title: Use of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to evaluate in vivo cytokine gene expression in rats fed ethanol for long periods.
abstract: We evaluated the expression of interleukin-1 alpha, interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and transforming growth factor-beta mRNAs in the intragastric-feeding rat model of alcoholic liver disease. Rats were fed different diets for periods of 2 or 4 wk. Animals fed saturated fat and ethanol and the corn oil-dextrose control group had no liver injury, whereas animals fed corn oil and ethanol showed pathologic changes. RNA was extracted from the livers at the time of killing, reverse-transcribed and amplified; polymerase chain reaction products were subjected to electrophoresis on agarose gel. Interleukin-1 alpha mRNA was present in all groups at 2 and 4 wk; interleukin-1 beta and transforming growth factor-beta mRNAs were present in all groups at 4 wk. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA was absent in all groups at 2 wk but was present in the corn oil-ethanol group only at 4 wk. Because pathological liver injury was evident in the corn oil-ethanol group by 4 wk, the presence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA at this time suggests a pathogenetic role for tumor necrosis factor-alpha in alcohol-induced liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA 02215.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nanji
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sadrzadeh
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Waxman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015870:Gene Expression; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D017931:DNA Primers; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha