During NASH, hepatocyte apoptosis stimulates fibrogenesis via para-crine mechanisms,

including activation of Hedgehog signaling in neighboring hepatic stellate cells. Caspase-2 is an initiator caspase involved in apoptosis following DNA damage and ER stress. Recently, we showed that caspase-2 is also pivotal for the induction of cell death triggered by excessive intracellular accumulation of long chain fatty acids (i.e., lipoapoptosis). The possibility that caspase-2 is involved in the Palbociclib supplier pathogenesis/pro-gression of NASH has never been examined. Here, we evaluated the hypothesis that caspase-2 promotes NASH-related cirrhosis. Methods: Caspase-2 was localized in liver biopsies from NASH patients by immunohistochemistry, and examined in different mouse models of NASH (methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet-fed wild type, ob/ob, and db/db mice). Outcomes of diet-induced NASH were also compared in wild type and caspase-2 deficient mice. To determine if caspase-2 directly influenced production of apoptosis-associated fibro-genic factors, lipotoxicity was modeled in vitro using hepato-cytes derived from wild type

and caspase-2 deficient mice. Results: Caspase-2 localized predominantly in injured and ballooned Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor hepatocytes; its expression/activity was up-regulated in patients and animal models of NASH. In the latter, caspase-2 significantly correlated with the intensity of fibrogenesis (i.e., myofibroblast accumulation, collagen mRNA levels and immu-nohistochemistry, Sirius red staining), and fibrosis markers correlated with markers of apoptosis and with Hedgehog pathway activation. Caspase-2 deficiency protected mice from hepatic lipotoxicity, significantly decreasing both apoptosis

and fibro-sis during MCD diets. Induction of Hedgehog ligand production and Hedgehog pathway 上海皓元 activation were also significantly inhibited in caspase-2 deficient mice. Caspase-2 deficiency blocked palmitate from inducing Hedgehog ligand synthesis in primary hepatocytes. Conclusion: Caspase-2 activation causes hepatocyte apoptosis and the latter induces production of apoptosis-associated fibrogenic factors that drive NASH-re-lated liver fibrosis. Hence, caspase-2 is a promising therapeutic target to prevent fibrosis progression during NASH. Disclosures: Anna Mae Diehl – Consulting: Roche; Grant/Research Support: Gilead, Genfit The following people have nothing to disclose: Mariana V. Machado, Gregory A. Michelotti, Thiago A. Pereira, Leandi Kruger, Marzena Swiderska-Syn, Gamze Karaca, Guanhua Xie, Cynthia D. Guy, Kelly Lindblom, Erika Johnson, Sally Kornbluth Lipocalin-2 (Lcn2) [also named as SIP24/24p3 in mouse and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in human], is a 25-kDa secretory small glycoprotein that was originally identified as an acute-phase protein in various organs including liver.