The Change of Transforming Growth Factor-beta1 Expression and the Effect of Vitamin E in the Acute Rat Liver Injury with Carbon Tetrachloride

Lee, Jung Il; Lee, Kwan Sik; Chung, Jun Pyo; Park, Young Nyun; Lee, Se Joon; Han, Kwang Hyub; Chon, Chae Yoon; Lee, Sang In; Moon, Young Myoung; Kim, Hyon Suk

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The evaluation of the relationship between oxidative stress induced by acute carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), and the investigation of temporal patterns of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and TGF-beta1 expression which may clarify the pathogenesis of CCl4 induced liver injury and thus the mechanism of liver fibrogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate TGF-beta1 expression in rats with acute CCl4 injury and effect of vitamin E (vit. E) on TGF-beta1 expression.
METHODS
Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats had a single intraperitoneal injection of CCl4, of which 30 rats had daily intraperitoneal injection of vit. E, starting from 2 days before CCl4 treatment until the time of their sacrifice. The group of rats with CCl4 injection only was designated as group 1 and the group of rats with vit. E combined treatment was designated as group 2. Five rats from each group were sacrificed before and 8, 16, 32, 48, 60 hours after CCl4 injection, and their serum ALT, serum TGF-beta1, and hepatic expression of TGF-beta1 were examined.
RESULTS
The serum ALT levels were highest at 32 hours after CCl4 injection in both groups, serum TGF-beta1 levels did not show any statistically significant changes after CCl4 injection in both groups, and TGF-beta1 expression in the livers was highest at 32 hours after CCl4 injection in both groups. In the multiple regression analysis of vit. E's effect on serum ALT levels, serum TGF-beta1 levels and hepatic TGF-beta1 expression, only serum ALT level (p=0.049) and hepatic TGF-beta1 expression (p=0.015) showed statistically significant suppression.
CONCLUSION
Oxidative stress seems to play a role in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrogenesis by increasing TGF-beta1 expression in early acute liver damage. and vit. E may be effective in reducing acute liver injury and hepatic fibrogenesis.