Jh. Albrecht et al., CYCLIN AND CYCLIN-DEPENDENT KINASE-1 MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION IN MODELS OF REGENERATING LIVER AND HUMAN LIVER-DISEASES, The American journal of physiology, 265(5), 1993, pp. 70000857-70000864
There is compelling evidence that the eukaryotic cell cycle is control
led by a family of proteins called cyclins, which complex with cyclin-
dependent kinases (CDK) to modulate key events during cell division. W
e have examined the regulation of these genes in models of experimenta
l liver regeneration and their expression in human liver diseases. Sev
enty percent partial hepatectomy (PH) was performed on rats and normal
BALB/c and athymic nude mice to determine patterns of cyclin and CDK1
mRNA expression. It has been previously shown by [H-3]thymidine incor
poration that athymic nude mice manifest impaired regeneration after P
H. Our results demonstrate a sequential pattern of cyclin and CDK1 tra
nscript expression in each of the models. Cyclin D1 was the most abund
ant mRNA steady-state transcript in the regenerating livers. CDK1 and
cyclins associated with later stages of the cell cycle showed delayed
and diminished expression in nude mice compared with normals. Nuclear
run-off assays performed at key time points post-PH revealed little ch
ange in transcription rates, suggesting that steady-state mRNA express
ion of the cyclin genes is regulated primarily by posttranscriptional
events. Human liver tissue from various acute and chronic hepatic dise
ases showed increased expression of cyclins A and D1. We conclude that
the regenerating liver post-PH offers an excellent in vivo model for
studying cyclin and CDK gene expression. Impaired regeneration in the
nude mouse is associated with altered cyclin and CDK1 mRNA transcript
expression. Furthermore, cyclins may eventually provide clinically rel
evant molecular markers of regenerative activity in human liver diseas
es.