Understanding the Role of Hyaluronan in Hepatic Aging

Overview

We live in a world where the average human lifespan is increasing. With this increase comes age-associated functional decline of vital organs. Liver aging studies have begun focusing on hyaluronan, a molecule found in the extracellular matrix. Hyaluronan’s long polysaccharide chain structure enables multiple necessary cellular functions such as cell communication, tissue injury recovery, and provides structural support for the cell. Hyaluronan is prone to fragmentation, which can drive inflammation and fibrosis, a process known as inflammaging, leading to a decrease in cellular function. Inflammaging occurs naturally, but to what extent hyaluronan influences this process remains unknown. The current hypothesis is that the presence of hyaluronan will protect the liver against aging-associated functional decline. In order to test this hypothesis various assays were performed, including triglyceride assays, H&Estaining, and picrosirius red staining. We performed these assays on mice of different ages in the presence or absence of hyaluronan synthases (Has3). These experiments allow us to determine the role of hyaluronan in aging, both qualitatively and quantitatively. My recent experiments demonstrate that triglyceride levels increase with age in both the wild-type and Has3 knockout mice. Moreover, we found that the difference in triglyceride levels is actually greater in the Has3 knockout mice than in the wild-type mice. Since triglycerides make the liver more susceptible to injury, hyaluronan synthesized by Has3 may play an important role in limiting hepatic aging phenotypes, including inflammation and fibrosis. KENTUCKY

Competition history

• JSHS 2022 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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