Interleukin-6 secreted by bipotential murine oval liver stem cells induces apoptosis of activated hepatic stellate cells by activating NF-κB-inducible nitric oxide synthase signaling.

Liver fibrosis is now well recognized as the causative factor for increased mortality from complications associated with liver pathologies. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a critical role in the progression of liver fibrosis. Therefore, targeting these activated HSCs to prevent and (or) treat liver disease is a worthwhile approach to explore. In the present in vitro study, we investigated the use of bipotential murine oval liver cells (BMOL) in regulating the functions of activated HSCs to prevent progression of liver fibrosis. We used a conditioned medium-based approach to study the effect of BMOL cells on activated HSC survival and function. Our data showed that BMOL cells block the contraction of activated HSCs by inducing apoptosis of these cells. We demonstrated that BMOL cells secrete soluble factors, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), which induced apoptosis of activated HSCs. Using both pharmacological and molecular inhibitor approaches, we further identified that IL-6-mediated activation of NF-κB-iNOS-NO-ROS signaling in activated HSCs plays a critical role in BMOL-cell-mediated apoptosis of activated HSCs. Thus, the present study provides an alternative cell-based therapeutic approach to treat liver fibrosis.