title: Intravenous acid fibroblast growth factor protects intestinal mucosal cells against ischemia-reperfusion injury via regulating Bcl-2/Bax expression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the effect of acid fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) on apoptosis and gene expression of bax and bcl-2 gene in rat intestine after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, and to explore the protective mechanisms of aFGF.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eight Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham-operated control group (C) (n = 6), intestinal ischemia group (I) (n = 6), aFGF treatment group (A) (n = 48) and intestinal ischemia-reperfusion group (R) (n = 48). In group I, the animals were killed after 45 min of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) occlusion, while in groups R and A, the rats sustained 45 min of SMA occlusion and were then treated with normal saline and aFGF, respectively, sustained 15 min, 30 min, 1, 2, 6, 12, 24, or 48 h of reperfusion, respectively. In group C, SMA was separated, but without occlusion. Apoptosis in intestinal villus was determined with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling technique (TUNEL). Intestinal tissue samples were taken not only for detection of bax and bcl-2 gene expression by RT-PCR, but also for detection of bax and bcl-2 protein expression and distribution by immunohistochemical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rat survival rates in aFGF treated group were higher than group R (P<0.05) and the improvement of intestinal histological structures was observed at 2, 6, and 12 h after the reperfusion in group A compared with group R. The apoptotic rates were (41.17+/-3.49)%, (42.83+/-5.23)% and (53.33+/-6.92)% at 2, 6 and 12 h after reperfusion, respectively in group A, apparently less than those of group R at matched time points (50.67+/-6.95, 54.17+/-7.86, 64.33+/-6.47, respectively) (P<0.05). The bax gene transcription and translation were significantly decreased in group A vs group R, while mRNA and protein contents of Bcl-2 in group A were obviously higher than those in group R during 2-12 h period after reperfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The changes in histological structure and the increment of apoptotic rate indicated that the intestinal barrier was damaged after intestinal I/R injury, whilst intravenous aFGF could alleviate apoptosis induced by ischemia and reperfusion in rat intestinal tissues, in which genes of bax and bcl-2 might play important roles.
authors.affiliation: Wound Healing and Cell Biology Laboratory, 304th Hospital, Burns Institute, Trauma Center of Postgraduate Medical College, 51 Fu Cheng Road, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Bing
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Shi-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Tong-Zhu
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yi-Ri
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Hai-Hong
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Sheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494828:Bax protein, rat; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1