Effect of aging on gene expression rates of endothelin-1 and endothelin-2/vasoactive intestinal contractor in ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury of the mouse

Abstract

To elucidate the physiological roles of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and endothelin-2 (ET-2)/vasoactive intestinal contractor (VIC) in gastric injury of mice, we measured the gene expression rates of ET-1 and ET-2/VIC in gastric injury induced by ethanol in young (8 weeks) and old (>33 weeks) mice. Mice that were fasted for 24 h were injected with absolute ethanol intragastrically and killed after 1 or 4 h of ethanol exposure. The size of the gastric lesions increased gradually after ethanol exposure and was at its greatest after 4 h, in both young and old mice. The gene expression of ET-1 tended to increase after 1 h and to decrease by 4 h of ethanol exposure in both young and old mice. However, the gene expression of ET-2/VIC in young mice increased significantly after 1 and 4 h of ethanol exposure, whereas the gene expression of ET-2/VIC in the old mice did not change after ethanol exposure. Based on these results, we conclude that aging influences the gene expression of ET-2/VIC but not lesion size or gene expression of ET-1 in ethanol-induced gastric injury in the mouse. We therefore suggest that regulation of gene expression of these two genes differs during the course of aging.

Expression of Preproendothelin-2 Splice Variant in Cat

“…Because the PPET2 splicing variant observed in healthy cat stomach tissue produces no disruption of ET2 peptide synthesis, the functional effects of splicing on this gene may be of little physiological significance. However, given the fact that ET2 is implicated in the pathophysiology of gastric mucosal injury, with marked elevation of mRNA expression in situ [6], the question of whether any splicing that affects the regulation of bioactive ET2 production might occur in the injured cat stomach is still of interest. Further study to determine the mechanism for the regulation of ET2 synthesis via a splicing pathway is necessary.…”