The role of calcium and nitric oxide during liver enzyme release induced by increased physical forces as evidenced in partially hepatectomized rats

Abstract

Although increased plasma enzyme activities could be diagnostic for tissue damage, the mechanisms controlling cellular enzyme release remain poorly understood. We found a selective and drastic elevation of serum enzyme activities accompanying rat liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH), apparently controlled by a mechanism dependent on flow-bearing physical forces. In fact, this study assesses a putative role of calcium mobilization and nitric oxide (NO) production underlying rat liver enzyme release. The role of increased shear stress (by enhancing viscosity during perfusion) and the participation of cell calcium and NO were tested in isolated livers subjected to increasing flow rate. After PH, there was a drastic elevation of serum activities for liver enzyme markers, clearly predominating those of mitochondrial localization. Liver enzyme release largely depended on extracellular calcium entry, probably mediated by stretch-sensitive calcium channels, as well as by increasing NO production. However, these effects were differentially observed when comparing liver enzymes from cytoplasmic or mitochondrial compartments. Moreover, a possible role for cell-mediated mechanotransduction in liver enzyme release was suggested by increasing shear stress (high viscosity), which also selectively affected the release of the enzymes tested. Therefore, we show, for the first time, that flow-induced shear stress can control the amount of hepatic enzymes released into the bloodstream, which is largely regulated through modifications in cell calcium mobilization and production of liver NO, events markedly elevated in the proliferating rat liver.