Expression of Dystrophin-associated Glycoproteins in Ito Cells of Healthy and Diseased Livers in Dogs and Cats

Abstract

Activation of Ito cells and their metamorphosis into myofibroblasts is the primary process in fibrotic remodelling in chronic liver disease. The dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DAGPC) is part of the cytoskeleton of muscle cells and is also expressed in other tissues. Because of its differential expression in muscle degeneration, we investigated this complex in normal healthy liver tissue and tissue with chronic liver degeneration in dogs and cats to gain information about cell alterations in chronic liver disease. In normal liver tissue from both species, we found mild expression of dystrophin 1 and β-dystroglycan, especially in Ito cells. Dystrophin 2 and y-sarcoglycan showed no expression. In chronic degenerative liver diseases, we found increased expression of dystrophin 1 and β-dystroglycan in Ito cells in dogs and cats. We suggest that this increased protein expression is an early sign of the metamorphosis of Ito cells in the beginning of chronic degenerative liver disease.