EFFECT OF HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR SCATTER FACTOR ON LIPOGENESIS IN ADULT-RAT HEPATOCYTES IN PRIMARY CULTURE

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/scatter factor is known to be the most potent mitogen for hepatocytes, In this paper, we report that lipogene sis in primary cultured rat hepatocytes treated with 10 ng/ml of recom binant human HGF (rhHGF) for 24 h was stimulated, as measured by the i ncorporation of (H2O)-H-3 into long-chain fatty acids, to more than tw ice as much as the control, Insulin (O.1 mu M) was more effective than rhHGF but rhHGF did not show an additive or synergistic effect when a dded to insulin, We also showed that treatment with rhHGF increased th e activities of glucose-g-phosphate dehydrogenase (GGPDH) and malic en zyme, key enzymes which supply NADPH for lipogenesis, and acetyl-CoA c arboxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme of lipogenesis, The increase in G 6PDH and acetyl-CoA carboxylase activities was accompanied by increase s in the levels of mRNA for the enzymes, These results suggest that HG F is involved in liver regeneration not only by stimulation of cell pr oliferation but also by acceleration of differentiation of hepatocytes .