Effect of aflatoxin B1 on phosphoinositide signal transduction pathway during regeneration of liver cells following partial hepatectomy

Abstract

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) when administered to partially hepatectomised rats 4 hr prior to sacrifice, activated signalling pathway in regenerating rat liver. The activity of phosphatidylinositol (PI) kinase was found decreased at 30 min but increased at 24 hr and returned to normal at 48 hr. At 30 min. inositol-IA,5-triphosphate (IP₃) level increased significantly whereas diacylglycerol (DAG) level dropped. However, at 24 hr and 48 hr, DAG and IP₃ showed the same trend i.e. an increase in their levels. Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate levels were found to increase at 24 hr. Protein kinase C (PKC), activity from the particulate fraction was significantly inhibited at 30 min, followed by increase in activity at 24 hr and return to normal at 48 hr. Cytosolic PKC showed a decrease at 24 hr and a significant increase at 48 hr. At the peak of DNA synthesis (24 hr) following partial hepatectomy, all these signalling steps had earlier been found to be inhibited, but the present study shows that aflatoxin B₁ administration 4 hr prior to sacrifice reverses the action. Activation of PKC by aflatoxin B₁ during regeneration of liver cells when PKC in normally inhibited, may possibly create conditions conducive to carcinogenesis.