title: [The characteristics of hepatic stem cells and the expression of growth factor and their receptors in the early embryonic human liver].
abstract: To study the morphological characteristics of hepatic stem cells and the expression of HGF, IGF-I, TGFbeta1 and their receptors in human embryonic livers at 3-5 weeks of gestation. The SABC immunohistochemical method with HE counterstaining was employed. We found that the hepatic bud formed at the end of the 3rd week. At the 4th week, the cells of hepatic bud migrated into the septum transversum mesenchyme and formed the hepatic cords. The hepatic cells at 3-4 weeks displayed the typical characteristics of immature cells: small size, a round or ovoid nucleus with dark color, scant cytoplasm with slight blue and a high ratio of nuclei/cytoplasm. They were positive for alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP), c-Met and negative for cytokertin 19 (CK19), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). At the 5th week, compared to those at the 4th week, the number of cells within the hepatic cords increased. But the cells at the 5th week were homogeneous and displayed the typical characteristic of immature cells. Those cells began to express PCNA at the 5th week. The hepatic cells at the 5th week were positive for insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) and their receptors, and were negative for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), while HGF were positive in the cardiac cells and septum transversum mesenchyme. The results indicated that the cells of hepatic bud and cords were the hepatic stem cells. The difference of morphology and proteins expression at 3-5 weeks of gestation inferred that those stem cells belong to different developmental stage. AFP and c-Met were the markers of hepatic stem cells at the early stage of human embryo. HGF, IGF-I, TGFbeta1 and their receptors may involve in regulating the development of early embryonic human liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, West China Medical Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Jiying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Aidong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hongying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.forename: Shuxia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Huarong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Hongrui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005865:Gestational Age; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1