Effects of EGF and calcium on adult parenchymal hepatocyte proliferation.
Adult rat hepatocytes were grown in serum-free medium containing 0.05-4 mM Ca++ and 40 ng/ml EGF. After 48 hours of cultivation the mitotic index and the percentage of second division metaphases were determined. The results demonstrated a maximum proliferation response to EGF at a Ca++ concentration of 0.4 mM. With lower and higher external Ca++ concentrations the fraction of cells undergoing more than one cell division decreased. At lower Ca++ concentrations this decrease appears to result from a reduced viability. In contrast, the low response to EGF at higher Ca++ concentrations--especially in the physiological range--may reflect the influence of Ca++ on the state of hepatocyte differentiation.
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D008940:Mitotic Index; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D002118:Calcium