title: Role of caspase-8 in hepatocyte response to infection and injury in mice.
abstract: Caspase-8 has been implicated in signaling for apoptotic cell death and for certain nonapoptotic functions. However, knowledge of actual physiological or pathophysiological processes to which this enzyme contributes is lacking. Using a mouse model and employing the conditional knockout approach to delete the caspase-8 gene specifically in the liver, we found that caspase-8 deficiency in hepatocytes facilitates infection of the liver by Listeria monocytogenes, attenuates the hepatocyte proliferation wave during the first 48 hours after partial hepatectomy and, depending on the genetic background of the mice, prompts a chronic inflammatory response to the hepatectomy, as a result of which the proliferation of hepatocytes, although initially suppressed, might later be persistently enhanced, resulting in significant hepatomegaly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that caspase-8 participates in regulation of the cellular response to infection and injury and that it does so by affecting various cellular functions, including cell death, cell proliferation, and induction of inflammation.
authors: Department of Biological Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors: Tehila
authors: T
authors: Ben Moshe
authors: Hila
authors: H
authors: Barash
authors: Tae-Bong
authors: TB
authors: Kang
authors: Jin-Chul
authors: JC
authors: Kim
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Kovalenko
authors: Eitan
authors: E
authors: Gross
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Schuchmann
authors: Rinat
authors: R
authors: Abramovitch
authors: Eithan
authors: E
authors: Galun
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Wallach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000502:physiology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout
chemical_list: D053181:Caspase 8