Targeting ER stress/PKA/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway as a potential novel strategy for hepatitis C virus-infected patients

Dong Lin; Yijia Chen; Ali Riza Koksal; Srikanta Dash; Yucel Aydin

doi:10.1186/s12964-023-01081-9

Targeting ER stress/PKA/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway as a potential novel strategy for hepatitis C virus-infected patients

Cell Commun Signal. 2023 May 8;21(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s12964-023-01081-9.

Authors

Dong Lin¹, Yijia Chen², Ali Riza Koksal³, Srikanta Dash^#³, Yucel Aydin^#⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. dlin6@tulane.edu.
² The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA.
³ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
⁴ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. yaydin@tulane.edu.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HCC risk, while decreased compared with active HCV infection, persists in HCV-cured patients by direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA). We previously demonstrated that Wnt/β-catenin signaling remained activated after DAA-mediated HCV eradication. Developing therapeutic strategies to both eradicate HCV and reverse Wnt/β-catenin signaling is needed.

Methods: Cell-based HCV long term infection was established. Chronically HCV infected cells were treated with DAA, protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inhibitor tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA). Western blotting analysis and fluorescence microscopy were performed to determine HCV levels and component levels involved in ER stress/PKA/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)/β-catenin pathway. Meanwhile, the effects of H89 and TUDCA were determined on HCV infection.

Results: Both chronic HCV infection and replicon-induced Wnt/β-catenin signaling remained activated after HCV and replicon eradication by DAA. HCV infection activated PKA activity and PKA/GSK-3β-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Inhibition of PKA with H89 both repressed HCV and replicon replication and reversed PKA/GSK-3β-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling in both chronic HCV infection and replicon. Both chronic HCV infection and replicon induced ER stress. Inhibition of ER stress with TUDCA both repressed HCV and replicon replication and reversed ER stress/PKA/GSK-3β-dependent Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Inhibition of either PKA or ER stress both inhibited extracellular HCV infection.

Conclusion: Targeting ER stress/PKA/GSK-3β-dependent Wnt/β-catenin signaling with PKA inhibitor could be a novel therapeutic strategy for HCV-infected patients to overcomes the issue of remaining activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling by DAA treatment. Video Abstract.

Keywords: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA); Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress); Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β); Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); Protein kinase A (PKA); Wnt/β-catenin.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

Antiviral Agents* / pharmacology
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
Cells, Cultured
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress*
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
Hepacivirus
Hepatitis C, Chronic* / drug therapy
Humans
Liver Neoplasms
Protein Kinase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
beta Catenin

Substances

Antiviral Agents
beta Catenin
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
H-89 dihydrochloride hydrate
N-(2-(4-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide
ursodoxicoltaurine
Protein Kinase Inhibitors