title: Growth inhibition and apoptosis in liver myofibroblasts promoted by hepatocyte growth factor leads to resolution from liver cirrhosis.
abstract: Liver cirrhosis is characterized by hepatic dysfunction with extensive accumulation of fibrous tissue in the liver. In response to chronic hepatic injury, hepatic portal myofibroblasts and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a role in liver fibrosis. Although administration or gene expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) leads to improvement in hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis, the related mechanisms are not fully understood. We investigated mechanisms involved in resolution from liver cirrhosis by HGF, focusing on growth regulation and apoptosis in portal myofibroblasts. Cultured rat HSCs could not proliferate, were withdrawn after passage, and were replaced by proliferating portal myofibroblasts during the passages. In quiescent HSCs, c-Met receptor expression was undetected whereas c-Met receptor expression was detected in activated HSCs and liver myofibroblasts expressing alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), suggesting that activated HSCs and portal myofibroblasts are targets of HGF. For cultured rat portal myofibroblasts, HGF counteracted phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) 1/2 and mitogenic stimulus induced by platelet-derived growth factor, induced c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1 phosphorylation, and promoted apoptotic cell death. In the dimethylnitrosamine rat model of liver cirrhosis, administration of HGF suppressed proliferation while promoting apoptosis of alpha-SMA-positive cells in the liver, events that were associated with reduced hepatic expressions of alpha-SMA and histological resolution from liver cirrhosis. Growth inhibition and enhanced apoptosis in portal myofibroblasts by HGF are newly identified mechanisms aiding resolution from liver fibrosis/cirrhosis by HGF.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Course of Advanced Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamada-oka 2-2-B7, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Wook-Hwan
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bessho
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D008297:Male; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases