Oxidative stress and apoptosis of VX2 hepatocarcinoma after transcatheter arterial embolization in rabbit / 中国介入影像与治疗学

ABSTRACT

Objective: To observe the oxidative stress and apoptosis of paracancerous liver tissue after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in rabbit models with VX2 hepatocarcinoma, in order to investigate the role of oxidative stress and apoptosis in liver tissue injury. Methods: Twenty-five rabbit VX2 hepatocarcinoma models were established and randomly divided into TAE group (n=13) and control group (n=12). TAE group was treated with TAE, while no treatment was performed on control group. Peripheral blood indexes, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBI), serum albumin (ALB) and prothrombin time (PT) were detected three days after operation in TAE group and the same time in control group. Then the experimental animals were killed, and the samples of tumor tissues and paracancerous liver tissues were obtained for histopathological examination, bioenzyme detection and apoptosis detection. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), Catalase (CAT) were detected by biochemical enzymatic assay. The apoptosis of hepatocytes was detected by using TUNEL method, and the apoptotic index (AI) was calculated. Results Compared with control group, ALT, AST and TBI increased, ALB decreased and PT prolonged, while SOD, GSH-PX, CAT decreased in TAE group (all P<0.001). Mild steatosis and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in paracancerous liver tissue of TAE group, while only mild steatosis was observed in control group. AI of TAE group was significantly higher than that of control group ([64.20±2.77]% vs [2.20±1.90]%; t=-112.30, P<0.001). Conclusion: The decrease of liver function after TAE in rabbit VX2 hepatocarcinoma models maybe associate with the decrease of antioxidant activity and the oxidative stress which eventually lead to the increase of hepatocyte apoptosis.