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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Animals, Apoptosis, Connective Tissue Growth Factor, Down-Regulation, Epithelial Cells, Fibrosis, Immediate-Early Proteins, Inflammation, Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Peritoneum, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2, RNA Interference, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Transforming Growth Factor beta, Up-Regulation, bcl-2-Associated X Protein.
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Is connective tissue growth factor responsible for transforming growth factor-beta-induced peritoneal mesothelial cell apoptosis? Context: Previous studies found that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) induces mesothelial production of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), which may be downstream mediators of TGF-beta. Since high dose TGF-beta induces apoptosis of peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMC), we study the effect of CTGF blockade in the system of TGF-beta-induced PMC apoptosis. We examined the effect of TGF-W in primary culture of rat peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMC). PMC apoptosis was studied by flow cytometry. The effect of CTGF was blocked by antibody and short-interfering RNA (siRNA). Expression of apoptotic gene was studied by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In cultured unstimulated rat PMC, there is a low but definite incidence of spontaneous apoptosis. Stimulation with TGF-beta 50 pg/ml induces an upregulation of apoptotic gene BAX expression and a downregulation of anti-apoptotic gene BCL-2L expression, and a 4-fold increase in PMC apoptosis. The effect of TGF-beta-induced PMC apoptosis was partly prevented by antibody against CTGF, and completely abolished by CTGF-specific siRNA, while CTGF-blockade by siRNA had no effect on PMC necrosis. CTGF silencing by siRNA prevented the down-regulation of BCL-2L expression induced by TGF-beta, had no effect on the BAX expression.
assistant
Our results indicate that CTGF is an important downstream mediator of TGF-beta-induced PMC apoptosis. Final Decision: yes