Low-power laser irradiation fails to improve liver regeneration in elderly rats at 48 h after 70 % resection.

The liver regeneration is an important clinical issue after major hepatectomies. Unfortunately, many organs (including the liver) exhibit age-related impairments regarding their regenerative capacity. Recent studies found that low-power laser irradiation (LPLI) has a stimulatory effect on the liver regeneration process. However, its effects in elderly remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the main molecular mechanisms involved in liver regeneration of partially hepatectomized elderly rats exposed to LPLI. The effects of 15 min of LPLI (wavelength of 632.8 nm; fluence of 0.97 J/cm(2); total energy delivered of 3.6 J) were evaluated in hepatectomized elderly Wistar male rats. Afterwards, through immunoblotting approaches, the protein expression and phosphorylation levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), Met, Akt and Erk 1/2 signaling pathways as well as the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were investigated. It was observed that LPLI was not able to improve liver regeneration in elderly rats as evidenced by the lack of improvement of HGF and PCNA protein expression or phosphorylation levels of Met, Akt and Erk 1/2 in the remnant livers. In sum, this study demonstrated that the main molecular pathway, i.e. HGF/Met → Akt and Erk 1/2 → PCNA, involved in the hepatic regeneration process was not improved by LPLI in elderly hepatectomized rats, which in turn rules out LPLI as an adjuvant therapy, as observed in this protocol of liver regeneration evaluation (i.e. at 48 h after 70 % resection), in elderly.

Liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy is improved by enhancing the HGF/Met axis and Akt and Erk pathways after low-power laser irradiation in rats.

A simple, easy, and safe procedure aiming to improve liver regeneration could be of great clinical benefit in critical situations such as major hepatectomy, trauma, or hemorrhage. Low-power laser irradiation (LPLI) has come into a wide range of use in clinical practice by inducing regeneration in healthy and injured tissues. However, the effect of LPLI on the process of liver regeneration, especially those related to the molecular mechanisms, is not fully understood. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the main molecular mechanisms involved in liver regeneration of partially hepatectomized rats exposed to LPLI. We used Wistar male rats, which had their remaining liver irradiated or not with LPLI (wavelength of 632.8 nm and fluence of 65 mW/cm(2)) for 15 min after a 70% hepatectomy. We subsequently investigated hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), Met, Akt, and Erk 1/2 signaling pathways through protein expression and phosphorylation analyses along with cell proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67) using immunoblotting and histological studies. Our results show that LPLI can improve liver regeneration as shown by increased HGF protein expression and the phosphorylation levels of Met, Akt, and Erk 1/2 accompanied by higher levels of the PCNA and Ki-67 protein in the remnant livers. In summary, our results suggest that LPLI may play a clinical role as a simple, fast, and easy-to-perform strategy in order to enhance the liver regenerative capacity of a small liver remnant after hepatectomy.

Monitoring of native fluorescence induced by a glucose diet in Wistar rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate red fluorescence found in the digestive tract of Wistar rats submitted to stress produced by a liquid diet of 5% glucose and maintenance in darkness. BACKGROUND DATA: Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is produced by the Harderian gland, located in the inner corner of the eyes of rats. Under stressful conditions this gland increases the production of PpIX, which can be detected in different regions of the body, in a manner reminiscent of a porphyria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-five Wistar rats were used in this study. The fluorescence spectra were registered with optical resolution better than 1.7 nm. The rats were fed a 5% glucose diet, exclusively, up to 120 h. The animals were evaluated throughout the diet period, which included two sequential experiments: considering the red fluorescence of their intestinal tract and the fluorescence that appeared in some external parts of their bodies (paw, tail, nose, and scrotum). The normal diet was reintroduced and new spectra were obtained after 24 and 48 h. RESULTS: Experiment I showed a marked, time-dependent increase in the intestinal content of porphyrin in rats fed the glucose diet. The fluorescence spectrum of the material identified it as PpIX. The spectra collected in Experiment II showed an increase in fluorescence in the four external areas associated with the duration of the diet. This fluorescence disappeared after reintroduction of the regular diet. CONCLUSION: The feeding of a restricted diet (5% glucose) to Wistar rats resulted in reversible porphyria. Measurement of the fluorescence intensity may be a reliable method for monitoring the porphyrin content of tissues.