[Expression of tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand and its receptor in thymus during early post-burn stage in rat with severe burns].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its receptor on apoptosis in thymus during early post-burn stage in rat with severe burns.


METHODS
Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham scald group (SS, n = 10) and burn group (n = 40). The apoptosis in thymus in rats was detected with annexin V/FITC-PI double staining at 4, 12, 24, 48 post-burn hours (PBH). The expression of TRAIL death receptor DR5, DR4 and its decoy receptor DcR1, DcR2 in thymus were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot at above time-points.


RESULTS
Compared with that in SS group (6.7 +/- 0.8)%, the apoptosis in the thymus in burn group started to increase at 4 PBH [(17.1 +/- 0.4)%], peaked at 12 PBH [(25.2 +/- 1.1)%], and it was still evidently higher than that in SS group at 48 PBH (P < 0.05). There was no obvious difference in the apoptosis rate in rats in burn group among all the time-points. The expression of DR5 in burn group at each time-points was significantly higher than those in SS group, while that of DcR2 shown an opposite tendency (P < 0.05). The expression of DR4, DcR1 was similar in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The marked increase in apoptosis rate in rat thymus at early post-burn stage, and the significant change in the expression of DR5 and DcR2 show that TRAIL pathway may participate in apoptosis.
Leng
Xiang-Feng
XF
Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Medical School Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
Wang
De-Chang
DC
Zhang
Qiu
Q
Feng
Yong-Qiang
YQ
Wang
Kun
K
Xiao
Hu
H
Huo
Ran
R
Xue
Wen-Jun
WJ
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism*
D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand