Biology subjects

Hu, J. Z.

Publications and source records attributed to Hu, J. Z..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

An LSEC-focused computational drug repurposing platform for liver fibrosis: Identification of vorinostat and other LSEC-protective candidates

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are increasingly recognized as a critical yet underexplored cell type in anti-fibrotic drug development. This study presents a computational drug screening platform integrating LSEC-specific transcriptomic analysis across simple steatosis, fibrotic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and cirrhosis, with tiered gene signature selection combining machine learning, large language model-assisted curation, gene safety assessment, and Connectivity Map-based screening using human endothelial perturbational profiles. The platform identifies 6 clinical-stage and 8 preclinical candidates with LSEC-protective potential. Among these, vorinostat (SAHA), a clinically approved histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, is selected for experimental validation. In hepatocyte-specific Asah1-deficient mice fed a Paigen diet, SAHA attenuates hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, LSEC dysfunction, and portal hemodynamic abnormalities, with effects confirmed in a hepatotoxin (CCl4)-induced fibrosis model. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is identified as a key hepatocyte-derived paracrine mediator of LSEC injury through Transwell co-culture and glycyrrhizin rescue. Vorinostat dose-dependently reverses HMGB1-induced LSEC dysfunction across inflammation, capillarization, fibrogenesis, and vasoconstriction, associated with endothelial transcription factor reprogramming including KLF2 upregulation, validated in primary LSECs and in vivo. SAHA also protected LSECs from TNF--induced inflammation and reduced monocyte adhesion. These findings establish an LSEC-focused drug repurposing framework and identify candidates for LSEC-protective anti-fibrotic therapy. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=129 SRC="FIGDIR/small/727430v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (23K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@41e95dorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1401031org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@e72fc4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1f11347_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2024

Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction is Associated with Augmented Lysosomal Signaling in Hypercholesterolemic Mice

Accumulating evidence indicates that coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) caused by hypercholesterolemia can lead to myocardial ischemia, with or without obstructive atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the molecular pathways associated with compromised coronary microvascular function prior to the development of myocardial ischemic injury remain poorly defined. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypercholesterolemia on the function and integrity of the coronary microcirculation in mice and the underlying mechanisms. Mice were fed with a hypercholesterolemic Paigens diet (PD) for 8 weeks. Echocardiography data showed that PD caused CMD, characterized by significant reductions in coronary blood flow and coronary flow reserve (CFR), but did not affect cardiac remodeling or dysfunction. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that PD-induced CMD was associated with activation of coronary arterioles inflammation and increased myocardial inflammatory cell infiltration. These pathological changes occurred in parallel with the upregulation of lysosomal signaling pathways in endothelial cells (ECs). Treating hypercholesterolemic mice with the cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe significantly ameliorated PD-induced adverse effects, including hypercholesterolemia, steatohepatitis, reduced CFR, coronary EC inflammation, and myocardial inflammatory cell infiltration. In cultured mouse cardiac endothelial cells (MCECs), 7-ketocholesterol (7K) increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory responses. Meanwhile, 7K induced the activation of TFEB and lysosomal signaling in MCECs, whereas the lysosome inhibitor bafilomycin A1 blocked 7K-induced TFEB activation and exacerbated 7K-induced inflammation and cell death. Interestingly, ezetimibe synergistically enhanced 7K-induced TFEB activation and attenuated 7K-induced mitochondrial ROS and inflammatory responses in MCECs. These results suggest that CMD can develop and precede detectable cardiac functional or structural changes in the setting of hypercholesterolemia, and that upregulation of TFEB-mediated lysosomal signaling in ECs plays a protective role against CMD.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2023

Continuity of Mitochondrial Budding: Insights from BS-C-1 Cells by in-situ Cryo-Electron Tomography

Mitochondrial division is a fundamental biological process that is crucial to cellular functionality and vitality. The prevailing hypothesis of Drp1 regulation with the involvement of ER and cytoskeleton does not account for all the observations. Following up our previous study in HeLa cells which led to the new hypothesis of mitochondrial division by budding, we employed in-situ Cryo-Electron Tomography (Cryo-ET) to visualize mitochondrial budding in intact healthy monkey kidney cells (BS-C-1 cells). Our findings reaffirm single and multiple mitochondrial budding, supporting the new hypothesis. Notably, the budding regions vary significantly in diameter and length, which may represent different stages of budding. More interestingly, no rings, or ring-like structures, or ER wrapping is presented in the budding regions suggesting mitochondrial budding is independent from Drp1 and ER. Meanwhile, we uncovered direct interactions between mitochondria and large vesicles, distinct from small mitochondrial-derived vesicles and extracellular mitovesicles. We propose these interacting vesicles may have mitochondrial origins.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2023

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals cellular and molecular heterogeneity in fibrocartilaginous enthesis formation

The attachment site of the rotator cuff (RC) is a classic fibrocartilaginous enthesis, which is the junction between bone and tendon with typical characteristics of a fibrocartilage transition zone. Enthesis development has historically been studied with lineage tracing of individual genes selected a priori, which does not allow for the determination of single-cell landscapes yielding mature cell types and tissues. Here, we applied Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to delineate the comprehensive postnatal RC enthesis growth and the temporal atlas from as early as embryonic day 15 up to postnatal week 4. In summary, we compared the development pattern between enthesis and tendon or articular cartilage, then deciphered the cellular heterogeneity and the molecular dynamics during fibrocartilage differentiation. This data provides a transcriptional resource that will support future investigations of enthesis development at the mechanistic level and may shed light on the strategies for enhanced RC healing outcomes.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Mechanical stimulation promotes enthesis injury repair by mobilizing Prx1+ cells via ciliary TGF-β signaling

Proper mechanical stimulation can improve rotator cuff enthsis injury repair. However, the underlying mechanism of mechanical stimulation promoting injury repair is still unknown. In this study, we found that Prx1+ cell was essential for murine rotator cuff enthesis development identified by single-cell RNA sequence and involved in the injury repair. Proper mechanical stimulation could promote the migration of Prx1+ cells to enhance enthesis injury repair. Meantime, TGF-{beta} signaling and primary cilia played an essential role in mediating mechanical stimulation signaling transmission. Proper mechanical stimulation enhanced the release of active TGF-{beta}1 to promote migration of Prx1+ cells. Inhibition of TGF-{beta} signaling eliminated the stimulatory effect of mechanical stimulation on Prx1+ cell migration and enthesis injury repair. In addition, knockdown of Pallidin to inhibit TGF-{beta}R2 translocation to the primary cilia or deletion of IFT88 in Prx1+ cells also restrained the mechanics-induced Prx1+ cells migration. These findings suggested that mechanical stimulation could increase the release of active TGF-{beta}1 and enhance the mobilization of Prx1+ cells to promote enthesis injury repair via ciliary TGF-{beta} signaling.

cell biology↗