[Effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor on mitogen-activated protein kinase activity in small intestinal epithelium after ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) on p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p44/p42 MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, ERK1/2) activity in small intestinal epithelium in rat after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and its relation with the change in small intestinal epithelium in rat after I/R injury as well as the change in proliferation of epithelial cells.

METHODS

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was occluded to produce ischemia of the intestine for 45 minutes followed by reperfusion to reproduce I/R injury. One hundred and thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, I/R group, aFGF treatment group (4 microg of aFGF was injected into jugular vein after reperfusion), and PD98059 (antagonist of ERK 1/2) pretreatment group (7.5 microg of PD98059 was injected via tail vein before ischemia and 4 microg of aFGF was injected via jugular vein after reperfusion). The activity of ERK1/2 and proliferation rate of small intestinal epithelial cells were determined before ischemia and 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours after reperfusion.

RESULTS

The activity of ERK1/2 in small intestinal epithelium was higher in aFGF treatment group than in I/R control group, and the proliferation rate in small intestinal epithelial cells was significantly enhanced in aFGF treatment group. PD98059, the specific inhibitor of ERK1/2, inhibited ERK1/2 activity and reduced the proliferation rate of small intestinal epithelial cells in aFGF treatment group.

CONCLUSION

aFGF can promote small intestinal epithelial cell proliferation in I/R injury rats, and this may be related to activation of ERK1/2 in small intestinal epithelium.