Hepatocyte growth factor stimulates wound repair of the rabbit esophageal epithelial cells in primary culture.

We have recently established an in vitro primary culture system for esophageal epithelial cells, which enabled us to investigate the effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and other factors on esophageal restitution. HGF remarkably stimulated restitution of these cells. So did epidermal growth factor (EGF), though moderately. Restitution velocity of esophageal cells was remarkably higher than that of gastric epithelial cells. The expression of c-met, specific HGF receptor was demonstrated by the esophageal cells, suggesting that the effect of HGF was mediated by its specific receptor. The expression level of c-met mRNA was the same as that of gastric epithelial cells, as assessed by competitive RT-PCR technique. These results suggest that HGF might be involved in the repair process of esophageal mucosal damage.