目的探讨第10号染色体缺失的磷酸酶张力蛋白同源物基因(PTEN)在大鼠纤维化肝组织中的动态表达及其对在体肝星状细胞(HSC)活化、增殖的影响。方法采用胆总管结扎法建立大鼠肝纤维化模型;应用免疫组织化学染色、Westernblot和实时荧光定量PCR技术测定大鼠肝组织中PTEN的表达;应用免疫荧光双标记共聚焦激光扫描显微术测定大鼠肝组织中活化HSC的PTEN表达;采用免疫组织化学染色检测大鼠肝组织中α-平滑肌肌动蛋白的表达。结果免疫组织化学染色显示正常大鼠肝组织中PTEN有广泛表达,主要表达于细胞质,随着肝纤维化的发展,PTEN表达逐渐减少(P〈0.01),而α-平滑肌肌动蛋白阳性细胞明显增多(P〈0.01);造模1、2、3周及4周不同时间大鼠纤维化肝组织中PTEN的mRNA(分别为假手术组的0.66、0.53、0.44和0.37)及蛋白质表达(吸光度比值分别为1.20±0.13,1.07±0.16,0.88±0.08,0.73±0.07)均低于假手术组(P〈0.01),并随着肝纤维化的进展逐渐降低(P〈0.01);免疫荧光双标记共聚焦激光扫描显微术显示PTEN在活化HSC广泛表达,主要表达于细胞质,随着肝纤维化的进展,表达PTEN的活化HSC占总的活化HSC的比例逐渐减少(P〈0.01)。结论大鼠纤维化肝组织中PTEN的mRNA及蛋白质表达均下调;在体HSC的PTEN表达亦降低;肝组织中PTEN的动态表达与HSC的活化、增殖呈显著负相关。
Objective To investigate the dynamic expression of PTEN in fibrogenic liver tissue of rats and its effect on the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Methods A rat model of hepatic fibrosis was established by common bile duct ligation (BDL). The expressions of PTEN in the rat liver tissues were detected by immunohistoehemical staining, Western blot and real-time PCR assay. The expres- sions of PTEN in activated HSC in the rat liver tissues were detected by immunofluorescence double labeling confocal laser scanning microscopy. The alpha-SMA in the rat liver tissues was determined by immunohis- tochemical staining. Results The immunohistochemical staining indicated that there was extensive expres- sion of PTEN in the liver tissues of normal rats, it was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of the HSC. With the aggravation of hepatic fibrosis, the expression of PTEN in the hepatic tissues decreased gradually (P 〈 0.01), while the alpha-SMA positive cells in the hepatic tissues increased significantly (P 〈 0.01). The expressions of PTEN protein and mRNA in the rat liver tissues at week 1, 2, 3 and 4 after BDL were all lower than those in the sham operation group (P 〈 0.01), and the expressions gradually decreased with the development of hepatic fibrosis (P 〈 0.01). Immunofluorescence double labeling confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that PTEN were expressed extensively in activated HSC, especially in the cytoplasm, and with the develop- ment of hepatic fibrosis, the PTEN-expressing activated HSC accotmted for an increasingly smaller percent- age of total activated HSC. Conclusion The expressions of PTEN mRNA and protein in rat fibrogenic liver tissues were downregulated, and their expressions in HSC in vivo also decreased. The dynamic expressions of PTEN in liver tissues had a significant negative correlation with the activation and proliferation of HSC.