Kennedy, LindseyMeadows, VikKyritsi, KonstantinaPham, LinhKundu, DebjyotiKulkarni, RewaCerritos, KarlaDemieville, JenniferHargrove, LauraGlaser, ShannonZhou, TianhaoJaeger, VictoriaAlpini, GianfrancoFrancis, Heather2022-09-222022-09-222020-05Kennedy L, Meadows V, Kyritsi K, et al. Amelioration of Large Bile Duct Damage by Histamine-2 Receptor Vivo-Morpholino Treatment [published correction appears in Am J Pathol. 2020 May 17;:]. Am J Pathol. 2020;190(5):1018-1029. doi:10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.01.013https://hdl.handle.net/1805/30091Histamine binds to one of the four G-protein-coupled receptors expressed by large cholangiocytes and increases large cholangiocyte proliferation via histamine-2 receptor (H2HR), which is increased in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Ranitidine decreases liver damage in Mdr2-/- (ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 4 null) mice. We targeted hepatic H2HR in Mdr2-/- mice using vivo-morpholino. Wild-type and Mdr2-/- mice were treated with mismatch or H2HR vivo-morpholino by tail vein injection for 1 week. Liver damage, mast cell (MC) activation, biliary H2HR, and histamine serum levels were studied. MC markers were determined by quantitative real-time PCR for chymase and c-kit. Intrahepatic biliary mass was detected by cytokeratin-19 and F4/80 to evaluate inflammation. Biliary senescence was determined by immunofluorescence and senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining. Hepatic fibrosis was evaluated by staining for desmin, Sirius Red/Fast Green, and vimentin. Immunofluorescence for transforming growth factor-β1, vascular endothelial growth factor-A/C, and cAMP/ERK expression was performed. Transforming growth factor-β1 and vascular endothelial growth factor-A secretion was measured in serum and/or cholangiocyte supernatant. Treatment with H2HR vivo-morpholino in Mdr2-/--mice decreased hepatic damage; H2HR protein expression and MC presence or activation; large intrahepatic bile duct mass, inflammation and senescence; and fibrosis, angiogenesis, and cAMP/phospho-ERK expression. Inhibition of H2HR signaling ameliorates large ductal PSC-induced damage. The H2HR axis may be targeted in treating PSC.en-USPublisher PolicyBile ductsSclerosing cholangitisMast cellsHistamine H2 receptorsArticle