[Sustaining effect of gene-transferring hepatic stellate cell strain CFSC/HGF on hepatocytes development].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the sustaining effects of gene-transferring hepatic stellate cell strain CFSC/HGF on the development of hepatocytes.


METHODS
A CFSC/HGF strain, expressing HGF steadily and effectively was established by recombined retroviral vector pMSCV-HGF infection. Morphology and ultra structure of hepatocytes, albumin and urea production, as well as ICG uptake and excretion were studied continuously following the hepatocytes cultured on the CFSC/HGF feeder layers. Parallel group of collagen-dependent hepatocytes culturing and hepatocytes culturing on CFSC were also conducted. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis was made to evaluate the expression of HGF receptor c-Met.


RESULTS
The hepatocytes cocultured on CFSC/HGF feeder layers had a higher survival rate, and the functions of albumin secretion and urea syntheses and ICG uptake and excretion, were superior to the other two culture methods. The result of RT-PCR indicated that the c-Met expressed on the CFSC/HGF coculturing hepatocytes was up-regulated 2.23 times.


CONCLUSIONS
Gene-transferring hepatic stellate cell strain CFSC/HGF exhibited a remarkable sustaining effect on the hepatocytes development. The up-regulation of c-Met expressed on the surfaces of the hepatocytes induced by CFSC/HGF might play some part in this function.
Wang
Yun-Fang
YF
Department of Stem Cell Biology, Beijing Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China.
Nan
Xue
X
Li
Yan-Hua
YH
Zhang
Rui
R
Yue
Wen
W
Yan
Fang
F
Pei
Xue-Tao
XT
D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met