Catalpol inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation by reducing the formation and changing the contents of hepatocyte-derived extracellular vesicles

Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is the central event in hepatic fibrosis. The cross-talk between HSCs and hepatocytes, which is mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs), affects HSC activation. This study aimed to investigate whether Catalpol (CTP) attenuated hepatic fibrosis via modulating EVs. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with CCl4 for 4 weeks to induce hepatic fibrosis. They were gavaged with CTP daily. Mouse serum EVs were isolated and identified using nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Mouse hepatocytes (AML12) and primary HSCs were used to investigate the cell-to-cell crosstalk. The autophagosome-autolysosome fusion was determined using the autophagic flux assay. Hepatic fibrosis was attenuated by CTP, with a decrease of the myofibroblast marker, alpha-smooth muscle actin. The CTP treatment lowered the serum EVs. The co-culture of HSCs and the EVs derived from the CTP-treated mice or hepatocytes reduced HSC proliferation and the expressions of ACTA2 and Col1a1. After the CCl4 treatment, the autophagosomes in AML12 cells were increased, while the autolysosomes were reduced. The decrease of autophagic cargo receptor SQSTM1 in the CTP group suggested that autophagic degradation was sustained. After inhibiting the endogenous Rac1-GTP of hepatocytes, the co-culture of EVs and HSCs reduced Rac1-GTP. The Rac1-GTP level in serum EVs from the CTP-treated mice was reduced in vivo. CTP inhibited autophagy in hepatocytes by reducing Rac1-GTP and thus affect the amount of Rac1-GTP in hepatocyte-derived EVs and the formation of EVs, which attenuated hepatic fibrosis via inhibiting HSC activation.