Extraction and purification of TGFβ and its effect on the induction of apoptosis of hepatocytes

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG 2001, Vol.7 (4), p.527-531
• Main Author: Si, Xiao-Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original Research
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v7.i4.527

R57; AIM To extract and purify the transforming growth factor β (TGF β), and to demonstrate its biological activity in vivo and induction of apoptosis of hepatocytes in vitro. METHODS TGF β was isolated from fresh bovine platelets by acid/ethanol extraction method and purified with ion exchange and gel chromatography. The extracted TGF β was injected subcutaneously to mice, and its biological activity in vivo was observed 72 hfs post-injection by HE staining. The morphological changes were observed by HE staining and the occurrence of apoptosis was detected by TUNEL method after the human normal hepatic cell line QZG was treated with 8 μg@L 1 TGFβ for 12 hrs in vitro. RESULTS The molecular mass 25 ku TGF β protein was successfully extracted. It was able to induce localized granulation tissue formation in vivo. TGF β-treated hepatocytes showed obvious apoptotic morphological changes, including the pyknosis and dense-stained nuclei and cytoplasm, the fragmentary, annular or crescent nuclei, and the "bubbling" cytoplasm. Moreover, its apoptotic rate was significantly higher than that of the control group (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION Biological active TGF β protein is extracted and purified successfully from bovine platelets, and it is able to induce the apoptosis of hepatocytes.