Environmental eustress promotes liver regeneration through the sympathetic regulation of type 1 innate lymphoid cells to increase IL-22 in mice

Abstract

Background and aims: The liver has the unique ability of regeneration, which is extremely important for restoring homeostasis after liver injury. Although clinical observations have revealed an association between psychological stress and the liver, whether stress has a causal influence on the liver regeneration remains markedly less defined.

Approach and results: Rearing rodents in an enriched environment (EE) can induce eustress or positive psychological stress. Herein, EE-induced eustress was found to significantly enhance the ability of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy or carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury based on the more rapid restoration of liver/body weight ratio and the significantly increased number of proliferating hepatocytes in EE mice. Mechanistically, the cytokine array revealed that IL-22 was markedly increased in the regenerating liver in response to EE. Blockade of IL-22 signaling abrogated the enhanced liver regeneration induced by EE. Group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), including type 1 ILCs (ILC1s), have been identified as the major sources of IL-22 in the regenerating liver. EE housing led to a rapid accumulation of hepatic ILC1s after partial hepatectomy and the EE-induced enhancement of liver regeneration and elevation of IL-22 was nearly eliminated in ILC1-deficient Tbx21-/- mice. Chemical sympathectomy or blockade of β-adrenergic signaling also abolished the effect of EE on ILC1s and attenuated the enhanced liver regeneration of EE-housed mice.

Conclusion: The study findings support the brain-liver axis and suggest that environment-induced eustress promotes liver regeneration through the sympathetic nerve/ILC1/IL-22 axis.