Ethanol reduces p38 kinase activation and cyclin D1 protein expression after partial hepatectomy in rats

Background/Aims: Chronic ethanol consumption inhibits liver regeneration. We examined the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on two mitogen-activated protein kinases in relation to induction of cell cycle proteins after partial hepatectomy (PH). Methods: Male Wistar rats were ethanol-fed (EF) or pair-fed (PF) for 16 weeks before PH. Hepatic activation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, p38 kinase and expression of cyclinD1, cyclin-dependent kinase-4 (cdk4) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were studied. Results: In PF rats, PH-induced p38 activation was evident at 2 h and was maximal at 12 h. There was a close temporal relationship between p38 activation, cyclin D1 and PCNA expression. Alcohol exposure reduced p38 activation, cyclin D1 and PCNA, each by ∼50%. ERK1/2 activation occurred during the first 2 h post-PH in both EF and PF rats, and there was no later increase in PF rats. In vivo inhibition of p38 suppressed PCNA expression whereas the effect of ERK1/2 inhibition was inconsistent. Conclusions: p38 kinase activation is linked temporally with cyclin D1 expression after PH and appears to exert cell cycle control in the adult liver. p38 signaling also appears to be a target for the inhibitory effect of chronic alcohol on liver regeneration.