Roles of growth factors and of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on liver cell proliferation induced in rats by lead nitrate.

BACKGROUND

A single intravenous injection of lead nitrate to rats induces a synchronized wave of hepatocyte proliferation without accompanying liver cell necrosis. However, the mechanism of the mitogenic effect of lead nitrate is not known, and whether hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) play any role in it have not been investigated. These growth factors have indeed been shown to provide either positive or negative stimuli for liver cell regeneration after partial hepatectomy or liver cell necrosis. Moreover, there are reports showing that administration of non-necrogenic doses of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) to rats lead to an enhanced proliferation of hepatocytes and liver nonparenchymal cells. Lead is known to sensitize animals to lethal effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS), suggesting that lead nitrate may modify the production of TNF-alpha in response to endogenous LPS of intestinal origin. An enhanced production of TNF-alpha could therefore be involved in the mitogenic action of lead nitrate.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We investigated first whether a single intravenous dose of lead nitrate (100 mumole/kg) to rats modifies the production of HGF, TGF-alpha, and TGF-beta 1, by examining the steady-state level of their mRNA in the liver by Northern blot analyses. The response of rats given lead nitrate to various doses of LPS was next evaluated to determine whether lead-treated rats have an enhanced sensitivity to LPS. Finally, the level of TNF-alpha mRNA was examined in the liver of rats at various time periods after a single injection of lead nitrate.

RESULTS

No changes were observed in the liver levels of mRNAs for HGF, TGF-alpha, and TGF-beta 1 at various time intervals after a single injection of lead nitrate. All rats given only single injections of LPS up to 100 micrograms survived. However, lead nitrate-treated rats tolerated LPS at dosages of only 6 micrograms. The liver of control rats showed a single 1.6 kb TNF-alpha transcript, whereas 1.8-kb transcripts were seen at 1 hour after lead nitrate injection, and persisted for 12 hours. The 1.8 kb TNF-alpha transcript was also present in the spleen of control rats, and its expression was enhanced in lead nitrate-treated rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Stimulation of hepatocyte proliferation induced by lead nitrate was not accompanied by changes in liver levels of HGF, TGF-alpha, or TGF-beta 1 mRNA. Lead nitrate, however, enhanced expression of TNF-alpha at a time preceding the onset of hepatocyte DNA synthesis, indicating that TNF-alpha may trigger the lead nitrate-induced proliferation of hepatocytes.