title: Cell density-dependent regulation of hepatocyte growth factor receptor on adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture.
abstract: The proliferative potential of hepatocytes in the normal intact liver is highly suppressed, but they proliferate actively after liver injury. In this study, adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture were used to study mechanisms controlling hepatocyte growth in liver regeneration. DNA synthesis in hepatocytes cultured at a low cell density was highly stimulated in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), but this stimulatory effect was not so obvious in hepatocytes cultured at a high cell density. In close parallel to the potency of DNA synthesis, the amounts of 125I-HGF specifically bound to hepatocytes cultured at a low cell density were much greater than in high cell density culture. Scatchard plots revealed that change in the specific binding of 125I-HGF was due to change in the number of high-affinity HGF receptors, but without change in the Kd values. Affinity cross-linking of the HGF receptor with 125I-HGF confirmed the higher expression of HGF receptor on hepatocytes cultured at a lower cell density. Since there was no significant change in the expression of c-met mRNA in hepatocytes cultured at different cell densities, the number of cell surface HGF receptors is probably regulated by post-transcriptional mechanisms. We also found that the rates of HGF-induced down-regulation and recovery of HGF receptors on hepatocytes cultured at a low cell density were much faster than in cases of a high cell density.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yonemasu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002455:Cell Division; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015536:Down-Regulation; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D004247:DNA; D003513:Cycloheximide; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases