Effects of weightlessness on the apoptosis of hepatocytes in rats / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of weightlessness on the apoptosis of hepatocytes in rats.Methods Eighty-four adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into weightlessness group and control group according to the random number table.Tail-suspension was used to simulate the weightlessness model.Six rats were sacrificed in each group at the end of day 1-7.Hepatocyte apoptosis and p53 expression were detected by TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry PV-6001,respectively.All data were analyzed by variance analysis.Results An increase of apoptosis index and up-regulated expression of p53 were detected in weightlessness group.The level of apoptotic index Was significantly higher in weightlessness group than in control group from day 1 to day 5(F=77.608,P<0.05),and the apoptotic indexes of the 2 groups were close at day 6 and day 7.The p53 proteins with positive expression were mainly detected in the nucleus.The level of positive expression of p53 in liver tissue in weightlessness group was higher than that in control group at the early stage(F=113.063,P<0.05).Few hepatocytes with positive expression were detected in control group and weightlessness group at a later stage.Conclusion There is a close relationship between hepatocyte apoptosis,changes of P53 expression and stress response and tolerance to weightlessness.