AIM: To investigate the density of mast cells (MCs) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to determine whether the MCs density has any correlations with histopathological grading, staging or some baseline patie...AIM: To investigate the density of mast cells (MCs) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to determine whether the MCs density has any correlations with histopathological grading, staging or some baseline patient characteristics.METHODS: Tissue sections of 22 primary HCCs were histochemically stained with toluidine blue, in order to be able to quantify the MCs in and around the neoplasm using a computer-assisted image analysis system. HCC was staged and graded by two independent pathologists. To identify the sinusoidal capillarisation of each specimen 3μm thick sections were histochemically stained with sirius red, and semi-quantitatively evaluated by two independent observers. The data were statistically analysed using Spearman′s correlation and Student′s t-test when appropriate.RESULTS: MCs density did not correlate with the age or sex of the patients, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, or the stage or grade of the HCC. No significant differences were found between the MCs density of the patients with and without hepatitis C virus infection, but they were significantly higher in the specimens showing marked sinusoidal capillarisation.CONCLUSION: The lack of any significant correlation between MCs density and the stage or grade of the neoplastic lesions suggests that there is no causal relationship between MCs recruitment and HCC. However, as capillarisation proceeds concurrently with arterial blood supply during hepatocarcinogenesis, MCs may be considered of primary importance in the transition from sinusoidal to capillary-type endothelial cells and the HCC growth.展开更多
AIM: Heme oxygenase (HO)-I catalyzes the conversion of heme to biliverdin, iron and carbon monoxide. HO-1 is induced by many stimuli including heme, Hb, heat stress,lipopolysaccharide (LP5) and cytokines. Previous stu...AIM: Heme oxygenase (HO)-I catalyzes the conversion of heme to biliverdin, iron and carbon monoxide. HO-1 is induced by many stimuli including heme, Hb, heat stress,lipopolysaccharide (LP5) and cytokines. Previous studies demonstrated that LP5 induced HO-1 gene activation and HO-1 expression in liver. However, the mechanisms of LPS-induced HO-1 expression in liver remain unknown. The effect of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) on LPS-induced liver HO-1 expression and the role of TNF-α and IL-1β in this condition were determined.METHODS: HO-1 expression was determined by immunofluorescent staining and immunoblotting. Double immunofluorescent staining was performed to determine the cell type of HO-1 expression in liver.RESULTS: A low dose of LPS significantly increased HO-1 expression in the liver which was localized in Kupffer cells only. Furthermore, HO-1 expression was enhanced by three doses of LPS. HO-1 expression was significantly inhibited in the liver of TLR4 mutant mice. While the liver HO-1 expression in TNF KO mice was much lower than that in C57 mice following the same LPS treatment, IL-1β KO had a slight influence on liver HO-1 expression following LPS treatment.CONCLUSION: The preserfl: results confirm that macrophages are the major source of HO-1 in the liver induced by LPS.This study demonstrates that TLR4 plays a dominant role in mediating HO-1 expression following LPS. LPS-induced HO-1 expression is mainly mediated by endogenous TNF-α, but only partially by endogenous IL-1β.展开更多
基金the grants from the Foundation"Michele Rodriguez".Istituto Scientifico per le Misure Quantitative in Medicina,Milan,Italy
文摘AIM: To investigate the density of mast cells (MCs) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to determine whether the MCs density has any correlations with histopathological grading, staging or some baseline patient characteristics.METHODS: Tissue sections of 22 primary HCCs were histochemically stained with toluidine blue, in order to be able to quantify the MCs in and around the neoplasm using a computer-assisted image analysis system. HCC was staged and graded by two independent pathologists. To identify the sinusoidal capillarisation of each specimen 3μm thick sections were histochemically stained with sirius red, and semi-quantitatively evaluated by two independent observers. The data were statistically analysed using Spearman′s correlation and Student′s t-test when appropriate.RESULTS: MCs density did not correlate with the age or sex of the patients, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, or the stage or grade of the HCC. No significant differences were found between the MCs density of the patients with and without hepatitis C virus infection, but they were significantly higher in the specimens showing marked sinusoidal capillarisation.CONCLUSION: The lack of any significant correlation between MCs density and the stage or grade of the neoplastic lesions suggests that there is no causal relationship between MCs recruitment and HCC. However, as capillarisation proceeds concurrently with arterial blood supply during hepatocarcinogenesis, MCs may be considered of primary importance in the transition from sinusoidal to capillary-type endothelial cells and the HCC growth.
文摘AIM: Heme oxygenase (HO)-I catalyzes the conversion of heme to biliverdin, iron and carbon monoxide. HO-1 is induced by many stimuli including heme, Hb, heat stress,lipopolysaccharide (LP5) and cytokines. Previous studies demonstrated that LP5 induced HO-1 gene activation and HO-1 expression in liver. However, the mechanisms of LPS-induced HO-1 expression in liver remain unknown. The effect of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) on LPS-induced liver HO-1 expression and the role of TNF-α and IL-1β in this condition were determined.METHODS: HO-1 expression was determined by immunofluorescent staining and immunoblotting. Double immunofluorescent staining was performed to determine the cell type of HO-1 expression in liver.RESULTS: A low dose of LPS significantly increased HO-1 expression in the liver which was localized in Kupffer cells only. Furthermore, HO-1 expression was enhanced by three doses of LPS. HO-1 expression was significantly inhibited in the liver of TLR4 mutant mice. While the liver HO-1 expression in TNF KO mice was much lower than that in C57 mice following the same LPS treatment, IL-1β KO had a slight influence on liver HO-1 expression following LPS treatment.CONCLUSION: The preserfl: results confirm that macrophages are the major source of HO-1 in the liver induced by LPS.This study demonstrates that TLR4 plays a dominant role in mediating HO-1 expression following LPS. LPS-induced HO-1 expression is mainly mediated by endogenous TNF-α, but only partially by endogenous IL-1β.
