Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/enzymology , Liver Neoplasms/enzymology , Liver/enzymology , Matrix Metalloproteinase 2/metabolism , Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/metabolism , Phenylalanine/analogs & derivatives , Phenylalanine/pharmacology , Protease Inhibitors/pharmacology , Thiophenes/pharmacology , Animals , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the dynamic changes of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the liver of rat during experimental hepatocarcinogenesis. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry, gelatin zymography, and reverse transcriptase-PCR were used for detection of latent and active forms and mRNA of MMPs in each phases of carcinogenic stages. RESULTS: MMPs expression was detected in normal and cirrhotic liver, which was most obvious in the cancer cells after the development of hepatic carcinoma. Normal tissue showed only low levels of MMPs expression, which kept increasing in the course of hepatocarcinogenesis, as was also the case with the corresponding mRNA. CONCLUSION: Transcription and expression of MMPs keep increasing throughout the the process of hepatocarcinogenesis.
Subject(s)
Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/enzymology , Liver/enzymology , Matrix Metalloproteinase 2/biosynthesis , Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/biosynthesis , Animals , Carcinogens/adverse effects , Diethylnitrosamine/adverse effects , Immunohistochemistry/methods , Liver/pathology , Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/chemically induced , Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology , Matrix Metalloproteinase 2/genetics , RNA, Messenger , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
AIM:To investigate the expression of perforin and fas-ligand (fas-L) of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS:By in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, the perforin and fas-L gene expression of TILs was studied in 20 HCC cases.RESULTS: Positive expression of perforin and fas-L genes was detected in 16 HCC cases. One patient had expression of perforin and fas-L genes in the majority of TILs and survived 1.5 years after tumor resection without HCC relapse.This seems that the presence of a large number of activated T cells might be beneficial for the antitumor immunity. In other cases, less than 10% of TILs were able to express perforin and fas-L genes.CONCLUSION:Although there were a number of T cells in HCC, only few of them were immunoactive and able to kill tumor cells. It seems important to promote further proliferation of these activated T cells in vitro or in vivo.
