Single cell transcriptomics of hepatic stellate cells uncover crucial pathways and key regulators involved in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Fibrosis is an important pathological process in the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and the activation of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) is a central event in liver fibrosis. However, the transcriptomic change of activated HSCs (aHSCs) and resting HSCs (rHSCs) in NASH patients has not been assessed. This study aimed to identify transcriptomic signature of HSCs during the development of NASH and the underlying key functional pathways.

NASH-associated transcriptomic change of HSCs was defined by single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis, and those top up-regulated genes were identified as NASH-associated transcriptomic signatures. Those functional pathways involved in the NASH-associated transcriptomic change of aHSCs were explored by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and functional enrichment analyses. Key regulators were explored by upstream regulator analysis and transcription factor enrichment analysis.

scRNA-seq analysis identified numerous differentially expressed genes in both rHSCs and aHSCs between NASH patients and healthy controls. Both scRNA-seq analysis and in-vivo experiments showed the existence of rHSCs (mainly expressing a-SMA) in the normal liver and the increased aHSCs (mainly expressing Collagen 1) in the fibrosis liver tissues. NASH-associated transcriptomic signature of rHSC (NASHrHSCsignature) and NASH-associated transcriptomic signature of aHSC (NASHaHSCsignature) were identified. WGCNA revealed the main pathways correlated with transcriptomic change of aHSCs. Several key upstream regulators and transcription factors of determining the functional change of aHSCs in NASH were identified.

This study developed a useful transcriptomic signature with the potential in assessing the fibrosis severity in the development of NASH. This study also identified the main pathways in the activation of HSCs during the development of NASH.