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Gut-Brain Chemokine Changes in Portal Hypertensive Rats

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Abstract

Background

Hepatic encephalopathy is a syndrome whose physiopathology is poorly understood; therefore, current diagnostic tests are imperfect and modern therapy is nonspecific. Particularly, it has been suggested that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of portal hypertensive encephalopathy in the rat.

Aim

We have studied an experimental model of portal hypertension based on a triple partial portal vein ligation in the rat to verify this hypothesis.

Methods

One month after portal hypertension we assayed in the splanchnic area (liver, small bowel and mesenteric lymph nodes) and in the central nervous system (hippocampus and cerebellum) fractalkine (CX3CL1) and stromal cell-derived factor alpha (SDF1-α) as well as their respective receptors (CX3CR1 and CXCR4) because of their key role in inflammatory processes.

Results

The significant increase of fractalkine in mesenteric lymph nodes (P < 0.05) and its receptor (CX3CR1) in the small bowel (P < 0.05) and hippocampus (P < 0.01), associated with the increased expression of SDF1-α in the hippocampus (P < 0.01) and the cerebellum (P < 0.01) suggest that prehepatic portal hypertension in the rat induces important alterations in the expression of chemokines in the gut-brain axis.

Conclusion

The present study revealed that portal hypertension is associated with splanchnic-brain inflammatory alterations mediated by chemokines.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to Maria Elena Vicente for her invaluable assistance in preparing the manuscript and Elizabeth Mascola for translating it. This study was supported in part with grants from the “Mutua Madrileña” Research Foundation (FMM Ref. No. AP69772009 and Ref. No. AP59662009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery I, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s.n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Joaquin Merino, Maria-Angeles Aller & Jaime Arias

  2. Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

    Sandra Rubio

  3. Neurosciences Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Pza. de Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

    Natalia Arias & Jorge-Luis Arias

  4. Department of Physiology (Animal Physiology II), School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, J. A. Novais 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Maria-Paz Nava

  5. Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1055 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Maria Loscertales

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  1. Joaquin Merino
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  2. Maria-Angeles Aller
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Correspondence to Maria-Angeles Aller.

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Merino, J., Aller, MA., Rubio, S. et al. Gut-Brain Chemokine Changes in Portal Hypertensive Rats. Dig Dis Sci 56, 2309–2317 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-011-1625-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-011-1625-y

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