title: [Effect of bone morphogenetic protein-4 on the proliferation and differentiation of rat hepatic precursor cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the regulation effect of bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) on the proliferation and differentiation of rat hepatic precursor cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used Noggin (200 ng/mL) as the function blocking control of BMP-4, and the hepatic precursor cells of WB-F344 were treated with recombinant BMP-4 at 50 ng/mL at different time points. The proliferation of WB-F344 cells were tested by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay. The ultrastructural characters of differentiated WB-F344 cells regulated by BMP-4 were observed under a transmission electron microscope. RT-PCR was used to examine mRNA expression of specific molecular markers for different cellular phenotypes potentially differentiated from the WB-F344 cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At different time points, the absorbance values in the BMP-4 treatment groups were higher than those in the control groups of Noggin and blank treatment (P<0.01). The WB-F344 cells treated with BMP-4 exhibited typical ultrastructural characters of well-differentiated epithelial cells. The hepatocyte mRNA markers were more significantly promoted in the differentiated WB-F344 cells in the BMP-4 treatment group than those in the other 2 control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMP-4 can promote the proliferation and directional differentiation towards hepatocytes of rat hepatic precursor cells of WB-F344.
authors: Medical Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
authors: Juanjuan
authors: J
authors: Dong
authors: Shan
authors: S
authors: Zeng
authors: Miao
authors: M
authors: Ouyang
authors: Zenghui
authors: Z
authors: Huang
authors: Yuewen
authors: Y
authors: Gong
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D000099176:Noggin Protein
chemical_list: D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000099176:Noggin Protein; C525811:Bmp4 protein, rat