Increased expression of transforming growth factor-alpha in a patient with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma following partial hepatectomy

Partial Hepatectomy Promotes the Development of KRASG12V-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Zebrafish

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of PH on the development of oncogenic krasG12V-induced HCC in zebrafish. The inducible HCC model in Tg(fabp10a:rtTA2s-M2; TRE2:EGFP-krasG12V) zebrafish was used. PH or sham surgery was performed before the induction of oncogenic krasG12V expression in the livers of transgenic zebrafish. Histological analysis was carried out to determine the progression of HCC and other HCC-associated features including hepatocyte proliferation, extracellular matrix production, and local oxidative stress. The similarity between the process of PH-induced liver regeneration and that of krasG12V-induced HCC development was further compared by RNA-Seq analysis. The results show that PH promotes the development of krasG12V-induced HCC in zebrafish possibly through enhancing neutrophil-mediated oxidative stress and promoting the upregulation of s100a1, and the downregulation of ribosome biogenesis.

Targeting mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase with the inhibitor PD0325901 decreases hepatocellular carcinoma growth in vitro and in mouse model systems

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cause of death from solid organ malignancy worldwide. Extracellular signal-regulated/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) signaling is a critical growth regulatory pathway in HCC. Targeting MEK with a novel small molecule inhibitor, PD0325901, may inhibit HCC tumorigenesis. PD0325901 (0.01-100 nM) inhibited growth and MEK activity in vitro in immortalized murine transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) transgenic hepatocyte (TAMH) cells, derived from the livers of TGF-alpha transgenic mice. Treatment of athymic mice bearing TAMH flank tumors with vehicle or PD0325901 (20 mg/kg) revealed a significant reduction of MEK activity ex vivo 24 hours after a single PD0325901 dose. The growth rate of TAMH flank tumors over 16 days was reduced threefold in the treatment arm (1113 +/- 269% versus 3077 +/- 483%, P < 0.01). PD0325901 exhibited similar inhibitory effects in HepG2 and Hep3B human HCC cells in vitro and in Hep3B flank tumors in vivo. To confirm this in a developmental model, MT-42 (CD-1) TGF-alpha mice were treated with vehicle or PD0325901 (20 mg/kg) for 5 weeks. Gross HCC was detected in 47% and 13.3% of the control and treatment mice, respectively. Tumor growth suppression by PD0325901 relative to vehicle was also shown by magnetic resonance imaging. These studies provide compelling preclinical evidence that targeting MEK in human clinical trials may be promising for the treatment of HCC.

Expression of transforming growth factor-α and hepatitis B surface antigen in human hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and its significance

AIM: To evaluate the expression of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-α) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and its significance.

METHODS: Seventy specimens of HCC tissues were detected by immunohistochemical method. Five specimens of normal human liver tissues were used as control.

RESULTS: The TGF-α positive expression rates in HCC and its surrounding tissues were 74.3%(52/70) and 88.1%(52/59), respectively. TGF-α positive granules were mainly in the cytoplasm and fewer existed on the karyotheca. The TGF-α positive expressing rate in well differentiated HCC was significantly higher than that in moderately and poorly differentiated HCC (P < 0.05). The TGF-α positive expression also was observed in intrahepatic bile ducts (part of those were hyperplastic ducts). The HBsAg positive expression rates in HCC and its surrounding tissues were 21.4%(15/70) and 79.7%(47/59), respectively. HBsAg positive granules were in the cytoplasm, inclusion and on the karyotheca. There was a prominent positive correlation between TGF-α and HBsAg expression in HCC surrounding tissues (P < 0.05, γ = 0.34). TGF-α was usually existed with HBsAg in regenerated and/or dysplastic liver cells. In the five normal liver tissues, TGF-α and HBsAg were not detectable in hepatocytes and bile ducts.

CONCLUSION: Hepatitis B virus infection is closely related with hepatocarcinogenesis. The overexpression of TGF-α in the liver seems to be associated with the regeneration of hepatocytes injured by HBsAg. The continued expression of TGF-α might lead to dysplasia of liver cells and development of HCC. Furthermore, TGF-α might play a role in morphogenesis and regeneration of intrahepatic bile ducts.