Down-regulation of the gax gene in smooth muscle cells of the splenic vein of portal hypertension patients.
BACKGROUND
The expression of gax, an anti-proliferative homeobox gene, is rapidly down-regulated in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) following arterial injury. Whether the down-regulation of gax is involved in modulating the proliferation of smooth muscle cells of the splenic vein in patients with portal hypertension has not yet been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the mRNA of the gax gene in smooth muscle cells of the splenic vein in patients with portal hypertension.


METHODS
Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of gax mRNA and immunohistochemistry staining was performed to demonstrate the expression of PCNA protein in the splenic veins of 28 patients with portal hypertension and those of 12 normal controls. This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee and informed consent was obtained from all participants.


RESULTS
RT-PCR showed that the expression of gax mRNA was PCNA-positive and negative in the splenic vein of patients with portal hypertension (1.08+/-0.04 and 1.39+/-0.27, respectively). There was a significant difference in the 28 patients compared with the 12 normal controls (P<0.01). The relative expression of PCNA protein in the vascular tissues was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Down-regulation of gax mRNA and the overexpression of PCNA protein were seen in smooth muscle cells of the splenic vein in patients with portal hypertension, regulating the proliferation, migration and phenotypic change and resulting in remodelling of the splenic vein, which may play an important role in the pathogenesis and maintenance of portal hypertension.
Zeng
Jin-Hua
JH
Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350004, China. snake4311@sina.com
Yang
Zhen
Z
Xu
Jun
J
Qiu
Ming-Lian
ML
Lin
Ke-Can
KC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D011336:Probability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012016:Reference Values; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D012333:RNA, Messenger