Human hepatopoietin augmenter of liver regeneration — A hepatotrophic factor for liver regeneration, and its potential antihepatitis effectin vivo

• Published in: Science bulletin (Beijing) Vol. 43; no. 12; pp. 1026 - 1031
• Main Authors: Yang, Xiaoming, Wang, Aimin, Zhou, Ping, Xie, Ling, Wang, Qingming, Wu, Zuze, He, Fuchu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Springer Nature B.V 01-06-1998
• Subjects: Carbon tetrachloride; Cell culture; Cholestasis; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA biosynthesis; Hepatitis; Hepatocytes; Lethality; Liver; Mice; Necrosis; Protein biosynthesis; Protein folding; Proteins; Rats; Regeneration; Statistical analysis; Synthesis; Toxins
• ISSN: 2095-9273; 2095-9281
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02884641

The effect of human hapatopoietin i. e. augmenter of liver regeneration (hALR) was determined on hepatocyte DNA synthesis, and on CCl4-induced hepatitis in animal invitro andin vivo. It is found that ALR could directly stimulate DNA synthesis of hepatocytes in primary culture in a dose-dependent manner. In 30% hepatectomied rats, significant DNA synthesis occurred in control rats; even so, exogenous hALR gene encoding protein increased DNA synthesis of regeneration liver by 2.3 fold compared with control rats. A lower dose of CCl4 was administrated in rats and the effect of ALR on DNA synthesis of regenerating liver 48 h after CCl4 administration was analyzed. Few Budr-labeled hepatocytes were visible in control rats. However, exogenous hALR markedly increased the number of labeled cells in a dose-dependent manner. Statistical analysis showed that 10 or 40 μg· kg-1 ALR protein stimulated DNA synthesis by 1.7 and 4.8 fold respectively.In addition to enhancing cell growth, adiministration of hALR achieved a significant improvement in reversing the lethality of rat hepatic failure when compared with that of control group; the elevation of cytcsolic enzymes was dramatically suppressed by exogenous hALR in CCl4-treated micein vivo andin vitro; histologically, hepatocytes around the central vein were necrotic, and the degree of hepatocyte necrosis in control mice was more prominent than that in the mice given 40 μg· kg-1 hALR 48 h after CCl4 administration. We also noted that hALR had a strong antihepatitis effectin vitro which was determined with primary cultured rat hepatocytes. These findings suggest that hALR protects the integrity of hepatocytes against severe hepatitis, and indicate that ALR may be an important regulator of liver regeneration and play a major role in liver injury repair. It proves ALR adminstration to be a useful treatment to accelerate liver regeneration and to prevent the onset of hepatitis or intrahepatic cholestasis induced by toxin.