In rats with diethyl nitrosamine induced cirrhosis, TSP-1 expression has been found to correlate with the progression of fibrosis. Furthermore, TSP-1 expression was higher in rat livers with high vascular density–in other words, angiogenesis. This study, performed by a team led by Dr. Gülsüm Özlem Elpek, is described in a research article to be published on April 14, 2008 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) is involved in complex processes including wound healing and angiogenesis. In non-neoplastic diseases of the liver, although the association of TSP-1 with latent transforming growth factor - beta1 (TGF- beta1) has been demonstrated in a few studies, the relationship between TSP-1 and angiogenesis during liver fibrogenesis has not been documented.
TSP-1 expression strongly correlates with fibrogenesis and angiogenesis in experimental cirrhosis.
In the view of the authors, the results of this study suggest TSP-1 might contribute to the wound healing response to liver injury as an inducer of angiogenesis, and could be a potential target in the manipulation of angiogenesis in chronic inflammatory liver diseases ending with cirrhosis.
The fact chronic inflammatory liver diseases respond poorly to immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory therapy shows angiogenesis might be a promising therapeutic target in the prevention of fibrosis. Recently, several antiangiogenic therapeutic strategies have been shown to suppress liver fibrosis development in experimental studies.
Using an experimental model, this research was performed by doctors from the Department of Pathology of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Akdeniz, Antalya, Turkey.
Further research should explain the exact role of TSP-1 in hepatic angiogenesis, and whether this protein could be a potential target in the manipulation of angiogenesis in chronic inflammatory liver diseases ending with cirrhosis.
Reference: Elpek GÖ, Gökhan GA, Bozova S. Thrombospondin-1 expression correlates with angiogenesis in experimental cirrhosis. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(14): 2213-2217 http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/14/2213.asp
Correspondence to: Dr. Güzide Ayºe Gökhan, Akdeniz University, Medical School, Department of Pathology, Antalya 07070, Turkey. guzidegokhan@akdeniz.edu.tr Telephone: +90-242-22744 88 Fax: +90-242-22744 88
About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection. It provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health ISI JCR 2003-2000 IF: 3.318, 2.532, 1.445 and 0.993. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th of every month. The WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812. It was founded with the title China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.
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World Journal of Gastroenterology