Phospho-STAT5 accumulation in nuclear fractions from vitamin A-deficient rat liver

The growth hormone (GH)-responsive cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C11 is down-regulated in vitamin A-deficient (VAD) rat liver. This study assessed the impact of a VAD diet on the hepatic Janus kinase-Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (JAK-STAT) system that mediates GH signalling. Nuclear tyrosine- and serine-phosphorylated STAT5 accumulated in VAD liver, whereas nuclear JAK2 tyrosine kinase and SHP-1 phosphatase were decreased. Tyrosine-phosphorylated SHP-1 was decreased to 36 ± 14% of control (P < 0.01), indicating its impaired activation in VAD liver. Episodic GH pulses increased nuclear phospho-STAT5, especially in control liver, but nuclear phospho-JAK2 and phospho-SHP-1 were not restored. CYP2C11 protein and testosterone 16α-hydroxylation were decreased in VAD liver to 67 ± 16% and 76 ± 19% of control, and were further decreased by GH to 32 ± 8% and 30 ± 14% of control. Thus, hypo-responsiveness of JAK-STAT in VAD liver is associated with impaired nuclear phospho-STAT dephosphorylation.