[Protective effect of hepatocyte growth factor on hepatocyte poisoning by carbon tetrachloride and related gene...

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), as a pleiotropic factor, plays important roles in organ regeneration, organogenesis and morphogenesis, but few reports on protective effect of HGF on injured liver are available. The aim of this work was to investigate protective effects of recombinant human HGF (rhHGF) on intoxicated hepatocytes induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The results are as follows: (1) rhHGF (5 ng/ml) could significantly increase the viability of hepatocytes intoxicated by CCl4 (15 mmol/L), decrease the leakage of intracellular alanine transaminase (ALT) and potassium ions into the culture medium; (2) the combination of rhHGF (5 ng/ml) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) (50 ng/ml) could increase the viability further, decrease the leakage of intracellular ALT and potassium ions of hepatocytes; (3) high expression of HGF and its receptor/c-met gene in regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy and CCl4 (50%, 2.5 ml/kg bw) poisoning were examined respectively by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in rats. The results showed that rhHGF could protect hepatocytes against CCl4 through preventing intracellular ALT and potassium ion leakage, thus suggesting a synergistic effect of rhHGF and EGF on cytoprotection, and high expression of HGF and its receptor/c-met mRNA in the liver treated with PH and CCl4 poisoning. The present study suggests that the expression of HGF and its receptor gene plays an important role in liver regeneration and repair.