Progression through G1 and S phases of adult rat hepatocytes

Regenerating liver, hepatocyte primary cultures and differentiated hepatoma cell lines are widely used to study the proliferation/differentiation/apoptosis equilibrium in liver. In hepatocytes, priming factors (TNF alpha, IL6) target G0/G1 transition while growth factors (HGF, EGF, TGF alpha) control a mid-late G1 restriction point. A characteristic pattern of cdk/cyclin expression is observed in hepatocytes, presumably related to their ability to proliferate a limited number of times and to undergo a reversible differentiation. Interestingly, cell-cell interactions between hepatocytes and liver biliary cells in co-cultures, result in a cell cycle arrest in mid G1 of hepatocytes which are insensitive to mitogens. Apoptosis exists in hepatocytes but is still poorly documented. However, hepatoma cell lines stimulated by TGF beta undergo cell death in a p53-independent pathway. In conclusion, the interplay of growth and apoptosis regulators and cell-cell interactions control the proliferation/differentiation/apoptosis balance which is a specific feature of hepatocytes.