Role of nitric oxide increase on induced programmed cell death during early stages of rat liver regeneration.
We analysed the possible cellular mechanism involved in the NO action in the balance between apoptosis and cell proliferation in liver regeneration process. We determined p53, proapoptotic protein Bax, antiapoptotic Bcl-xL, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and apoptotic index at the early stages of regenerative process after NO increase by lipopolysaccharide-induction (LPS) of inducible-type nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and by direct NO donor (sodium nitroprusside, SNP). Male Wistar rats were randomised in four experimental groups: sham operated control (Sh), partial hepatectomised control (PH-C), partial hepatectomised pretreated with LPS (2 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) (PH-LPS), and partial hepatectomised pretreated with SNP (2.5 mg/kg body weight, i.v. at a rate of 1 ml/h) (PH-SNP). Animals were killed 5 h post-surgery. Hepatic cytosolic iNOS showed an increase of 34% in PH-C animals with respect to Sh, and LPS-treatment increased iNOS protein levels 30% compared with PH-C. Bax and p53 protein levels showed significant increases in LPS- and SNP-treated hepatectomised rats with respect to PH-C. The apoptotic indexes were increased 75% in both, PH-LPS and PH-SNP rats versus PH-C. The increase of NO did not show any change in the proliferation process. These results suggest that NO is involved in apoptosis via p53 and Bax proteins after PH, showing a tightly regulated growth process in liver regeneration.
Ronco
María Teresa
MT
Instituto de Fisiología Experimental-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 570-2000 Rosario, Argentina.
Alvarez
María de Luján
Mde L
Monti
Juan Alberto
JA
Carrillo
María Cristina
MC
Pisani
Gerardo Bruno
GB
Lugano
María Cristina
MC
Carnovale
Cristina Ester
CE
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006498:Hepatectomy; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000494:pharmacology; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494828:Bax protein, rat; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat