Recombinant human hepatocyte growth factor protects the liver against hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats.
BACKGROUND
Recent evidence indicates that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has a cytoprotective effect against hepatic injury caused by hepatotoxins and inflammatory cytokines. Studies were performed to determine whether HGF influences the survival rate of rats subjected to hepatic warm ischemia/reperfusion (WI/Rp) injury.


METHODS
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to total or segmental hepatic ischemia by occluding the hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile duct with a microvascular clip. Rats were treated with four intravenous injections of recombinant human HGF (rhHGF 1 mg/kg) or the vehicle 72, 48, 24, and 12 h before surgery.


RESULTS
None of the eight animals in the control group were alive 12 h after total hepatic WI/Rp. Seven of eight animals in the rhHGF-treated group were alive more than 2 days after the reperfusion. In the model of segmental hepatic ischemia, rhHGF inhibited the increase in cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant in serum. The number of neutrophils infiltrating the liver was significantly lower in the rhHGF-treated group than in the control group. rhHGF prevented increases in the activity of serum alanine transaminase and in hepatic necrosis. Experiments with proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining demonstrated that hepatocyte proliferation markedly increased in rhHGF-treated rats as compared with controls.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that HGF facilitates recovery of the liver from hepatic WI/Rp injury, at least in part through the prevention of neutrophil infiltration and the activation of hepatocyte proliferation.
Sakakura
Y
Y
First Department of Surgery, Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizonocho, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8507, Japan.
Kaibori
M
M
Oda
M
M
Okumura
T
T
Kwon
A H
AH
Kamiyama
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001652:Bile Ducts; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007511:Ischemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011169:Portal Vein; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor