title: [Changes in mast cells and hepatic expression of c-kit and stem cell factor in the rat model of chronic hepatitis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the potential role of mast cells and the related molecular mechanism in chronic hepatitis (CH) using a rat model system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty Wistar rats (15 males, 15 females; weight range: 230-290 g) were randomly divided into the normal contrast (NC) group and experimental CH group. The CH group received subcutaneous injection of CCl4 and a diet high in cholesterol and alcohol content and low in protein and choline content. Throughout the 4-week modeling period, aseptic blood samples were taken to test plasma tryptase (TS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) levels. The rats were euthanized to assess the changes in liver mast cells by histology and morphology analyses and the changes in liver expression of c-kit and stem cell factor (SCF) proteins by immunohistochemistry and mRNAs by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the NC group, the CH group had higher plasma and liver concentration of HA (78.09 +/- 38.55 vs. 145.14 +/- 52.54 ng/ml, 51.58 +/- 20.45 vs. 106.59 +/- 43.15 ng/100 mg; t = 2.457 and 2.825 respectively, both P less than 0.05) and TS (0.416 +/- 0.143 vs 0.753 +/- 0.210 mg/ml; t = 4.165, P less than 0.05). The CH group also showed fatty degeneration and fibrosis with many degranulating and degranulated mast cells filled with purple granula located around the liver blood vessels and in fiber-intervals. The CH livers also showed a significantly higher number of mast cells (2.167 +/- 0.924 vs. NC: 10.92 +/- 1.575; t = 7.633, P less than 0.05) and stronger intensity of c-kit staining (2.783 +/- 0.577 vs. 12.86 +/- 3.126; t = 9.511, P less than 0.05) and SCF staining (3.383 +/- 1.583 vs. 15.58 +/- 6.431; t = 9.625, P less than 0.05). The expressions of c-kit and SCF were positively correlated with HA level (r = 0.478 and 0.556 respectively, both P less than 0.05). The c-kit and SCF mRNA expression levels were also significantly higher in the CH liver tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mast cell degranulation and histamine release is significantly increased under conditions of chronic hepatitis, and the related mechanism may involve up-regulation of the membrane receptor c-kit and its ligand SCF.
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Long-feng
authors: LF
authors: Zhao
authors: Yan-qin
authors: YQ
authors: Hao
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Yin
authors: Yuan-chang
authors: YC
authors: Zhao
authors: De-wu
authors: DW
authors: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015550:Cell Degranulation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit