title: Hydrogen-rich saline attenuates skin ischemia/reperfusion induced apoptosis via regulating Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and ASK-1/JNK pathway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many pathways have been reported involving the effect of hydrogen-rich saline on protecting skin flap partial necrosis induced by the inflammation of ischemia/reperfusion injury. This study focused on the influence of hydrogen-rich saline treatment on apoptosis pathway of ASK-1/JNK and Bcl-2/Bax radio in I/R injury of skin flaps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. Group 1 was sham surgery group, Group 2 and 3 were ischemia/reperfusion surgery treated with physiological saline and hydrogen-rich saline respectively. Blood perfusion of flap was measured by Laser doppler flowmeters. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe morphological changes. Early apoptosis in skin flap was observed through TUNEL staining and presented as the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells of total cells. pASK-1, pJNK, Bcl-2 and Bax were examined by immunodetection. In addition Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 were detected by qPCR. Caspase-3 activity was also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the Group 2, tissues from the group 3 were observed with a high expression of Bcl-2 and a low expression of pASK-1, pJNK, and Bax, a larger survival area and a high level of blood perfusion. Hydrogen-rich saline ameliorated inflammatory infiltration and decreased cell apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that hydrogen-rich saline could ameliorate ischemia/reperfusion injury and improve flap survival rate by inhibiting the apoptosis factor and, at the same time, promoting the expression of anti-apoptosis factor.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Qi
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China. Electronic address: xmma@bjut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xue-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Dongcheng, Beijing 100124, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ding
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Dongcheng, Beijing 100124, China. Electronic address: wybenz@sina.com.
authors.forename: You-Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Dongcheng, Beijing 100124, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Zi
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Ai-Xin
authors.initials: AX
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ting-Ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jia-La
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Peng-Xiang
authors.initials: PX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps / Q000098:blood supply; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D006859:Hydrogen; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5; C482858:MAP3K5 protein, human
keywords: Apoptosis; Hydrogen-rich saline; Ischemia/reperfusion; Skin flaps