Expression profiles of the genes related to adipocyte differentiation in the rat regenerating liver.

To investigate the action of adipocyte differentiation-related genes during rat liver regeneration at transcriptional level, these genes were obtained by means of collection of the database data and retrieval of the related theses. The Rat Genome 230 2.0 array was used to inspect the expression changes of them in rat regenerating livers. Identification of the liver regeneration-associated genes was through performing three independent chip analyses, showing a greater than double change in gene expression at least at one time point during liver regeneration, and comparing differences in gene expression between partial hepatectomy (PH) and sham operation (SO). 75 of the above genes were found to be liver regeneration-related. In initiation phase of liver regeneration (0.5-4 h after PH), G0/G1 (4-6 h after PH), cell proliferation (6-66 h after PH), cell differentiation and liver tissue structure-function reconstruction (72-168 h after PH), the number of the initially expressed genes was 44, 13, 30 and 1 respectively, and the total expression times of the genes were in a sequence of 88, 58, 302 and 90, illustrating that the initially expressed genes were advantaged in initial phase (0.5-4 h), and yielded function in each phases. The genes were totally up-regulated 313 times and down-regulated 167 times. 43 expression patterns of them conferred multiformity and complication on the cellular physiological and biochemical activities liver regeneration involving. The results indicated that the above genes not only can regulate the adipocyte differentiation, but also can participate in the physiological and biochemical activities during liver regeneration.