Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha regulates autophagy to activate hepatic stellate cells

The role of autophagy in Hif-1 alpha modulated activation of hepatic stellate cells was illustrated in current work. Autophagy markers were determined in livers of Schistosoma japonicum infected mice and hypoxia or LPS treated human hepatic stellate cell, LX-2 cells. The action of Hif-1 to autophagy was defined as increase of autophagy markers was significantly suppressed in Hif-1 alpha siRNA transfected cells upon hypoxia or LPS stimulation. The function of autophagy in activation of LX-2 cells was assessed as increase of activation markers was blocked using autophagy inhibitors under hypoxia and LPS stimulation. Conclusively, Hif-1 alpha regulates activation of hepatic stellate cell by modulating autophagy. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.