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Increased Expression of Cannabinoid Receptor 1 in Liver Cirrhosis Associated with Schistosoma Infection
Author(s) -
Gao Xiao,
Guo Yan,
Liu HongYan,
Tang WangXian
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a190
Subject(s) - cannabinoid receptor , schistosoma mansoni , cirrhosis , biology , schistosoma , schistosoma japonicum , cannabinoid , receptor , schistosomiasis , endocannabinoid system , fibrosis , pathology , immunohistochemistry , immunology , medicine , helminths , agonist , biochemistry
Recent studies have indicated that endocannabinoids are novel mediators for liver diseases and that blockade of cannabinoid receptors may prevent liver cirrhosis. The present study was designed to test whether this cannabinoid mechanism is involved in the development of liver cirrhosis induced by infection of schistosoma mansoni. Mice were infected with schistosoma mansoni by transfer of the cercaria to the abdominal space. Nine weeks later, mouse livers were harvested, and morphological examinations showed typical pathological changes in liver cirrhosis with worm tubercles of schistosoma deposited in the liver tissue, fibrosis around the worm tubercles and infiltration or soakage of inflammatory cells. By real time RT‐PCR and Western blot analysis, it was found that both mRNA and protein expression levels of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) were significantly increased in livers from schistosoma infected mice compared with normal mouse. By immunohistochemical analysis, we found that in the liver from normal mice CB1 receptors were primarily expressed in the enchylema of hepatocytes and around the portal vein. In schistosoma infected mouse livers, although the expression pattern of CB1 receptors was not changed, the level of this receptor was significantly increased. The results suggest that endocannabinoids may importantly participate in the development of liver cirrhosis associated with schistosoma via overexpressed CB1 receptors (supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China 30571627).