title: Hepatic expression of polymerase beta, Ref-1, PCNA, and Bax in WY 14,643-exposed rats and hamsters.
abstract: The hepatic levels of three protein markers of oxidative stress, polymerase beta, Ref-1, and PCNA, and of the pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, were quantitated after exposure to WY 14,643 (500 ppm in the feed) for 6 or 34 days in a rodent that is susceptible peroxisome proliferator (PP)-induced liver tumors (the Sprague Dawley rat) and in a rodent that is relatively resistant PP-induced liver tumors (the Syrian hamster). The analysis of detergent-extracted whole liver homogenates by immunoblotting showed a marked increase in the abundance of a 45-kDa variant of polymerase beta immunoreactivity and significant increases in the expression of Ref-1 and PCNA in WY 14,643-exposed rats. In contrast. WY 14,643-exposed hamsters expressed only trace levels of the polymerase beta variant and showed significant decreases in the expression of Ref-1 and PCNA. Long-term WY 14,643 exposure was associated with marked decreases in Bax expression in both species. Dose-response studies in the rat showed that the hepatic expression of the polymerase beta and Ref-1 were significantly increased after 6 days of exposure to WY 14,643 at levels of 5 and 50 ppm, respectively. The analysis of subcellular fractions of rat liver showed that the pathological increases in the levels of polymerase beta, Ref-1, and PCNA were especially prominent in mitochondria-enriched particulate liver subfractions. These results indicate that WY 14,643 exposure is associated with an increase in oxidative stress to the liver and that liver mitochondria are a major target of WY 14,643-associated liver damage. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that the chronic overexpression of mutagenic or oncogenic effectors like polymerase beta and Ref-1 in a setting of increased hepatocyte proliferation and decreased apoptosis may facilitate peroxisome proliferator-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois 60153, USA.
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cunningham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019757:Carbon-Oxygen Lyases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D006224:Cricetinae; D019951:DNA Polymerase beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D043603:DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D020025:Peroxisome Proliferators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494828:Bax protein, rat; D020025:Peroxisome Proliferators; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011743:Pyrimidines; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C006253:pirinixic acid; D019951:DNA Polymerase beta; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D019757:Carbon-Oxygen Lyases; C470319:Apex1 protein, rat; D043603:DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase