Reduced expression and dynamic alteration of growth hormone receptors in cirrhotic hepatocytes of rats / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To study the expression and change of growth hormone receptors in experimental cirrhotic liver in rats. METHODS: Thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis was developed in Sprague-Dawley rats. The expression of growth hormone receptor and its mRNA was investigated by radio-ligand binding assay, revere transcript-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and digital image analysis in liver tissue or hepatocytes taken from normal control or cirrhotic rats with different stages of cirrhosis. RESULTS: Growth hormone-specific singular binding sties, namely growth hormone receptors, were detected in liver tissue or hepatocytes from rat samples with cirrhosis. The binding capacity of growth hormone receptors in rat cirrhotic live tissue was significant lower than that in normal control, and it decreased gradually along with the accumulation of collagen in the process of formation and development of liver cirrhosis. The binding sites of growth hormone receptors in rat cirrhotic liver cells were significantly lower than that in normal control. The expression of growth hormone receptor mRNA in rat cirrhotic liver tissue was also significant lower than that in normal control. CONCLUSIONS: The growth hormone receptor was expressed in cirrhotic livers at a reduced level in isolated hepatocytes or live tissue of cirrhotic rats, and lesser expression of growth hormone receptors was found in later stage of cirrhosis. The suppressed expression of growth hormone receptor was partly due to the reduced expression of its mRNA in cirrhotic liver tissue.