Biomaterial Database

[Molecular biology of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)]. 1993

Y Matsuda, and T Nakamura

Third Department of Medicine, Niigata University Medical School.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is the most potent mitogen of mature hepatocytes in primary culture, and is a molecule composed of 69 kD alpha-chain and 34 kD beta-chain. HGF predominantly acts on various epithelial cells as a mitogen, motogen and a morphogen. HGF mRNA and HGF protein increases rapidly in the liver and plasma of rats with liver injury such as hepatitis, ischemia, physical crush and partial hepatectomy. Production of HGF in the liver occurs in Kupffer cells, sinusoidal endothelial cells, and Ito cells, but not in hepatocytes. HGF mRNA is also rapidly increased in the intact organs such as lung, kidney and spleen. Thus, HGF may act as a hepatotrophic factor for liver regeneration through two mechanisms: a paracrine mechanism and an endocrine mechanism. Moreover, intravenously injected HGF enhances liver regeneration and protects hepatitis in vivo. Consequently, HGF may prove to be useful for the clinical treatment of patients with liver disease. Recently, we found a factor which specially appears in the blood of rats with organ injury and increases the synthesis of HGF, and it was named "injurin". IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta are also positive regulators for the expression of the HGF gene, while TGF-beta and Dexamethazone down-regulate HGF expression.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008115	Liver Regeneration	Repair or renewal of hepatic tissue.	Liver Regenerations,Regeneration, Liver,Regenerations, Liver
D008392	Marmota	A genus of Sciuridae consisting of 14 species. They are shortlegged, burrowing rodents which hibernate in winter.	Woodchucks,Marmots,Marmot,Marmotas,Woodchuck
D008934	Mitogens	Substances that stimulate mitosis and lymphocyte transformation. They include not only substances associated with LECTINS, but also substances from streptococci (associated with streptolysin S) and from strains of alpha-toxin-producing staphylococci. (Stedman, 25th ed)	Mitogen,Phytomitogen,Phytomitogens
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D011956	Receptors, Cell Surface	Cell surface proteins that bind signalling molecules external to the cell with high affinity and convert this extracellular event into one or more intracellular signals that alter the behavior of the target cell (From Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2nd ed, pp693-5). Cell surface receptors, unlike enzymes, do not chemically alter their ligands.	Cell Surface Receptor,Cell Surface Receptors,Hormone Receptors, Cell Surface,Receptors, Endogenous Substances,Cell Surface Hormone Receptors,Endogenous Substances Receptors,Receptor, Cell Surface,Surface Receptor, Cell
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D005786	Gene Expression Regulation	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.	Gene Action Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression,Expression Regulation, Gene,Regulation, Gene Action,Regulation, Gene Expression
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013329	Structure-Activity Relationship	The relationship between the chemical structure of a compound and its biological or pharmacological activity. Compounds are often classed together because they have structural characteristics in common including shape, size, stereochemical arrangement, and distribution of functional groups.	Relationship, Structure-Activity,Relationships, Structure-Activity,Structure Activity Relationship,Structure-Activity Relationships