KDM4C represses liver fibrosis by regulating H3K9me3 methylation of ALKBH5 and m6A methylation of snail1 mRNA

Objective We aimed to disclose the molecular mechanism of snail1 in liver fibrosis. Methods Carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) was used to induce a liver fibrosis model in mice whereby serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were evaluated, and liver pathological alternations were assessed. Rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC‐T6) were irritated with transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1, followed by assessment of cell viability and migration. The levels of snail1, ALKBH5, and lysine specific demethylase 4C (KDM4C) were quantified by immunohistochemistry, western blot, or reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction, in addition to α‐smooth muscle actin (SMA), anti‐collagen type I α1 (COL1A1), vimentin, and E‐cadherin. Photoactivatable ribonucleoside‐enhanced crosslinking and immunoprecipitation and RNA stability were evaluated to determine the relationship between ALKBH5 and snail1. Changes in KDM4C‐bound ALKBH5 promoter and enrichment of histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) at the ALKBH5 promoter were determined using chromatin immunoprecipitation. Results In fibrosis mice, snail1 was upregulated while ALKBH5 and KDM4C were downregulated. KDM4C overexpression reduced serum ALT and AST levels, liver injury, and α‐SMA, COL1A1 and VIMENTIN expressions but increased E‐cadherin expression. However, the aforementioned trends were reversed by concurrent overexpression of snail1. In HSC‐T6 cells exposed to TGF‐β1, ALKBH5 overexpression weakened cell viability and migration, downregulated α‐SMA, COL1A1 and VIMENTIN, upregulated E‐CADHERIN, and decreased m6A modification of snail1 and its mRNA stability. KDM4C increased ALKBH5 expression by lowering H3K9me3 level, but inhibited HSC‐T6 cell activation by regulating the ALKBH5/snail1 axis. Conclusion KDM4C decreases H3K9me3 methylation to upregulate ALKBH5 and subsequently inhibits snail1, ultimately impeding liver fibrosis.