Abstract
Purpose: Radiation of the liver results in hepatic fibrosis as a late complication. TGF-β has been implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is early alteration in TGF-β expression before hepatic fibrosis is evident. Methods and Materials: Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150-175 g were used. A partial volume of liver as large as a 2 cm x 1 cm rectangle was given a single dose of 25 Gy gamma radiation. Animals were sequentially sacrificed from day 0 to day 28. Appearance of hepatic fibrosis was tested by trichrome stain. Levels of mRNA expression of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 were measured by Northern blot hybridization. Change in the level of mRNA expression was analyzed by densitometry. The expression of TGF-βs was also analyzed in tissue with immunohistochemical staining. Results: In trichrome-stained liver tissues obtained through 28 days after irradiation, there was no evidence of hepatic fibrosis. The expression of mRNAs of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 showed different features; The level of TGF-β1 mRNA showed a gradual increase to the peak level of 3.6-fold at day 28, the last analyzed time. In contrast, TGF-β3 mRNA showed an early peak of 4.8-fold at day 7 followed by a decrease to the lowest level of 1.6-fold at the last analyzed time. The expression of TGF-βs was also analyzed in tissue with immunohistochemical staining. At day 28 after radiation, increased positive staining for TGF-β1 was observed around the central vein. Positive staining appeared mainly in nonhepatocytic cells. For TGF-β3, the same pattern of positive staining was observed at day 7. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the alteration in mRNA expression of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 occurs very early after radiation. The contrasting difference in the mRNA expression pattern of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 suggests that interaction of the TGF-βs may be involved in fibrogenesis of irradiated liver, with TGF-β1 as a positive regulator and TGF-β3 as a negative regulator. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 639-643 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2000 Feb 1 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Supported by Ministry of Science and Technology Grant 50082-98.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Radiation
- Oncology
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
- Cancer Research
