<p>Although simvastatin plays a crucial role in lipid management, tumor therapy and acute liver injury, its potential effects in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) has received limited investigative attention. Our study demonstrated that in the ConA-induced AIH model, HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR), the pharmacological target of simvastatin (SIM), was significantly upregulated in T cells, particularly in CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. Furthermore, our results showed that simvastatin treatment in ConA-induced AIH model reduced the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alleviated liver injury. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that simvastatin treatment promoted CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell apoptosis while significantly reducing the secretion of crucial inflammatory cytokines in vivo and vitro, including IL-17A, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we performed transcriptome sequencing on the CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells from mice treated with or without simvastatin. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed the involvement of the calcium signaling pathway and transcription factor NFATC3 in the regulation of CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. qPCR and flow cytometry analyses further confirmed that simvastatin exerted its therapeutic effects by suppressing the calcium signaling pathway and downregulating the expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells 3 (NFATC3). Collectively, our study demonstrates that simvastatin alleviates CD4<sup>+</sup> T cell inflammatory responses in AIH through calcium-dependent signaling pathway.</p>

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Simvastatin Alleviates ConA-Induced Autoimmune Hepatitis by Inhibiting CD4+ T Cell Activation via Calcium-NFATC3 Pathway

  • Xiyu Wang,
  • Tianhang Long,
  • Longyang Zhou,
  • Nan Xu,
  • Peiyang Fang,
  • Buer Li,
  • Haozhe Xu,
  • Guangyong Sun,
  • Dong Zhang,
  • Hua Jin

摘要

Although simvastatin plays a crucial role in lipid management, tumor therapy and acute liver injury, its potential effects in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) has received limited investigative attention. Our study demonstrated that in the ConA-induced AIH model, HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR), the pharmacological target of simvastatin (SIM), was significantly upregulated in T cells, particularly in CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, our results showed that simvastatin treatment in ConA-induced AIH model reduced the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alleviated liver injury. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that simvastatin treatment promoted CD4+ T cell apoptosis while significantly reducing the secretion of crucial inflammatory cytokines in vivo and vitro, including IL-17A, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we performed transcriptome sequencing on the CD4+ T cells from mice treated with or without simvastatin. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed the involvement of the calcium signaling pathway and transcription factor NFATC3 in the regulation of CD4+ T cells. qPCR and flow cytometry analyses further confirmed that simvastatin exerted its therapeutic effects by suppressing the calcium signaling pathway and downregulating the expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells 3 (NFATC3). Collectively, our study demonstrates that simvastatin alleviates CD4+ T cell inflammatory responses in AIH through calcium-dependent signaling pathway.