An Inhibitor of Arginine‐Glycine‐Aspartate‐Binding Integrins Reverses Fibrosis in a Mouse Model of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

The presence and stage of liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is strongly associated with mortality. Thus, both preventing and reversing fibrosis are critically important approaches to prevent death or the need for liver transplantation from NASH. Recently, fibrosis in several mouse models of organ injury was shown to be prevented and reversed with the potent small molecule, arginine‐glycine‐aspartic acid tripeptide (RGD)‐binding, integrin antagonist (3S)‐3‐(3‐bromo‐5‐(tert‐butyl)phenyl)‐3‐(2‐(3‐hydroxy‐5‐((5‐hydroxy‐1,4,5,6‐tetrahydropyrimidin‐2‐yl)amino)benzamido)acetamido)propanoic acid (Center for World Health and Medicine [CWHM]‐12). We hypothesized that RGD‐binding integrins may play an important role in fibrosis progression in NASH. We assessed the efficacy of CWHM‐12 in a choline deficient, amino‐acid defined, high‐fat diet (CDAHFD) mouse model of NASH. Mice were kept on the CDAHFD or a control diet for 10 weeks, and CWHM‐12 was delivered by continuous infusion for the final 4 weeks. The parameters of NASH and liver fibrosis were evaluated before and after drug treatment. Hepatic steatosis, liver injury, and inflammation were significantly induced by the CDAHFD at week 6 and did not change by week 10. Hepatic profibrogenic gene expression was induced by the CDAHFD at week 6, further increased at week 10, and decreased by CWHM‐12. Fibrosis measured by analysis of liver collagen was reduced by CWHM‐12 to levels significantly less than found at 6 weeks, demonstrating the possibility of reversing already established fibrosis despite ongoing injury. Demonstrated mechanisms of the antifibrotic effect of CWHM‐12 included loss of activated hepatic stellate cells through apoptosis and suppression of hepatic profibrotic signal transduction by transforming growth factor β. Conclusion: RGD‐binding integrins may be critical in the development of fibrosis in NASH and may represent potential targets for treating patients with NASH to reverse advanced liver fibrosis.