title: CBRH-7919 cell supernate promotes fibroblasts to express cyclooxygenase-2 and hepatocyte growth factor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transplanted cells need a microenvironment for proliferation and neovascularization. As an important component of the microenvironment, fibroblasts play a role in the process of tumor growth. With that in mind, we planned to activate fibroblasts in vitro and investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) which can promote the proliferation and neovascularization of the transplanted liver cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fibroblasts were isolated from 20-day-old fetal Sprague-Dawley rats and incubated in the absence or presence of rat hepatoma CBRH-7919 cell supernate. On days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 the incubated fibroblasts were taken for detection of the levels of HGF and COX-2 by immunocytochemistry and the levels of HGF mRNA and COX-2 mRNA by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When incubated in the presence of CBRH-7919 cell supernate, the fibroblasts could be activated to myofibroblasts that expressed alpha-smooth muscle actin at a high level, and the fibroblasts expressed COX-2, COX-2 mRNA, HGF, and HGF mRNA at higher levels, reaching a peak on day 3 and maintained at high levels until on day 7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fibroblasts can be activated by CBRH-7919 cell supernate. Activated fibroblasts can express COX-2 and HGF at higher levels. Maybe we can take advantage of the activated fibroblasts to promote the neovascularization and proliferation of transplanted liver cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: lidewei406@sina.com.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005819:Genetic Markers; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C498862:Acta2 protein, rat; C489691:Ptgs2 protein, rat