Hepatoprotective action of adenovirus‐transferred HNF‐3γ gene in acute liver injury caused by CCl4

摘要

>Hepatocyte nuclear factor-3γ (HNF-3γ) is an important regulator of liver-specific genes and the expression of this factor is reduced in the liver injured by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). Wistar rats were infected with a recombinant adenovirus carrying the cDNA for HNF-3γ (AxCAHNF3γ) via the tail vein and were treated with CCl₄ by intraperitoneal injection. Liver damage, such as swelling of the hepatocytes and increases in serum marker enzymes were markedly alleviated by AxCAHNF3γ infection. Interestingly, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was strongly induced in the AxCAHNF3γ-infected liver. Likewise, HNF-1α and HNF-1β levels were increased, but HNF-3α and HNF-3β levels were depressed in the liver. Our results suggest that the transduced HNF-3γ gene leads to a hepatoprotective effect via the induction of HGF by the combined actions of liver-enriched transcription factors.