title: Protein expression under sustained activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 in diethylnitrosamine-induced rat liver carcinogenesis.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of proteins associated with the sustained activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 pathway during diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced rat liver carcinogenesis. DEN was intermittently administered to rats to induce liver cancer, and light and electron microscopy were used to observe the morphological changes in the liver during carcinogenesis. Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to detect the expression of STAT-3, phosphorylated (p)-STAT-3, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-10, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), kinase insert domain receptor (KDR), hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and interleukin (IL)-10, in order to investigate the association between STAT-3 and p-STAT-3 expression and MMP-10, VEGF, KDR, HIF-1α, bFGF and IL-10. The western blotting and qPCR results revealed that the expression of STAT-3, p-STAT-3, MMP-10, VEGF, KDR, HIF-1α, bFGF and IL-10 proteins gradually increased during carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the STAT-3 and p-STAT-3 levels were found to positively correlate with MMP-10, VEGF, KDR, HIF-1α, bFGF and IL-10 protein expression. During DEN-induced rat liver carcinogenesis, STAT-3 protein continually activated MMP-10, VEGF, KDR, HIF-1α, bFGF and IL-10, and its expression was found to positively correlate with the expression of these proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, P.R. China ; Department of Surgery, Affiliated Hospital, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Dong-Jie
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuang-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xue-Wu
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: diethylnitrosamine; liver cancer; rats; signal transducer and activator of transcription-3; sustained activation