Nonmuscle myosin Ⅱ regulates migration but not contraction in rat hepatic stellate cells

摘要

AIM: To identify and characterize the function of non-mu-scle myosin Ⅱ (NMM Ⅱ) isoforms in primary rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).METHODS: Primary HSCs were isolated from male Spra-gue-Dawley rats by pronase/collagenase digestion. Total RNA and protein were harvested from quiescent and culture-activated HSCs. NMM Ⅱ isoform (Ⅱ-A, Ⅱ-B and Ⅱ-C) gene and protein expression were measured by RealTime polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses respectively. NMM Ⅱ protein localization was visualized in vitro using immunocytochemical analysis. For in vivo assessment, liver tissue was harvested from bile duct-ligated (BDL) rats and NMM Ⅱisoform expression determined by immunohistochemistry. Using a selective myosin Ⅱ inhibitor and siRNA-mediated knockdown of each isoform, NMM Ⅱ functionality inprimary rat HSCs was determined by contraction and migration assays.RESULTS: NMM Ⅱ-A and Ⅱ-B mRNA expression was increased in culture-activated HSCs (Day 14) with sig-niflicant increases seen in all pairwise comparisons (Ⅱ-A: 12.67 ± 0.99 (quiescent) vs 17.36 ± 0.78 (Day 14), P < 0.05; Ⅱ-B: 4.94 ± 0.62 (quiescent) vs 13.90 ±0.85 (Day 14), P < 0.001). Protein expression exhibited similar expression patterns (Ⅱ-A: 1.87 ± 2.50 (quiescent) vs 58.64 ± 8.76 (Day 14), P < 0.05; Ⅱ-B: 1.17 ± 1.93 (quiescent) vs 103.71 ± 21.73 (Day 14), P < 0.05). No signif icant differences were observed in NMM Ⅱ-C mRNA and protein expression between quiescent and activated HSCs. In culture-activated HSCs, NMM Ⅱ-A and Ⅱ-B merged with F-actin at the cellular periphery and throughout cytoplasm respectively. In vitro stud-ies showed increased expression of NMM Ⅱ-B in HSCs activated by BDL compared to sham-operated animals. There were no apparent increases of NMM Ⅱ-A and Ⅱ-C protein expression in HSCs during hepatic BDL injury. To determine the contribution of NMM Ⅱ-A and Ⅱ-B to migration and contraction, NMM Ⅱ-A and Ⅱ-B expres-sion were downregulated with siRNA. NMM Ⅱ-A and/or Ⅱ-B siRNA inhibited HSC migration by approximately 25% compared to scramble siRNA-treated cells. Conversely, siRNA-mediated NMM Ⅱ-A and Ⅱ-B inhibition had no signif icant effect on HSC contraction; however, contraction was inhibited with the myosin Ⅱ inhibitor, blebbistatin (38.7% ± 1.9%).CONCLUSION: Increased expression of NMM Ⅱ-A and Ⅱ-B regulates HSC migration, while other myosin Ⅱclasses likely modulate contraction, contributing to development and severity of liver f ibrosis.