Stress granules inhibit endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis during hypoxia-induced injury in acute liver failure

BACKGROUND: Stress granules (SGs) could be formed under different stimulation to inhibit cell injury. AIM: To investigate whether SGs could protect hepatocytes from hypoxia-induced damage during acute liver failure (ALF) by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) mediated apoptosis. METHODS: The agonist of SGs, arsenite (Ars) was used to intervene hypoxia-induced hepatocyte injury cellular model and ALF mice models. Further, the siRNA of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and SGs inhibitor anisomycin was then used to intervene in cell models. RESULTS: With the increase of hypoxia time from 4 h to 12 h, the levels of HIF-1α, ERS and apoptosis gradually increased, and the expression of SGs marker G3BP1 and TIA-1 was increased and then decreased. Compared with the hypoxia cell model group and ALF mice model, the levels of HIF-1α, apoptosis and ERS were increased in the Ars intervention group. After siRNA-ATF4 intervention, the level of SGs in cells increased, and the levels of HIF-1α, ERS and apoptosis decreased. Compared with the siRNA-ATF4 group, the levels of G3BP1 in the siRNA-ATF4+anisomycin group were decreased, and the levels of HIF-1α, ERS and apoptosis were increased. Moreover, compared with the ALF group, the degree of liver injury and liver function, the levels of HIF-1α, ERS and apoptosis in the Ars intervention group were decreased, the level of SGs was increased. CONCLUSION: SGs could protect hepatocytes from hypoxia-induced damage during ALF by reducing ERS-mediated apoptosis.