title: Possible regulation of genes associated with intracellular signaling cascade in rat liver regeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The importance of signal transduction in cell activities has been generally accepted. The purpose of this study was to analyze the regulatory effect of intracellular signaling cascade-associated genes on rat liver regeneration (LR) at transcriptional level.
  
  
  METHODS
  The associated genes were originally obtained through a search of the databases and related scientific publications; their expression profiles were then checked in rat LR using the Rat Genome 230 2.0 array. The LR-associated genes were identified by comparing the discrepancy in gene expression changes between the partial hepatectomy (PH) group and the sham operation (SO) group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 566 genes associated with the intracellular signaling cascade were LR related. The genes involved in nine signaling pathways including intracellular receptor-, second messenger-, nitric oxide-, hormone-, carbohydrate-mediated, protein kinase, small GTPase, ER-nuclear and target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathways were detected to be enriched in a cluster characterized by up-regulated expression in LR. According to their expression similarity and time relevance, they were separately classified into 5 and 5 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is presumed that following PH, the second messenger-mediated signaling pathway inhibits the inflammatory response, while the protein kinase cascade and small GTPase-mediated signal transduction stimulate the immune response; the intracellular receptor-, second messenger-, small GTPase-mediated signal transduction and protein kinase cascade coordinately control cell replication; the intracellular receptor-, second messenger-mediated and ER-nuclear signaling pathways facilitate cell differentiation; the MAPK cascade and small GTPase-mediated signal transduction play a role in cytoskeletal reconstruction and cell migration; the second messenger-, small GTPase-mediated and IkappaB kinase/NFkappaB cascades take care of protein transport, etc., in LR.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan Province, P.R. China. xucs@x263.net
authors.forename: Cun-Shuan
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Heng-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Shuai-Shuai
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Xiu-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006498:Hepatectomy; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger