Zhang X, Lee A, Pine AB, Chun HJ, Zhang X, Fernandez-Hernando C, Qing H, Wang A, Price C, Sun Z, Utsumi T, Hwa J, Strazzabosco M, Iwakiri Y. Liver injury in COVID-19 and IL-6 trans-signaling-induced endotheliopathy. Journal Of Hepatology 2021, 75: 647-658. PMID: 33991637, PMCID: PMC8285256, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.04.050.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLiver sinusoidal endothelial cellsLiver injuryInterleukin-6Sinusoidal endothelial cellsAlanine aminotransferaseLiver histologyD-dimerCOVID-19Primary human liver sinusoidal endothelial cellsSARS-CoV-2 infectionHuman liver sinusoidal endothelial cellsEndothelial cellsSoluble glycoprotein 130IL-6 levelsSmall-interfering RNA knockdownJAK inhibitor ruxolitinibFactor VIII activityProinflammatory factorsInflammatory signalsLarge cohortInhibitor ruxolitinibVWF antigenEndotheliopathyPatientsInjuryAlcohol-induced Hsp90 acetylation is a novel driver of liver sinusoidal endothelial dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease
Yang Y, Sangwung P, Kondo R, Jung Y, McConnell MJ, Jeong J, Utsumi T, Sessa WC, Iwakiri Y. Alcohol-induced Hsp90 acetylation is a novel driver of liver sinusoidal endothelial dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease. Journal Of Hepatology 2021, 75: 377-386. PMID: 33675874, PMCID: PMC8292196, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.02.028.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEndothelial nitric oxide synthaseAlcohol-induced liver injuryLiver sinusoidal endothelial cellsAlcohol-related liver diseaseLiver injuryLSEC dysfunctionHsp90 acetylationNO productionHistone deacetylase 6Liver diseaseTherapeutic strategiesHeat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) acetylationLiver sinusoidal endothelial dysfunctionSinusoidal endothelial cell dysfunctionMouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cellsEndothelial cell dysfunctionNitric oxide synthaseEthanol-fed miceSinusoidal endothelial dysfunctionPotential therapeutic approachPotential therapeutic strategyNitric oxide productionNew therapeutic strategiesSinusoidal endothelial cellsAcetylation of Hsp90
2023
Endotheliopathy of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells in liver disease
Kondo R, Iwakiri Y, Kage M, Yano H. Endotheliopathy of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells in liver disease. Pathology International 2023, 73: 381-393. PMID: 37589433, DOI: 10.1111/pin.13361.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLiver diseaseSinusoidal endothelial cellsEndothelial cellsLiver injuryLiver tissueIntercellular adhesion molecule-1Improvement of thrombocytopeniaNeutrophil chemotactic mediatorsChronic hepatitis CLiver sinusoidal endothelial cellsSetting of inflammationSevere hepatic inflammationAdhesion molecule-1Largest solid organPotential therapeutic strategyVascular endothelial cellsVon Willebrand factorHepatitis CNeutrophil accumulationHepatic inflammationChemotactic mediatorsIL-6Antithrombotic factorsChemokine ligandSolid organs
2021
Pathological characteristics of liver sinusoidal thrombosis in COVID‐19 patients: A series of 43 cases
Kondo R, Kawaguchi N, McConnell MJ, Sonzogni A, Licini L, Valle C, Bonaffini PA, Sironi S, Alessio MG, Previtali G, Seghezzi M, Zhang X, Sun Z, Utsumi T, Strazzabosco M, Iwakiri Y. Pathological characteristics of liver sinusoidal thrombosis in COVID‐19 patients: A series of 43 cases. Hepatology Research 2021, 51: 1000-1006. PMID: 34260803, PMCID: PMC8444906, DOI: 10.1111/hepr.13696.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCOVID-19 patientsVon Willebrand factorLiver injuryPatient's liverPapa Giovanni XXIII HospitalHigher serum ALTLiver sinusoidal endothelial cellsLiver biopsy samplesSinusoidal endothelial cellsSinusoidal thrombosisSerum ALTAST levelsPathological characteristicsHigher fibrinogenPlatelet microthrombiBiopsy samplesMultiple organsPatientsDisease severityCoronavirus diseaseLiverEndothelial cellsInjurySecondary damageWillebrand factor
2019
O-GlcNAc transferase suppresses necroptosis and liver fibrosis
Zhang B, Li MD, Yin R, Liu Y, Yang Y, Mitchell-Richards KA, Nam JH, Li R, Wang L, Iwakiri Y, Chung D, Robert ME, Ehrlich BE, Bennett AM, Yu J, Nathanson MH, Yang X. O-GlcNAc transferase suppresses necroptosis and liver fibrosis. JCI Insight 2019, 4: e127709. PMID: 31672932, PMCID: PMC6948774, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.127709.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsReceptor-interacting protein kinase 3Liver fibrosisLiver diseaseHepatocyte necroptosisEthanol-induced liver injuryAlcoholic liver cirrhosisChronic liver diseaseMultiple liver diseasesWeeks of ageProtein expression levelsPortal inflammationLiver cirrhosisLiver injuryBallooning degenerationElevated protein expression levelsSpontaneous genetic modelFibrosisKey suppressorKey mediatorMiceProtein kinase 3CirrhosisExpression levelsGlcNAc levelsMixed lineage kinaseDigoxin improves steatohepatitis with differential involvement of liver cell subsets in mice through inhibition of PKM2 transactivation
