title: Hepatocyte apoptosis induced by hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in cirrhotic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether hepatocyte apoptosis in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is mediated by Fas pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fas-mRNA expression detected by in situ hybridization assay, caspase-3 activity measured by fluorescence spectrophotometer, and hepatocyte apoptosis detected by TUNEL assay were compared in different I/R conditions between cirrhotic and normal rats. The relationship was analyzed between hepatocyte apoptosis, Fas-mRNA expression, and caspase-3 activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In cirrhotic rats, Fas-mRNA expression and caspase-3 activity were significantly increased when the ischemic time prolonged, and subsequently, hepatocyte apoptosis was increased (P<0.01). Under the same I/R condition, the Fas-mRNA expression, caspase-3 activity and hepatocyte apoptosis in cirrhotic liver were significantly higher than those in normal liver (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatocyte apoptosis in hepatic I/R injury might be mediated by Fas pathway. The possible underlying mechanism that cirrhotic liver is more sensitive to ischemic injury than normal liver is alteration of Fas expression level.
authors: Departments of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affi-liated Hospital, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou 510080, China. lesqch@yahoo.com.cn
authors: Shao-Qiang
authors: SQ
authors: Li
authors: Li-Jian
authors: LJ
authors: Liang
authors: Jie-Fu
authors: JF
authors: Huang
authors: Zhi
authors: Z
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D019014:fas Receptor; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases