Nazila Saadati - Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
Shamseddin Ahmadi - Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
Saadi Samadi - Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a reversible syndrome that may develop with the liver failure. Ammonia and inflammation are central to induce HE and also could be important therapeutic targets in the management of HE. Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are affected in HE in response to inflammation induced by hyperammonemia. Nowadays mesoporous materials have received considerable attention as a drug delivery vehicle for loading drugs and large biomolecules. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of mesoporous silica SBA-15 functionalized with tryptophan (tryptophan-SBA-15) treatment on Jnk3 MAP-kinase gene expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats with hepatic encephalopathy. The animal model (rats weighing 300-350 g) was divided into two groups (control group (SH) and Hepatic encephalopathy group (HE)). 0.2 mg/kg tryptophan-SBA-15 were injected subcutaneously every 48 hours for 28 days of the experimental period. On day 28 after the surgery, the animals were decapitated, their brain was removed from the skull and the PFC of each rat was dissected. Gene expression of Jnk3 was evaluated by a real-time PCR method. The results of gene expression showed that the Jnk3 expression increased in the PFC of HE model group treated with saline and this increment decreased in the HE group with Tryptophan-SBA-15 treatments. In conclusion, mesoporous treatment could play a role in altering the Jnk3 gene expression in PFC.

Jnk3 MAP Kinase, Hepatic encephalopathy, Real-time PCR, Gene expression