Ehrenfried J A, Zhou Z, Thompson J C, Evers B M
Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
Ann Surg. 1994 Oct;220(4):484-9; discussion 489-91. doi: 10.1097/00000658-199410000-00007.
This study determined whether the neurotensin gene (NT/N) is expressed in the normal adult liver and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and confirmed NT/N expression in fibrolamellar carcinoma; whether NT/N or the neurotensin receptor is expressed in the fetal liver; and whether hepatic resection leads to expression of NT/N.
Neurotensin (NT), a gut tridecapeptide localized in the gastrointestinal tract of the adult to the small bowel, is an important hormone-regulating gut motility, secretion, and mucosal growth. Expression of the NT/N gene has been identified in fibrolamellar carcinomas, but NT/N is not known to be expressed in the normal liver.
Sensitive ribonuclease (RNase) protection assays were used to determine whether NT/N is expressed in fibrolamellar carcinoma, FNH, or healthy fetal and adult livers. The authors also determined whether the receptor for NT was present in the fetal liver and whether liver resection and subsequent regeneration could lead to re-expression of NT/N in the rat.
Neurotensin is expressed in fibrolamellar carcinoma and in the fetal human liver, but not in the adult liver or the samples of FNH. In addition, the authors were not able to detect expression of the NT receptor in the fetal liver and did not identify NT/N gene activation in the regenerating liver of the rat.
The NT/N gene will be a useful molecular marker to differentiate fibrolamellar carcinoma from other liver tumors. The finding of NT/N expression in the fetal liver suggests a stem cell descendant that is common to both the liver and gut. The absence of NT/N expression in the regenerating liver suggests that NT does not play a role in this rapid growth process.
本研究旨在确定神经降压素基因（NT/N）在正常成人肝脏和局灶性结节性增生（FNH）中是否表达，并证实其在纤维板层癌中的表达；确定NT/N或神经降压素受体在胎儿肝脏中是否表达；以及肝切除是否会导致NT/N表达。
神经降压素（NT）是一种位于成年胃肠道至小肠的肠道十三肽，是调节肠道运动、分泌和黏膜生长的重要激素。NT/N基因已在纤维板层癌中被鉴定出表达，但正常肝脏中是否表达NT/N尚不清楚。
采用灵敏的核糖核酸酶（RNase）保护试验来确定NT/N在纤维板层癌、FNH或健康胎儿及成人肝脏中是否表达。作者还确定了胎儿肝脏中是否存在NT受体，以及肝切除及随后的再生是否会导致大鼠肝脏中NT/N重新表达。
神经降压素在纤维板层癌和胎儿人肝脏中表达，但在成人肝脏或FNH样本中不表达。此外，作者未能在胎儿肝脏中检测到NT受体的表达，也未在大鼠再生肝脏中发现NT/N基因激活。
NT/N基因将是区分纤维板层癌与其他肝脏肿瘤的有用分子标志物。胎儿肝脏中NT/N表达的发现提示肝脏和肠道存在共同的干细胞后代。再生肝脏中缺乏NT/N表达提示NT在这一快速生长过程中不起作用。