Zhao P, Han SN, Arumugam S, Yousaf MN, Qin Y, Jiang JX, Torok NJ, Chen Y, Mankash MS, Liu J, Li J, Iwakiri Y, Ouyang X. Digoxin improves steatohepatitis with differential involvement of liver cell subsets in mice through inhibition of PKM2 transactivation. AJP Gastrointestinal And Liver Physiology 2019, 317: g387-g397. PMID: 31411894, PMCID: PMC6842989, DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00054.2019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHigh-fat dietSignificant clinical applicabilityHuman nonalcoholic steatohepatitisNonalcoholic steatohepatitisOral digoxinLiver injuryCell subsetsPathway activationMouse modelHigh-fat diet mouse modelLiver injury mouse modelHepatocyte mitochondrial dysfunctionClinical applicabilityDiet mouse modelInjury mouse modelDifferential involvementLarge clinical experienceNLRP3 inflammasome activationSignificant protective effectHIF-1α transactivationHepatic oxidative stress responseHypoxia-inducible factorLiver inflammationHFD miceWide dosage range
2018
Development of Kupffer cell targeting type-I interferon for the treatment of hepatitis via inducing anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions
Minayoshi Y, Maeda H, Yanagisawa H, Hamasaki K, Mizuta Y, Nishida K, Kinoshita R, Enoki Y, Imafuku T, Chuang VTG, Koga T, Fujiwara Y, Takeya M, Sonoda K, Wakayama T, Taguchi K, Ishima Y, Ishida T, Iwakiri Y, Tanaka M, Sasaki Y, Watanabe H, Otagiri M, Maruyama T. Development of Kupffer cell targeting type-I interferon for the treatment of hepatitis via inducing anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions. Drug Delivery 2018, 25: 1055-1065. PMID: 29688069, PMCID: PMC6058604, DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2018.1464083.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAnti-Inflammatory AgentsB7-H1 AntigenCell LineHepatitisHumansImmunologic FactorsInterferon alpha-2Interferon Type IInterferon-alphaInterleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist ProteinInterleukin-10Kupffer CellsLiverMaleMannoseMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, Inbred ICRRAW 264.7 CellsRecombinant ProteinsSerum AlbuminConceptsKupffer cellsImmunomodulatory actionsTypes of hepatitisHepato-protective effectsTreatment of hepatitisAlbumin fusion technologyIL-10Liver injuryPD-L1IL-1raImmunomodulatory effectsModel miceTherapeutic effectivenessSurvival rateIFNα2bRAW264.7 cellsHepatitisInterferon receptorMRNA levelsSignificant inductionConcanavalin AMenMiceConcept studyCells
2017
An endoplasmic reticulum protein, Nogo‐B, facilitates alcoholic liver disease through regulation of kupffer cell polarization
Park J, Shao M, Kim MY, Baik SK, Cho MY, Utsumi T, Satoh A, Ouyang X, Chung C, Iwakiri Y. An endoplasmic reticulum protein, Nogo‐B, facilitates alcoholic liver disease through regulation of kupffer cell polarization. Hepatology 2017, 65: 1720-1734. PMID: 28090670, PMCID: PMC5397326, DOI: 10.1002/hep.29051.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAlcoholic liver diseasePositive Kupffer cellsKupffer cellsLiver injuryALD patientsLiver diseaseM1 polarizationKO miceM2 polarizationLieber-DeCarli ethanol liquid dietDisease severityM1/M2 polarizationKupffer cell polarizationEthanol liquid dietHepatic triglyceride levelsM2 macrophage polarizationHigher hepatic triglyceride levelsChronic ethanol feedingNew therapeutic targetsER stressAbsence of NogoM2 statusWT miceM1 activationTriglyceride levels
2014
Vascular pathobiology in chronic liver disease and cirrhosis – Current status and future directions
Iwakiri Y, Shah V, Rockey DC. Vascular pathobiology in chronic liver disease and cirrhosis – Current status and future directions. Journal Of Hepatology 2014, 61: 912-924. PMID: 24911462, PMCID: PMC4346093, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2014.05.047.BooksConceptsChronic liver diseasePortal hypertensionLiver diseaseLiver fibrosis/cirrhosisVascular cellsMesenteric vascular circulationFibrosis/cirrhosisDynamic vascular changesCollateral vessel formationHepatic stellate cellsSinusoidal endothelial cellsGrowth factor pathwaysGrowth factor βExtrahepatic circulationExtrahepatic vasculatureArterial vasodilationLiver injuryVascular changesVasoactive peptidesHypertensionVascular pathobiologySystemic circulationStellate cellsVascular processesLiver vasculature