Transforming growth factor-beta initiates wound repair in rat liver through induction of the EIIIA-fibronectin splice isoform.

ABSTRACT: A prominent feature of the hepatic response to injury is production of a fetal isoform of fibronectin, a splice variant containing the EIIIA region, which appears very early after injury and derives from sinusoidal endothelial cells. Previous studies have shown that it is instrumental in initiating the cellular response to injury, specifically the conversion of resting stellate cells to myofibroblast-like cells. The present work describes the regulation of this change in fibronectin expression. Using sinusoidal endothelial cells from normal or injured liver in primary culture, we show that exogenous transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) stimulates [EIIIA]Fn expression. To assess the role of TGFbeta in vivo, we used a chimeric IgG containing the extracellular portion of the TGFbeta type

SUBMITTER: George J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1868619 | biostudies-literature | 2000 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature