title: [Hepatocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening in rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of hepatocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty male SD rats were randomized into normal diet group and high-fat diet group. At 4, 8 and 12 week of feeding. The hepatocyte apoptosis index (AI) was measured using flow cytometry, and MPTP opening was evaluated with ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect hepatic expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax, and Western blotting was used to detect Bax protein expression changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High-fat feeding resulted in significantly increased hepatocyte AI at 4-12 weeks and gradually increased MPTP opening. In the high-fat diet group, hepatic Bcl-2 expression was detected but the positive cell number remained stable, whereas Bax-positive cell number increased steadily with time with progressively increased intensity of Bax protein expression, resulting in gradually decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatocyte apoptosis occurs in the rat model of NAFLD in close correlation with mitochondrial damage. Increased MPTP opening as the result of increased Bax expression and aberrant Bcl-2/Bax ratio is an important mechanism of hepatocyte mitochondrial damage in NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, China. kyj_75@163.com
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dejun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Zhimin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494828:Bax protein, rat; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein