Experimental study of cellular damage and carcinogenesis of hepatocyte

连接蛋白32 （Cx32）是肝脏中主要的间隙连接蛋白。我们建立了Cx32显性阴性转基因大鼠和Cx32转染的大鼠肝癌细胞。本研究表明，caspase 3依赖性细胞凋亡是对乙酰氨基酚所致肝毒性的重要机制。此外，Cx32调节正常肝组织和肝癌细胞的凋亡信号，可能通过诱导致癌的基因损伤细胞凋亡在预防癌变中发挥重要作用。

Connexin 32 (Cx32) is a major gap junction protein in the liver. We established Cx32 dominant negative transgenic rats and Cx32 transfected rat hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The present study by using them indicated that caspase 3 dependent apoptosis was an important mechanism of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. Moreover, Cx32 regulates apoptotic signaling in both normal liver tissue and hepatocellular carcinoma cells, may play important roles in preventing carcinogenesis by inducing apoptosis in genetically damaged cells with cancer initiation.