AUTHOR=Li Weiwei , Deng Mingjuan , Gong Jiahui , Zhang Xiaoying , Ge Shaoyang , Zhao Liang TITLE=Sodium Acetate Inhibit TGF-β1-Induced Activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells by Restoring AMPK or c-Jun Signaling JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition VOLUME=8 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.729583 DOI=10.3389/fnut.2021.729583 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT=
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are crucial gut microbial metabolites that play a major role in the occurrence and development of hepatic fibrosis (HF). However, the effect of SCFAs on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the major pro-fibrogenic cells, is yet undefined. In this study, the effects of three major SCFAs (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) were assessed on the activation of HSCs. LX2 cells were activated with TGF-β1 and treated with sodium acetate (NaA), sodium propionate (NaP), or sodium butyrate (NaB). SCFA treatment significantly reduced the protein levels of α-SMA and the phosphorylation of Smad2 and decreased the mRNA expression of