Chronic cholestatic
liver diseases are characterized by injury of the bile ducts and hepatocytes caused by accumulated
bile acids (BAs) and
inflammation. Wnt/β-
catenin signaling is implicated in organ
fibrosis; however, its role in cholestatic
liver fibrosis remains unclear. Therefore, we explored the effect of a selective
cAMP response element-binding protein-
binding protein (CBP)/β-
catenin inhibitor,
PRI-724, on murine cholestatic
liver fibrosis.
PRI-724 suppressed
liver fibrosis induced by
multidrug resistance protein 2 knockout (KO), bile duct
ligation, or a 3.5-diethoxycarbonyl-1.4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) diet; it also suppressed BA synthesis and macrophage infiltration. The expression of early growth response-1 (Egr-1), which plays a key role in BA synthesis, was increased in the hepatocytes of patients with cholestatic
liver disease.
PRI-724 inhibited Egr-1 expression induced by
cholestasis, and adenoviral shEgr-1-mediated Egr-1 knockdown suppressed BA synthesis and
fibrosis in DDC diet-fed mice, suggesting that
PRI-724 exerts its effects, at least in part, by suppressing Egr-1 expression in hepatocytes. Hepatocyte-specific CBP KO in mice suppressed BA synthesis, liver injury, and
fibrosis, whereas hepatocyte-specific KO of P300, a CBP homolog, exacerbated DDC-induced
fibrosis. Intrahepatic Egr-1 expression was also decreased in hepatocyte-specific CBP-KO mice and increased in P300-KO mice, indicating that Egr-1 is located downstream of CBP/β-
catenin signaling. Conclusion:
PRI-724 inhibits cholestatic liver injury and
fibrosis by inhibiting BA synthesis in hepatocytes. These results highlight the
therapeutic effect of CBP/β-
catenin inhibition in cholestatic
liver diseases.