Protumorigenic galectins 1 and 3 are upregulated in the liver of mice exposed to continuous growth hormone levels

VERÓNICA GABRIELA PIAZZA; LUCIANA SARRIAS; MARÍA FERNANDA TRONCOSO; NADIA SOFÍA CICCONI; ANA ISABEL SOTELO; JOHANNA GABRIELA MIQUET ; SANTIAGO DE LA FUENTE; MARÍA LORENA BACIGALUPO; ANDRZEJ BARTKE

Buenos Aires

Congreso; XXVII Congreso de la Asociación Latinoamericana para el Estudio del Hígado.; 2022

INTRODUCTION: Human and animal evidence revealed a link between growth hormone (GH) and cancer risk. GH excess is implicated in rodent hepatocarcinogenesis. Transgenic mice overexpressing GH (GH-Tg) develop hepatocellular tumors at old ages, with preneoplastic liver pathology similar to that observed in humans at high risk of developing hepatic cancer. Galectin 1 (GAL1) is involved in liver tumorigenesis in humans. We reported that GAL1 is upregulated in GH-Tg mice liver, even before histopathological alterations are detected, and particularly enhanced in liver tumors. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if GH modulates the hepatic expression of GAL3, another protumorigenic galectin. As many proteins exhibit sexually dimorphic liver expression, mainly determined by distinct GH secretion patterns between males (intermittent) and females (more continuous), we assessed if GAL1 and GAL3 liver expression was affected by GH secretion pattern. METHODS: Hepatic GAL1 or GAL3 were analyzed by immunoblotting in GH-Tg mice exposed to continuously elevated GH levels, and in Swiss-Webster mice treated with GH during 5 weeks by implantation of osmotic pumps (continuous treatment) or by two daily injections (intermittent treatment). Statistics: Student´s t-test or two-way ANOVA; P