title: Sparse distribution of hepatocyte growth factor-producing cells inside hepatocellular foci in rats treated with hepatocarcinogens.
abstract: The distribution of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-synthesizing cells in rat liver during development of glutathione S-transferase P form (GST-P)-positive nodules after diethylnitrosamine initiation followed by promotion with 2-acetylaminofluorene plus partial hepatectomy (PH) was investigated using in situ hybridization. HGF-producing cells were non-parenchymal in nature, and were suspected to be mainly of Kupffer type. They were mostly located outside GST-P-positive lesions, in the surrounding parenchyma. In the oval cell proliferation phase 1 week after PH, they increased and they were mainly localized around the portal triads. It is concluded that HGF is directly involved in an endogenous paracrine growth pathway controlling proliferation in oval cells and in normal, but not GST-P-positive, hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichinose
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masegi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitoh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatematsu
mesh_terms: D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene; D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene; D005982:Glutathione Transferase