Hepatic oval cells activated by hepatocyte apoptosis in diethylnitrosamine-induced rat liver cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether hepatic oval cells are activated in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced rat liver cirrhosis, and to explore its mechanism.


METHODS
Liver cirrhosis was induced in rats (n=8) by weekly intraperitoneal injections of DEN at a dose of 50mg/kg body weight for 12 weeks followed by a 2-week wash out period. Rats (n=5) that received isovolumic vehicle served as the control group. Liver pathology was examined. Apoptotic hepatocytes were identified and quantified by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. Oval cells were detected using immunohistochemical staining for pyruvate kinase type M2 (M2PK) and cytokeratin 19 (CK19). The work was carried out at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China from February to December 2009.


RESULTS
Liver cirrhosis developed in rats subjected to DEN administration. The TUNEL and morphology assay showed that a substantial number of hepatocytes underwent apoptosis. The apoptotic index in rats subjected to DEN administration (0.75 0.15) was much higher than normal control rats (0.10 0.05). Both CK19 and M2PK were moderately expressed in the rat liver cirrhosis, and the expression was dispersed or forming small cords in the liver; but the expression was hardly detected in the liver tissue of normal control rats.


CONCLUSIONS
In the DEN-induced rat liver cirrhosis, oval cells are activated and stimulated to proliferation, the mechanism of which may be related to substantial hepatocyte apoptosis in the model.
Xu
Xi-Ming
XM
Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China. whuxxm@yahoo.com
Yuan
Guang-Jin
GJ
Deng
Jun-Jian
JJ
Wu
Yao-Gui
YG
Ge
Wei
W
Song
Qi-Bing
QB
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D053539:Keratin-19 / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D053539:Keratin-19; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase