Background and purpose: Migration of leukocytes into tissue is a key element of innate and adaptive immunity. An animal study showed that liver irradiation, in spite of induction of chemokine gene expression, does not lead to recruitment of leukocytes into the parenchyma. The aim of this study was to analyze gene expression of adhesion molecules, which mediate leukocyte recruitment into organs, in irradiated rat liver in vivo and rat hepatocytes in vitro.
Material and methods: Rat livers in vivo were irradiated selectively at 25 Gy. Isolated hepatocytes in vitro were irradiated at 8 Gy. RNA extracted within 48 h after irradiation in vivo and in vitro was analyzed by real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and Northern blot. Adhesion molecule concentration in serum was measured by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Cryostat sections of livers were used for immunohistology.
Results: Significant radiation-induced increase of ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1), VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1), JAM-1 (junctional adhesion molecule-1), beta1-integrin, beta2-integrin, E-cadherin, and P-selectin gene expression could be detected in vivo, while PECAM-1 (platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1) gene expression remained unchanged. In vitro, beta1-integrin, JAM-1, and ICAM-2 showed a radiation-induced increased expression, whereas the levels of P-selectin, ICAM-1, PECAM-1, VCAM-1, Madcam-1 (mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1), beta2-integrin, and E-cadherin were downregulated. However, incubation of irradiated hepatocytes with either tumor necrosis factor-(TNF-)alpha, interleukin-(IL-)1beta, or IL-6 plus TNF-alpha led to an upregulation of P-selectin, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that liver irradiation modulates gene expression of the main adhesion molecules in vivo and in cytokine-activated hepatocytes, with the exception of PECAM-1. This may be one reason for the lack of inflammation in the irradiated rat liver.