Objective: To investigate the effect of recombinant human hepatopoietin (rhHPO) and partial hepatectomy on rapidly induced expression of immediate early gene.
Methods: We investigated the different gene expression within 1 hour after 2/3 partial hepatectomy by representational difference analysis and in primary cultured hepatocytes system.
Results: In the expressed sequence tag (EST) library, we identified that most of these genes were immediate early gene, and found one new gene PC3 that might be associated to liver regeneration in the EST library. Moreover, PC3 gene was rapidly induced after 2/3 partial hepatectomy and the expressing peak was within 1~2 hours after operation. HPO can rapidly induce the expression of these genes (c-fos, LRF-1, and PC3, etc.) in primarily cultured rat hepatocyte, which might be one of HPO molecular mechanism on stimulating hepatocyte proliferation.
Conclusions: rhHPO and partial hepatectomy can rapidly induce the expression of immediate early gene. PC3 gene is immediate early gene related to liver regeneration.