[Beta-catenin expression in intestinal mucosa of rats with severe abdominal infection].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of beta-catenin in the intestinal mucosa of rats with severe abdominal infection.


METHODS
Forty healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=10, with celiotomy only) and 3 abdominal infection groups (n=10) sacrificed at 12, 24, 48 h after cecal ligation plus puncture for inducing severe abdominal infection, respectively. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR were performed to detect beta-catenin expression in the crypt of the small intestine during severe abdominal infection and in normal conditions.


RESULTS
Rats with severe abdominal infection showed stronger beta-catenin expression in the crypt of the small intestine than normal rats, and the transcription level of beta-catenin was associated with the stages of severe abdominal infection. RT-PCR showed that beta-catenin mRNA increased rapidly 12 h after the infection (0.74-/+0.10 vs 0.52-/+0.06, P<0.01), reaching the peak level at 24 h (0.90-/+0.09, P<0.01), followed then by gradual decrease but remained still obviously higher than the control level at 24 h (0.80-/+0.09, P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Severe abdominal infection may induce beta-catenin expression which might be related with the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells in such condition and play an important role in intestinal mucosa damage and repair.
Liu
Jin-feng
JF
Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. ljf9119@sina.com
Wu
Cheng-tang
CT
D000818:Animals; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051176:beta Catenin