Objectives: Liver fibrosis is an abnormal wound-healing response. Neuraminidase 1 (NEU1) is a sialidase that has been reported to be involved in the development of cancers and metabolic diseases. However, the role of NEU1 in liver fibrosis remains unreported. This study explored the potential role of NEU1 in liver fibrosis. Materials and Methods: (1.0 µl/g body weight, 1:4 dilution in olive oil) twice weekly for six weeks. In the TAA group, mice were provided drinking TAA water at 300 mg/l for 12 weeks. The expression of NEU1, Collagen-1, ɑ-SMA and TIMP1 was detected by western blotting. The expression of NEU1 was measured by immunohistochemistry. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to explore the correlation between NEU1 and liver fibrosis in the GSE84044 dataset. Western blot analyses were performed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of NEU1 in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Results: . Knocking down NEU1 decreased the activation of HSCs by suppressing TGF-β/Smad3 signaling. Conclusion: This study showed that NEU1 plays a crucial role in activating HSCs via TGF-β/Smad3 signaling. Therefore, it may be a potential therapeutic target for liver fibrosis.
Zhang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.