[Mitogenic effects of growth and differentiation factors on rat liver stem cell WB-F344 in vitro].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the relationship between the proliferation, differentiation of rat hepatic stem like cell line WB-F344 and cytokines in vitro.


METHODS
(3)H thymidine labelling of new synthesized DNA was used to examine the mitogenic responsiveness of WB-F344 cells to cytokines, western blot was used to study the expression of cytokines receptors on hepatic stem cells, and apoptotic cells were detected by Flow cytometry.


RESULTS
WB-F344 cells showed a proliferative response to the cytokines of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), Insulin at the dose of 80 ng/ml, and the relative cpm values are 982.95, 906.32, 863.98 and 968.67 respectively, while non response to interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) at the same dose, and an inhibition or apoptosis response to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) at 80 ng/ml with a 26.89% apoptotic rate. Western blot showed that there were HGF, EGF, FGF, TGF-beta receptors expressed on WB-F344 cells. When WB-F344 cells were cultured in the differential system (DMEM, 10% Fcs, HGF 10 to approximately 50 ng/ml, EGF 20 ng/ml, Insulin 1 microg/ml, Dex 1 micromol/L), the cells could differentiated into hepatocytes. In addition, HGF could scattered WB-F344 cells.


CONCLUSIONS
The proliferation and differentiation of liver stem cells are regulated by various cytokines which may play an important role when liver is damaged seriously.
Yao
Peng
P
Institute of Liver Diseases, General Hospital of Beijing Military Region, Beijing 100700, China.
Zhan
Yi-qiong
YQ
Xu
Wang-xiang
WX
Li
Chang-yan
CY
Yang
Xiao-ming
XM
Hu
Da-rong
DR
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology
D016207:Cytokines; D007328:Insulin; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor