[The dynamic expression of PTEN in fibrogenic rat liver tissues and its relation to the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the dynamic expression of PTEN in fibrogenic liver tissue of rats and its effect on the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC).


METHODS
A rat model of hepatic fibrosis was established by common bile duct ligation (BDL). The expressions of PTEN in the rat liver tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining, Western blot and real-time PCR assay. The expressions of PTEN in activated HSC in the rat liver tissues were detected by immunofluorescence double labeling confocal laser scanning microscopy. The alpha-SMA in the rat liver tissues was determined by immunohistochemical staining.


RESULTS
The immunohistochemical staining indicated that there was extensive expression of PTEN in the liver tissues of normal rats, it was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of the HSC. With the aggravation of hepatic fibrosis, the expression of PTEN in the hepatic tissues decreased gradually (P less than 0.01), while the alpha-SMA positive cells in the hepatic tissues increased significantly (P less than 0.01). The expressions of PTEN protein and mRNA in the rat liver tissues at week 1, 2, 3 and 4 after BDL were all lower than those in the sham operation group (P less than 0.01), and the expressions gradually decreased with the development of hepatic fibrosis (P less than 0.01). Immunofluorescence double labeling confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that PTEN were expressed extensively in activated HSC, especially in the cytoplasm, and with the development of hepatic fibrosis, the PTEN-expressing activated HSC accounted for an increasingly smaller percentage of total activated HSC.


CONCLUSIONS
The expressions of PTEN mRNA and protein in rat fibrogenic liver tissues were downregulated, and their expressions in HSC in vivo also decreased. The dynamic expressions of PTEN in liver tissues had a significant negative correlation with the activation and proliferation of HSC.
Hao
Li-sen
LS
Department of Gastroenterology, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China.
Zhang
Xiao-lan
XL
Li
Yu-lin
YL
Tian
Xiao-peng
XP
An
Jun-yan
JY
D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C487216:Pten protein, rat