Microarray analysis of endothelial differentially expressed genes in liver of cirrhotic rats.
OBJECTIVE
There is a long-standing interest in the identification of endothelial-specific pathways for therapeutic targeting in cirrhosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate differences in gene expression patterns between liver endothelial cells (LECs) from control and cirrhotic rats by using microarrays.


METHODS
LECs were obtained by isopycnic centrifugation. LECs gene expression was then analyzed on high-density oligonucleotide microarrays.


RESULTS
Analysis of gene expression revealed that most of the differentially expressed mRNA in cirrhosis are associated with extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammation, antioxidant/stress response, and cell signaling.


CONCLUSIONS
The collective expression changes observed within some functional groups of genes indicate that LECs in cirrhotic livers may contribute to lymphangiogenesis, enhancement of fibrogenesis and inflammatory processes, changes in cell-cell interaction with up-regulation of adherens junction proteins, and alterations in the intrahepatic vascular tone because of the down-regulation of genes involved in vasodilatation.
Tugues
Sònia
S
Hormonal Laboratory, Hospital Clínic and Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona.
Morales-Ruiz
Manuel
M
Fernandez-Varo
Guillermo
G
Ros
Josefa
J
Arteta
David
D
Muñoz-Luque
Javier
J
Arroyo
Vicente
V
Rodés
Juan
J
Jiménez
Wladimiro
W
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000235:genetics; D002469:Cell Separation; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000592:standards; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000592:standards; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics