PI3K-Akt1 expression and its significance in liver tissues with chronic fluorosis

This study was to explore the effect and significance of PI3K signal pathway on mechanism of liver injury in chronic fluorosis. We used 48 Sprague-Dawley rats which were randomly divided into 4 groups according to the body weight, 12 in each group, half of male and female. The control group was fed with the solid feed (the fluorine content was 1.5 mg/kg). The fluorosis animals were fed with the corn containing fluorine content of 17 mg/kg from the endemic fluorosis areas. Blocking agent LY294002 was injected in the blocking group and phosphate buffer solution was injected in the blocking control in the caudal vein with 10 mg/kg once every other day in the one week before the end of the experiment. The animals were drunk by tap water freely. The fluoride contents of urinary and skeletal were determined by the F-ion selective electrode method. The mRNA and protein expressions of PI3K, Akt1 in the liver tissues were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and streptavidin-perosidase and Western blot, respectively. Results showed that fluoride contents of the urine and bone were increased in the fluorosis compared to those in the control. The expression of PI3K and Akt1 mRNA and proteins was significantly increased in fluorosis hepatocytes, and lower than that of the fluorosis in the blocking. The apoptosis and the intracellular calcium concentration were increased. Therefore, we conclude that PI3K-Akt signaling pathway may be one of the signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of liver injury caused by fluorosis.