title: The protective effect of hepatocyte growth-promoting factor (pHGF) against carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats: an ultrastructural study.
abstract: The protective effect of hepatocyte growth-promoting factor (pHGF) against CCl4-induced acute hepatitis in rats was examined by light and electron microscopy. Hepatocyte growth-promoting factor, purified from infant pig liver in an active form, has been used clinically in patients with hepatitis in China. Four hours after administration of CCl4, a single dose of pHGF was administered intraperitoneally. Six hours after administration of CCl4, inhibition of CCl4-induced hepatic necrosis and hepatocytes with severely dilated endoplasmic reticula were evident in rats treated with pHGF. At 48 h post administration, most hepatocytes had recovered, and not only mitotic hepatocytes (10-13 mitotic cells/100) but also mitotic Kupffer cells were observed. At 72 h, it was evident that the differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (Ito cell) into myofibroblast-like cells and the development of fibrosis around the central veins was prevented by pHGF. These results suggested that (1) pHGF may stabilize cell membranes, (2) pHGF acts as a mitogen not only for hepatocytes but also for Kupffer cells, and (3) pHGF prevents fibrogenesis in the case of CCl4-induced liver injury by preventing the differentiation of hepatic stellate cells.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute for Electron Microscopic Researches, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0022, Japan.
authors.forename: S.
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: W.
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: X.-L.
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: G.
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Asano