Arunorat Jirapat, Chusakulwong Nuttawan, Sakunasing Natcha, Matchimakul Pitchaya
Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand.
Research Center for Veterinary Biosciences and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Vet World. 2024 Feb;17(2):313-318. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.313-318. Epub 2024 Feb 7.
Liver injury results in the production of free radicals that can lead to hepatocytic degeneration, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver-fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) is highly expressed in hepatocytes and is a key regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and antioxidant characteristics. Interestingly, the increase in L-FABP expression could be used as a novel marker of liver injury. Therefore, this study aimed to use immunohistochemical techniques to investigate the expression of L-FABP in dogs with liver injury compared with dogs with non-pathological liver.
Liver tissue samples were collected from dog biopsy specimens at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University. The tissues were prepared for immunohistochemistry and the expression and localization of L-FABP were investigated using one-way analysis of variance.
Immunohistochemical analysis showed that L-FABP was strongly expressed in the hepatocytes of dogs with lipidosis and HCC when compared with that in normal liver. Semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry evaluation showed the percentage of protein expression of L-FABP 0.023 ± 0.027 in the non-pathological liver. The percentage of L-FABP protein expression in lipidosis and HCC was found to be 8.517 ± 1.059 and 17.371 ± 4.026, respectively.
L-FABP expression in dogs with liver injuries was significantly higher than that in dogs with non-pathological liver injury (p = 0.05). These results suggest that L-FABP has the potential as a novel marker for specific diagnosis and prognosis of dogs with liver injury.
肝损伤会导致自由基生成，进而引发肝细胞变性、肝硬化和肝细胞癌（HCC）。肝脂肪酸结合蛋白（L-FABP）在肝细胞中高表达，是肝脏脂质代谢和抗氧化特性的关键调节因子。有趣的是，L-FABP表达的增加可作为肝损伤的一种新型标志物。因此，本研究旨在运用免疫组织化学技术，调查肝损伤犬与非病理性肝脏犬相比L-FABP的表达情况。
从清迈大学兽医学院兽医诊断实验室的犬活检标本中采集肝脏组织样本。将组织制备用于免疫组织化学，并采用单因素方差分析研究L-FABP的表达和定位。
免疫组织化学分析显示，与正常肝脏相比，L-FABP在脂肪变性和HCC犬的肝细胞中强烈表达。半定量免疫组织化学评估显示，非病理性肝脏中L-FABP蛋白表达百分比为0.023±0.027。脂肪变性和HCC中L-FABP蛋白表达百分比分别为8.517±1.059和17.371±4.026。
肝损伤犬的L-FABP表达显著高于非病理性肝损伤犬（p = 0.05）。这些结果表明，L-FABP有潜力作为肝损伤犬特异性诊断和预后的新型标志物。
