Antagonistic action on the progression of experimental liver fibrosis of Kunming mice by transferring antisense-Smad_4 gene / 中国普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo study the effect of TGF-? 1 signal transduction blocked by antisense-Smad 4 gene on progression of experimental liver fibrosis of Kunming mice.MethodsWe transfered retrovirus-mediated antisense Smad 4cDNA into the CCl4/ethanol induced cirrhotic liver of Kunming mouse model to investigate the antisense-Smad 4 gene integration by Southern blot. The expression of Smad 4 in cirrhotic liver was observed by Northern blot, RT-PCR, and Western blot. The fibrotic degree of the livers among the three groups were compared.ResultsThe antisense-Smad 4 gene was confirmed to integrate into the liver of the retrovirus-treated mouse .In the non-treated cirrhotic liver, the expression of Smad 4 mRNA was significantly increased than normal liver, the antisense Smad 4 gene could decrease the expression of Smad 4. Compared with the non-treated liver, the fibrotic septa of the liver in the retrovirus-treated mouse were fewer,narrow, and incomplete,and their fibrotic degree of the treated-liver was reduced.ConclusionThese results indicate that antisense-Smad 4 gene can reduce the expression of Smad 4,inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis.