Protective effect of non-mitogenic human acidic fibroblast growth factor on hepatocyte injury.

Aim: To study whether non-mitogenic human acidic fibroblast growth factor (nm-haFGF) has protective effects on H(2)O(2)-induced hepatocyte injury in vitro and CCl(4)-induced hepatocyte injury in vivo.

Methods: (i) HL-7702 hepatocytes were incubated with different concentrations of nm-haFGF for 12 h, and then the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in culture medium was detected, and genomic DNA electrophoresis analysis was observed after being exposed to H(2)O(2) (8 mmol/L) for 4 h. Proximately, apoptotic rates and protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax of HL-7702 cell were detected after being exposed to H(2)O(2) (0.2 mmol/L) for 20 h. (ii) Being injected intraperitoneally with nm-haFGF, mice were treated with CCl(4) intraperitoneally to induce hepatic injury. Twenty-four hours later, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured and histopathologic changes were evaluated.

Results: (i) In vitro tests: LDH activities and apoptotic rates decreased, the protein expression of Bcl-2 increased and Baxdecreased in nm-haFGF-treated groups at the concentrations of 100 150 and 200 ng/mL, compared with that in the model control group, which was treated with H(2)O(2) alone. The genomic DNA remained nearly intact at the concentrations of 150 and 200 ng/mL. (ii) In vivo tests: serum ALT and AST in nm-haFGF-treated groups (10 mug/kg and 20 mug/kg) were much lower as compared to the model control group, which was treated with CCl(4) alone. Histological examination showed that nm-haFGF markedly ameliorated hepatocytes vacuolation, cloudy swelling and inflammatory cells infiltration induced by CCl(4).

Conclusion: nm-haFGF had protective effects against H(2)O(2)-induced hepatocyte injury in vitro and CCl(4)-induced acute liver injury in vivo.