Effect Of Prostaglandin E₁ On Hepatic Collagen Production In Rabbits With Schistosomia Japonicum

Objective To investigate the effect and possible mechanisms of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on hepatic collagen production in rabbits with schistosomia japonicum.Methods 14 rabbits were infected with cercaria of schistosomia japonicum percutaneous. From 60th day after infection to 24 weeks, 7 of those have been injected PGE1(2.5μg/kg.d-1)intravenous, while the rest were injected saline as controls. The message RNA(mRNA) expressions of collagen typeⅠandⅢ,matrix metalloproteinase 1(MMP1) and MMP13,tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1(TIMP1) as well as heat shock protein 47(GRP78/BIP) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. While contents of collagen typeⅠandⅢwere labeled by picrosirius and examined by polarization microscope.Results Compared with healthy controls, up-regulated expressions of collagenⅠ,ⅢmRNA(OD: 34.81±3.57 and 12.9±3.25 vs 5.32±1.27 and 4.77±1.13,P<0.01) and collagen fibers(sⅠ/S: 49.25±9.71 and 9.66±3.59 vs 3.92±3.66 and 3.17±0.32,P<0.01) were observed in rabbit with schistosomiasis, while GRP78/BIP mRNA increased to 6 times (P<0.01). Expression of MMP1 and MMP13 mRNA and TIMP1 mRNA were increased too (P<0.05). Expression of collagenⅠ,ⅢmRNA (compared with models, 5.79±1.26 and 5.34±1.08, P<0.01) and content of matured fibers(compared with models, 13.38±4.24 and 6.23±8.92, P<0.01) had been attenuated markedly in the group treated with exogenous PGE1. PGE1 significantly inhibited the expression of GRP78/BIP mRNA, and TIMP1 mRNA(0.28±0.13 vs 0.72±0.15,P<0.01)too,moreover, it stimulated the expression of MMP1 mRNA(0.94±0.25 vs 0.41±0.14,P<0.01) and MMP13 mRNA(0.87±0.38 vs 0.37±0.20,P<0.01).Conclusion These data in rabbits with schistosomia japonicum suggest that PGE1 effectively decreased hepatic collagen production on gene expression, collagen maturation and degradation, down-regulated expression of collagen typeⅠandⅢ, TIMP1 and GRP78/BIP and up-regulated expression of MMP1 and MMP13 may contribute in this event.