Involvement of Kupffer cell-dependent signaling in T3-induced hepatocyte proliferation in vivo

Liver Regeneration in Chronic Liver Injuries: Basic and Clinical Applications Focusing on Macrophages and Natural Killer Cells

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Liver regeneration is a necessary but complex process involving multiple cell types besides hepatocytes. Mechanisms underlying liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy and acute liver injury have been well-described. However, in patients with chronic and severe liver injury, the remnant liver cannot completely restore the liver mass and function, thereby involving liver progenitor-like cells (LPLCs) and various immune cells.

RESULTS

Macrophages are beneficial to LPLCs proliferation and the differentiation of LPLCs to hepatocytes. Also, cells expressing natural killer (NK) cell markers have been studied in promoting both liver injury and liver regeneration. NK cells can promote LPLC-induced liver regeneration, but the excessive activation of hepatic NK cells may lead to high serum levels of interferon-γ, thus inhibiting liver regeneration.

CONCLUSIONS

This review summarizes the recent research on 2 important innate immune cells, macrophages and NK cells, in LPLC-induced liver regeneration and the mechanisms of liver regeneration during chronic liver injury, as well as the latest macrophage- and NK cell-based therapies for chronic liver injury. These novel findings can further help identify new treatments for chronic liver injury, saving patients from the pain of liver transplantations.

Perspectives in liver redox imbalance: Toxicological and pharmacological aspects underlying iron overloading, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and thyroid hormone action

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in favor of the oxidants, leading to a disruption of redox signaling and control, and/or molecular damage altering cellular functions. This redox imbalance may trigger different responses depending on the antioxidant potential of a given cell, the level of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) attained and the time of exposure, with protective effects being induced at low ROS/RNS levels in acute or short-term conditions, and harmful effects after high ROS/RNS exposure in prolonged situations. Relevant conditions underlying liver redox imbalance include iron overload associated with ROS production via Fenton chemistry and the magnitude of the iron labile pool achieved, with low iron exposure inducing protective effects related to nuclear factor-κB, signal transducer and activation of transcription 3, and nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation and upregulation of ferritin, hepcidin, acute-phase response and antioxidant components, whereas high iron exposure causes drastic oxidation of biomolecules, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death due to necrosis, apoptosis and/or ferroptosis. Redox imbalance in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is related to polyunsaturated fatty acid depletion, lipogenic factor sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c upregulation, fatty acid oxidation-dependent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α downregulation, low antioxidant factor Nrf2 and insulin resistance, a phenomenon that is exacerbated in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis triggering an inflammatory response. Thyroid hormone (T₃ ) administration determines liver preconditioning against ischemia-reperfusion injury due to the redox activation of several transcription factors, AMP-activated protein kinase, unfolded protein response and autophagy. High grade liver redox imbalance occurring in severe iron overload is adequately handled by iron chelation, however, that underlying NAFLD/NASH is currently under study in several Phase II and Phase III trials.

Thyroid Hormone and Deiodination in Innate Immune Cells

Thyroid hormone has recently been recognized as an important determinant of innate immune cell function. Highly specialized cells of the innate immune system, including neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, and dendritic cells, are capable of identifying pathogens and initiating an inflammatory response. They can either phagocytose and kill microbes, or recruit other innate or adaptive immune cells to the site of inflammation. Innate immune cells derive from the hematopoietic lineage and are generated in the bone marrow, from where they can be recruited into the blood and tissues in the case of infection. The link between the immune and endocrine systems is increasingly well established, and recent studies have shown that innate immune cells can be seen as important thyroid hormone target cells. Tight regulation of cellular thyroid hormone availability and action is performed by thyroid hormone transporters, receptors, and the deiodinase enzymes. Innate immune cells express all these molecular elements of intracellular thyroid hormone metabolism. Interestingly, there is recent evidence for a causal relationship between cellular thyroid hormone status and innate immune cell function. This review describes the effects of modulation of intracellular thyroid hormone metabolism on innate immune cell function, specifically neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells, with a special focus on the deiodinase enzymes. Although there are insufficient data at this stage for conclusions on the clinical relevance of these findings, thyroid hormone metabolism may partially determine the innate immune response and, by inference, the clinical susceptibility to infections.

Mesenchymal stromal cells promote liver regeneration through regulation of immune cells

The liver is sensitive to pathogen-induced acute or chronic liver injury, and liver transplantation (LT) is the only effective strategy for end-stage liver diseases. However, the clinical application is limited by a shortage of liver organs, immunological rejection and high cost. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapy has gradually become a hot topic for promoting liver regeneration and repairing liver injury in various liver diseases, since MSCs are reported to migrate toward injured tissues, undergo hepatogenic differentiation, inhibit inflammatory factor release and enhance the proliferation of liver cells in vivo. MSCs exert immunoregulatory effects through cell-cell contact and the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors to inhibit liver inflammation and promote liver regeneration. In addition, MSCs are reported to effectively inhibit the activation of cells of the innate immune system, including macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs), monocytes and other immune cells, and inhibit the activation of cells of the adaptive immune system, including T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and subsets of T cells or B cells. In the current review, we mainly focus on the potential effects and mechanisms of MSCs in inhibiting the activation of immune cells to attenuate liver injury in models or patients with acute liver failure (ALF), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and liver fibrosis and in patients or models after LT. We highlight that MSC transplantation may replace general therapies for eliminating acute or chronic liver injury in the near future.

