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Muro I, Qualman AC, Kovacs EJ, Idrovo JP. Burn-Induced Apoptosis in the Livers of Aged Mice Is Associated With Caspase Cleavage of Bcl-xL. J Surg Res 2023; 290:147-155. [PMID: 37267704 PMCID: PMC10330893 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Older adult burn victims have poorer outcomes than younger burn victims. The liver is critical for the recovery of patients with burns. Postburn hepatic apoptosis in young individuals compromises liver integrity; however, this pathway has not yet been studied in older individuals. Because aged animals with burns suffer significant liver damage, we hypothesized that apoptosis is altered in these animals and may affect liver function. Understanding postburn hepatic apoptosis and its effects on liver function in aged animals may help improve outcomes in older patients. METHODS We compared the protein and gene expression levels in young and aged mice after a 15% total-body-surface-area burn. Liver and serum samples were collected at different time points after injury. RESULTS Caspase-9 expression in liver tissue was downregulated by 47% in young animals and upregulated by 62% in aged animals 9 h postburn (P < 0.05). The livers of aged mice showed a Bcl-extra-large (Bcl-xL) transcription increase only after 6 h; however, the livers of young mice exhibited 4.3-fold, 14.4-fold, and 7.8-fold Bcl-xL transcription increases at 3, 6, and 9 h postburn, respectively (P < 0.05). The livers of young mice showed no changes in Caspase-9, Caspase-3, or Bcl-xL protein levels during the early postburn period. In contrast, the livers of aged mice contained cleaved caspase-9, reduced full-length caspase-3, and an accumulation of ΔN-Bcl-x at 6 and 9 h postburn (P < 0.05). p21 expression decreased in aged mice; however, it was significantly increased in the liver tissue of young mice postburn (P < 0.05). Serum amyloid A1 and serum amyloid A2 serum protein levels were 5.2- and 3.1-fold higher in young mice than in aged mice, respectively, at 6 and 9 h postburn (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Livers of aged mice exhibited different apoptotic processes compared to those of young mice early after burn injury. Collectively, burn-induced liver apoptosis in aged mice compromises hepatic serum protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Muro
- Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Andrea C Qualman
- Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Elizabeth J Kovacs
- Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; Division of Burn Research, Division of Alcohol Research, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Juan-Pablo Idrovo
- Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.
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Malachowska B, Yang WL, Qualman A, Muro I, Boe DM, Lampe JN, Kovacs EJ, Idrovo JP. Transcriptomics, metabolomics, and in-silico drug predictions for liver damage in young and aged burn victims. Commun Biol 2023; 6:597. [PMID: 37268765 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04964-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Burn induces a systemic response affecting multiple organs, including the liver. Since the liver plays a critical role in metabolic, inflammatory, and immune events, a patient with impaired liver often exhibits poor outcomes. The mortality rate after burns in the elderly population is higher than in any other age group, and studies show that the liver of aged animals is more susceptible to injury after burns. Understanding the aged-specific liver response to burns is fundamental to improving health care. Furthermore, no liver-specific therapy exists to treat burn-induced liver damage highlighting a critical gap in burn injury therapeutics. In this study, we analyzed transcriptomics and metabolomics data from the liver of young and aged mice to identify mechanistic pathways and in-silico predict therapeutic targets to prevent or reverse burn-induced liver damage. Our study highlights pathway interactions and master regulators that underlie the differential liver response to burn injury in young and aged animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Malachowska
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Weng-Lang Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Andrea Qualman
- Department of Surgery; Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Israel Muro
- Department of Surgery; Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Devin M Boe
- Department of Surgery; Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Jed N Lampe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Kovacs
- Department of Surgery; Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Molecular Biology Program, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Juan-Pablo Idrovo
- Department of Surgery; Division of G.I., Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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