Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated that Hedgehog signalling pathway is activated in human hepatocarcinoma, whether it is also activated in animal hepatocarcinoma remains unclear. Sophora flavescens Ait can inhibit proliferation cycle of hepatoma carcinoma cells. The correlation between Sophora flavescens Ait and Hedgehog signalling pathway remain poorly understood.
OBJECTIVE: To study the role of hedgehog signaling pathway activation in artificially induced-SD rat hepatocarcinoma and to investigate the effect of compound radix sophorae flavescentis injection (CRSFI) on hedgehog signaling pathway.
METHODS: SD rats were established diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinoma models, and then randomly divided into model group, low-dose CRSFI group and high-dose CRSFI group, at the same time, the control group was established. Rats in the low- and high-dose CRSFI groups were given the treatment of CRSFI concentration for 30 and 90 mg/kg/d, for 3 weeks by intraperitoneal injection at 15 weeks after modeling. The expression of target gene transcription factors Gli2 and transmembrane protein receptor complex Ptch in the hedgehog signaling pathway was detected by immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The expression of Gli2 and Ptch was high expressed in the model, low- and high-dose CRSFI groups compared with the control group (P < 0.01).The results suggest that the hedgehog signaling is abnormally activated in artificially induced-SD rat hepatocarcinoma. The expression of Gli2 and Ptch in Hedgehog signalling pathway is highly positive after treated by different dose CRSFI.