Growth Factor Receptors and Liver Injury

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the expression pattern of transforming growth factor β receptor I(TGFβRI) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) at the different stages of liver injury including acute injury, fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Study Design: Controlled experiment.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of biochemistry and department of pharmacology and toxicology, faculty of pharmacy (boys) Al-Azhar university, between February 2015 and June 2015.

Methodology: Four Sprague-Dawley rats groups were used for the experiment. Control group: 9 rats received corn oil; Acute toxicity group: 10 rats were injected 50% CCl4 in corn oil (4 ml/kg/IP/single dose); 6 weeks group: 12 rats were injected with 50% CCl4 in corn oil (4 ml/kg/IP/twice weekly/6 weeks); 11 weeks group: 10 rats were injected with 50% CCl4 in corn oil (4 ml/kg/IP/twice weekly/6 weeks) followed by 5 weeks of CCl4 treatment with the half previous dose.

On the day after the last dose, rats were anesthetized with diethyl ether and blood samples were collected for measurement of blood chemistry. The animals then were euthanized, and tissue samples from the livers were harvested and divided into 2 parts; the first was processed for standard histology and immunofluorescence techniques and the other was homogenized for oxidative status assessment.

Results: TGFβRI and FGFR3 were shown to upregulate in chronic liver injury including stages of fibrosis and cirrhosis. While TGFβRI was shown to be located mainly in the cell membrane, the cytoplasm was shown to be the main site for FGFR3 localization.

Conclusion: TGFβRI and FGFR3 were suggested to be of critical importance in pathogenesis of chronic liver injury so they may be used as a target for chronic liver injury therapy and/or candidate marker for diagnosis and/or prognosis of chronic liver injury.