Upregulation of endothelin converting enzyme-1 in host liver during chronic cardiac allograft rejection.
Endothelin regulates cytokine expression in vitro and in vivo. This study investigated the effects of chronic allograft rejection on hepatic endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) gene expression and endothelin-1 (ET-1) plasma clearance. Using the Lewis-F344 minor histocompatibility mismatch model of heterotopic cardiac transplantation, hepatic ECE-1 gene expression was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and host plasma clearance of ET-1 was measured 8 weeks after transplantation in the absence of immunosuppression. In animals undergoing allograft rejection, hepatic ECE-1 gene expression increased 2-fold (P < 0.05), whereas no effect of rejection on ET-1 clearance from plasma was observed. In summary, upregulation of ECE-1 gene expression occurs in the liver of the host during chronic allograft rejection. Because the liver represents both a key organ for cytokine production and for endothelin metabolism, increased hepatic ECE-1- mediated ET-1 synthesis may contribute to host responses and cytokine production during allograft rejection.[1]References
- Upregulation of endothelin converting enzyme-1 in host liver during chronic cardiac allograft rejection. Lattmann, T., Ortmann, J., Horber, S., Shaw, S.G., Hein, M., Barton, M. Exp. Biol. Med. (Maywood) (2006) [Pubmed]
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