Early growth response-1 transcription factor promotes hepatic fibrosis and steatosis in long-term ethanol-fed Long-Evans rats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous studies demonstrated that the Long-Evans (LE) rats exhibited liver injury and lipid metabolic abnormalities after 8 weeks of ethanol feeding.

Aims

The goal of this study was to investigate if the LE rats develop more advanced hepatic abnormalities (e.g., fibrosis) after long-term feeding with an ethanol-containing Lieber-DeCarli diet. In addition, the contribution of early growth response-1 (EGR1) transcription factor to these pathological changes was assessed.

Methods

Long-Evans rats were fed an ethanol-containing or isocaloric control liquid diet for 18 months. Livers were processed for histological analyses, studies of fibrosis-related gene expression, cell fractionation and triglyceride measurement. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels w

SUBMITTER: Derdak Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10026596 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature