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The effect of aging on VEGF/VEGFR2 signal pathway genes expression in rat liver sinusoidal endothelial cell

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Abstract

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) play a key role in the initiation and neoangiogenesis of liver regeneration. We presume that the abnormity of the VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene Id1, Wnt2 and HGF expression in aged LSECs may be an important mechanism to affect liver regeneration of the elderly. LSECs from two different groups (adult and old) were isolated in a rodent model, and observed by SEM and TEM. The adult and old rats were underwent 70% partial hepatectomy. The proliferation of hepatocytes and LSECs were analyzed by Immunofluorescence staining. The expression of VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene in isolated LSECs and liver tissue after hepatectomy were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. There is a decreased number of endothelial fenestrae in the LSECs of the old group, compared to the adult group. The old group had a lower expression of VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene than the adult groups (p < 0.01). The results of western blot were consistent with those of qRT-PCR. The hepatocytes had a high proliferation rate at first 4 days after hepatectomy, and a significantly higher proliferation rate in the adult group. The LSECs began to proliferate after 4 days of hepatectomy, and showed a quantity advantage in the adult group. The adult group had a significantly higher expression of VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene after hepatectomy than the old group (p < 0.01). LSCEs turn to be defenestration in structure and have a low expression of VEGF/VEGFR2 and its pathway gene with aging.

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Acknowledegements

This study was supported by a grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81270521 and 81870445). This work was also supported in part by the Youth Creative Project of Medical Research in Sichuan Province (Grant No. Q15087).

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Author notes

  1. Wan-Li Wang and Xing-Long Zheng are contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.277 West Yanta Road, Xi’an, 710061, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Wan-Li Wang, Qing-Shan Li, Wen-Yan Liu, Liang-Shuo Hu, Huan-Chen Sha, Kun Guo, Yi Lv & Bo Wang

  2. Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No.277 West Yanta Road, Xi’an, 710061, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Xing-Long Zheng

  3. Department of General Surgery, Bazhong Central Hospital, No.1 Nanchi River Street, Bazhong, 636000, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Wan-Li Wang

  4. Research Institute of Advanced Surgical Techniques and Engineering of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Wan-Li Wang, Xing-Long Zheng, Qing-Shan Li, Wen-Yan Liu, Liang-Shuo Hu, Yi Lv & Bo Wang

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  1. Wan-Li Wang
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Wang, WL., Zheng, XL., Li, QS. et al. The effect of aging on VEGF/VEGFR2 signal pathway genes expression in rat liver sinusoidal endothelial cell. Mol Cell Biochem 476, 269–277 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-020-03903-7

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