Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Exp Med. Jun 20, 2024; 14(2): 90374
Published online Jun 20, 2024. doi: 10.5493/wjem.v14.i2.90374
Expression levels of KATP channel subunits and morphological changes in the mouse liver after exposure to radiation
Ming Zhou, Tao-Sheng Li, Hiroshi Abe, Hideo Akashi, Ryoji Suzuki, Yoshio Bando
Ming Zhou, Hideo Akashi, Ryoji Suzuki, Yoshio Bando, Department of Anatomy, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita 010-8543, Japan
Tao-Sheng Li, Department of Stem Cell Biology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
Hiroshi Abe, Sendai Old Age Refresh Station, A Long-term Care Health Facility, Sendai 981-1105, Japan
Co-corresponding authors: Ming Zhou and Tao-Sheng Li.
Author contributions: Zhou M performed the main experiments, collected the data, and wrote the manuscript; Akashi H and Suzuki R participated in the treatment of animals; Li TS designed the program and experiment; Li TS, Abe H, and Bando Y supervised the investigation and approved the manuscript for publication. This study was a collaboration between Zhou M and Li TS. Both authors applied for and obtained the funds for this research project, and have made indispensable contributions to completion of this research and manuscript preparation as the co-corresponding authors. This collaboration between Zhou M and Li TS is crucial for the publication of this manuscript.
Supported by the Program of the Network-type Joint Usage/Research Center for Radiation Disaster Medical Science of Hiroshima University, Nagasaki University.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the review board of Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: This study was approved by the Nagasaki University Japan’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and conducted following the Committee’s protocols. All animal procedures followed the institutional and national guidelines.
Informed consent statement: This study has not involved human subjects.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Data sharing statement: No sharing data with this research.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ming Zhou, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita 010-8543, Japan. m.ming.zhou99@gmail.com
Received: December 7, 2023
Revised: January 28, 2024
Accepted: March 27, 2024
Published online: June 20, 2024
Processing time: 190 Days and 7.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

ATP sensitive K+ (KATP) channels are ubiquitously distributed in various of cells and tissues, including the liver. They play a role in the pathogenesis of myocardial and liver ischemia.

AIM

To evaluate the radiation-induced changes in the expression of KATP channel subunits in the mouse liver to understand the potential role of KATP channels in radiation injury.

METHODS

Adult C57BL/6 mice were randomly exposed to γ-rays at 0 Gy (control, n = 2), 0.2 Gy (n = 6), 1 Gy (n = 6), or 5 Gy (n = 6). The livers were removed 3 and 24 h after radiation exposure. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used for morphological observation; immunohistochemical staining was applied to determine the expression of KATP channel subunits in the liver tissue.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the livers exposed to 0.2 Gy γ-ray showed an initial increase in the expression of Kir6.1 at 3 h, followed by recovery at 24 h after exposure. Exposure to a high dose of 5.0 Gy resulted in decreased expression of Kir6.1 and increased expression of SUR2B at 24 h. However, the expression of Kir6.2, SUR1, or SUR2A had no remarkable changes at 3 and 24 h after exposure to any of these doses.

CONCLUSION

The expression levels of Kir6.1 and SUR2B in mouse liver changed differently in response to different radiation doses, suggesting a potential role for them in radiation-induced liver injury.

Keywords: Radiation exposure; ATP-sensitive K+ channel; Mouse; Liver

Core Tip: ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels are ubiquitously distributed in various cell types and tissues, including the liver; however, their role in the development of radiation-induced liver damage remains unknown. In the current study, the expression of KATP channel subunits in the liver tissue changed dose-dependently in response to radiation exposure, suggesting their potential role in radiation-induced liver injury.