title: Expression of hepatocyte growth factor mRNA in rat liver cirrhosis induced by N-nitrosodimethylamine as evidenced by in situ RT-PCR.
abstract: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent inducer of hepatocyte proliferation and is expressed during liver failure. In this study we used the in situ reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method to detect HGF mRNA expression in normal rat livers and cirrhotic rat livers induced by treatment with N-nitrosodimethylamine (DMN). In normal control livers, in situ RT-PCR detected HGF mRNA expression in Ito cells and Kupffer cells, both of which showed rounded morphologies. However, in the cirrhotic livers induced by DMN, HGF mRNA-positive cells were spindle-shaped and surrounded the hepatocytes located around the sinusoids. These cells appeared to be sinusoidal endothelial cells as well as Ito and Kupffer cells. Because it has been suggested that HGF expression is related to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) levels that may play an essential role in disease progression in cirrhotic livers, TGF-beta mRNA expression in normal and cirrhotic livers was also compared using in situ RT-PCR. Our results confirmed that expression of TGF-beta mRNA co-localized with HGF mRNA expression in the cirrhotic liver.
authors.affiliation: Safety Research Department, Pharmaceuticals Development Research Laboratories, Teijin Limited, Tokyo, Japan. j.hata@teijin.co.jp
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine