Oncogene Expression: A New Horizon in the Study of Sepsis

摘要

The integral association of oncogene encoded products with components of signal transduction has led to the postulation that nuclear oncoproteins might represent the final path of cellular signal transduction. For example, the myc and fos proteins have been predominantly localized to the nucleus. Binding of the growth factors EGF and PDGF leads to rapid signal transduction and subsequent expression of the myc and fos genes. The study of oncogene expression could have great implications for understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of sepsis and septic shock. For example, alterations in signal transduction, long term response, and function are well documented in hepatic and vascular tissue in sepsis andendotoxemia. Since the oncogene encoded proteins have been implicated as being integral to the switch from short term to long term response, it is possible that changes in expression of these genes could result in changes in long term function in sepsis. The observation that endotoxin derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intermediates can modulate protein kinase C activity suggests a possible mechanism by which altered oncogene expression could occur. To investigate this possibility we studied c-myc-RNA expression in hepatic and vascular tissue treated with endotoxin derived Lipopolysaccharides. Reprints. (AW)