Fig 2: (a) Peripheral serum CRH, ACTH, and CORT levels were detected by the radioimmunoassay after rats suffering surgical trauma. (b) Representative bands and quantification of CRH protein level and CRH mRNA expression. (c) CRH-positive cells and quantification in the control, hepatectomy, scramble shRNA+hepatectomy, and SCGN shRNA+hepatectomy at 24 h after hepatectomy. Data are represented as the mean ± SEM (n = 6). ∗ vs. control group (p < 0.05): ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001; # vs. hepatectomy group (p < 0.05): ##p < 0.01, ###p < 0.001; $ vs. scramble shRNA+hepatectomy group (p < 0.05): $$p < 0.01, $$$p < 0.001.

Fig 3: Virus-mediated shRNA knockdown of SCGN in the neurons of PVN in rats and the change of SCGN expression. (a) The CMV viral vector and the locations of the CMV injection sites in rat brain and SCGN levels in the control, hepatectomy, scramble shRNA+hepatectomy, and SCGN shRNA+hepatectomy groups at 24 h after hepatectomy. (b) Immunofluorescence staining of SCGN, GFP, and DAPI in the PVN and quantification of SCGN-positive neurons among the control, hepatectomy, scramble shRNA+hepatectomy, SCGN shRNA+hepatectomy, and EA+hepatectomy groups after surgery. Scale bar = 100 μm. All data are shown as the mean ± SEM (n = 4). ∗ vs. control group (p < 0.05): ∗∗p < 0.01; # vs. hepatectomy group (p < 0.05): ##p < 0.01, ###p < 0.001.