Expression of Fibrinolytic- and Matrix Degradation and Remodeling-Related Genes in Injured Peritoneum that Healed with Adhesions and without Adhesions in a Mouse Model

Abstract

Study Objective: To compare the mRNA levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) among injured peritoneum that healed with adhesions, injured peritoneum that healed without adhesions, and normal non-injured peritoneum. Design: Prospective experimental study. Setting: Academic facility. Patients: Adult female Balb/c and C57BL6 mice. Intervention: On day 0, a laparotomy was performed to develop peritoneal adhesions in C57BJ6 (n 5 10) and Balb/c mice (n 5 10). On day 7, a second laparotomy was performed to assess adhesion formation. Measurements and Main Results: Expression levels of tPA, PAI-1, EMMPRIN and TIMP-1 mRNA in injured peritoneum that healed with adhesions, injured peritoneum that healed without adhesions, and normal non-injured peritoneum.Expression levels of tPA and PAI-1 were significantly higher in injured peritoneum that healed with adhesions than in either peritoneum without adhesions or non-injured normal peritoneum, in both strains. TIMP-1 expression was significantly higher in injured peritoneum regardless of adhesions than in non-injured normal peritoneum in both strains. There was no significant difference in EMMPRIN expression among any groups in either strain. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that tPA and PAI-1 mRNA were differentially expressed in injured peritoneum that healed with adhesions and without adhesions in both Balb/c and C57BL6 mice.