M. Isogai et al., HEPATIC CALCIUM-BINDING PROTEIN REGUCALCIN IS RELEASED INTO THE SERUMOF RATS ADMINISTERED ORALLY CARBON-TETRACHLORIDE, Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 131(2), 1994, pp. 173-179
The change in calcium-binding protein regucalcin, mainly localized in
liver, in the liver and serum of rats received a single oral administr
ation of carbon tetrachloride (50%; 1.0 ml/100 g body weight) was inve
stigated. The change of regucalcin mRNA levels in the liver was analyz
ed by Northern blotting using liver regucalcin cDNA (0.6 kb). At 10 an
d 24 h after the administration, liver regucalcin mRNA levels were red
uced markedly. Moreover, regucalcin concentration in the liver and ser
um was estimated by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) with r
abbit-anti-regucalcin IgG. Administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl
4) induced a significant decrease in liver regucalcin concentration an
d a corresponding elevation of serum regucalcin concentration at 24 h
after the administration. An appreciable increase in serum regucalcin
concentration was seen at 2 h after the administration. Meanwhile, ser
um transaminases (GOT and GPT) activities were significantly increased
by CCl4 administration, indicating that liver injury is induced. The
present study demonstrates that hepatic regucalcin is released into th
e serum of rats administered orally CCl4, suggesting that the estimati
on of serum regucalcin is a useful tool for diagnosis of liver injury.