Expression of scavenger receptor A in rat's liver tissue during acute obstructive cholangitis and its significance.

OBJECTIVE: Acute obstructive cholangitis (AOC) is a severe disease that leads to sepsis, shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Liver is the largest and the major organ for the defense mechanisms during the sepsis. Our aim was to investigate the expression of scavenger receptor A (SRA) in rat's liver tissue during AOC and its relation with the inflammatory mediators and hepatic injury caused by endotoxins.

METHODS: Ninety Wistar rats were randomly divided into three equal groups. In group one, the choledochus were ligagted and Escherichia coli O111B4 injected into it to produce AOC model. Group two had choledochus ligated and group three had sham surgery. Six animals from each group were sacrificed at 0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h for comparative analysis of endotoxins, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 in plasma and expression of SRA protein and SRA mRNA in liver tissue. The P < 0.05 was considered significant. Ethical approval was obtained.

RESULTS: The plasma endotoxins, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 levels in AOC rats increased progressively with time. The SRA protein and SRA mRNA expression decreased with time. The differences among groups were significant (P < 0.01). Liver histopathology showed gradually aggravated hepatic injury with neutrophil infiltration, degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes.

CONCLUSION: In AOC, the expression of SRA in liver gradually decreased with progressive increase in level of plasma endotoxins and hepatic injury suggesting its importance in the defense mechanism.