Inflammasome-Mediated Inflammation in Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Ischemia-reperfusion injury is an important cause of liver damage occurring during surgical procedures including hepatic resection and liver transplantation, and represents the main underlying cause of graft dysfunction and liver failure post-transplantation. To date, ischemia-reperfusion injury is an unsolved problem in clinical practice. In this context, inflammasome activation, recently described during ischemia-reperfusion injury, might be a potential therapeutic target to mitigate the clinical problems associated with liver transplantation and hepatic resections. The present review aims to summarize the current knowledge in inflammasome-mediated inflammation, describing the experimental models used to understand the molecular mechanisms of inflammasome in liver ischemia-reperfusion injury. In addition, a clear distinction between steatotic and non-steatotic livers and between warm and cold ischemia-reperfusion injury will be discussed. Finally, the most updated therapeutic strategies, as well as some of the scientific controversies in the field will be described. Such information may be useful to guide the design of better experimental models, as well as the effective therapeutic strategies in liver surgery and transplantation that can succeed in achieving its clinical application.

Current understanding of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies in liver diseases

The liver, the largest organ with multiple synthetic and secretory functions in mammals, consists of hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells (KCs), and immune cells, among others. Various causative factors, including viral infection, toxins, autoimmune defects, and genetic disorders, can impair liver function and result in chronic liver disease or acute liver failure. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from various tissues have emerged as a potential candidate for cell transplantation to promote liver regeneration. Adipose-derived MSCs (ADMSCs) with high multi-lineage potential and self-renewal capacity have attracted great attention as a promising means of liver regeneration. The abundance source and minimally invasive procedure required to obtain ADMSCs makes them superior to bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMMSCs). In this review, we comprehensively analyze landmark studies that address the isolation, proliferation, and hepatogenic differentiation of ADMSCs and summarize the therapeutic effects of ADMSCs in animal models of liver diseases. We also discuss key points related to improving the hepatic differentiation of ADMSCs via exposure of the cells to cytokines and growth factors (GFs), extracellular matrix (ECM), and various physical parameters in in vitro culture. The optimization of culturing methods and of the transplantation route will contribute to the further application of ADMSCs in liver regeneration and help improve the survival rate of patients with liver diseases. To this end, ADMSCs provide a potential strategy in the field of liver regeneration for treating acute or chronic liver injury, thus ensuring the availability of ADMSCs for research, trial, and clinical applications in various liver diseases in the future.

Combined docosahexaenoic acid and thyroid hormone supplementation as a protocol supporting energy supply to precondition and afford protection against metabolic stress situations

Liver preconditioning (PC) refers to the development of an enhanced tolerance to injuring stimuli. For example, the protection from ischemia-reperfusion (IR) in the liver that is obtained by previous maneuvers triggering beneficial molecular and functional changes. Recently, we have assessed the PC effects of thyroid hormone (T_3; single dose of 0.1 mg/kg) and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs; daily doses of 450 mg/kg for 7 days) that abrogate IR injury to the liver. This feature is also achieved by a combined T₃ and the n-3 LCPUFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) using a reduced period of supplementation of the FA (daily doses of 300 mg/kg for 3 days) and half of the T₃ dosage (0.05 mg/kg). T₃ -dependent protective mechanisms include (i) the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent activation of transcription factors nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), AP-1, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) upregulating the expression of protective proteins. (ii) ROS-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress affording proper protein folding. (iii) The autophagy response to produce FAs for oxidation and ATP supply and amino acids for protein synthesis. (iv) Downregulation of inflammasome nucleotide-bonding oligomerization domain leucine-rich repeat containing family pyrin containing 3 and interleukin-1β expression to prevent inflammation. N-3 LCPUFAs induce antioxidant responses due to Nrf2 upregulation, with inflammation resolution being related to production of oxidation products and NF-κB downregulation. Energy supply to achieve liver PC is met by the combined DHA plus T₃ protocol through upregulation of AMPK coupled to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α signaling. In conclusion, DHA plus T₃ coadministration favors hepatic bioenergetics and lipid homeostasis that is of crucial importance in acute and clinical conditions such as IR, which may be extended to long-term or chronic situations including steatosis in obesity and diabetes. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 71(9):1211-1220, 2019.

Thyroid Hormone Action on Innate Immunity

The interplay between thyroid hormone action and the immune system has been established in physiological and pathological settings. However, their connection is complex and still not completely understood. The thyroid hormones (THs), 3,3',5,5' tetraiodo-L-thyroxine (T4) and 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) play essential roles in both the innate and adaptive immune responses. Despite much research having been carried out on this topic, the available data are sometimes difficult to interpret or even contradictory. Innate immune cells act as the first line of defense, mainly involving granulocytes and natural killer cells. In turn, antigen presenting cells, macrophages and dendritic cells capture, process and present antigens (self and foreign) to naïve T lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid tissues for the development of adaptive immunity. Here, we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in T4 and T3 effects on innate immune cells. An overview of the state-of-the-art of TH transport across the target cell membrane, TH metabolism inside these cells, and the genomic and non-genomic mechanisms involved in the action of THs in the different innate immune cell subsets is included. The present knowledge of TH effects as well as the thyroid status on innate immunity helps to understand the complex adaptive responses achieved with profound implications in immunopathology, which include inflammation, cancer and autoimmunity, at the crossroads of the immune and endocrine systems.

Thyroid hormone metabolism in innate immune cells

Thyroid hormone (TH) metabolism and thyroid status have been linked to various aspects of the immune response. There is extensive literature available on the effects of thyroid hormone on innate immune cells. However, only recently have authors begun to study the mechanisms behind these effects and the role of intracellular TH metabolism in innate immune cell function during inflammation. This review provides an overview of the molecular machinery of intracellular TH metabolism present in neutrophils, macrophages and dendritic cells and the role and effects of intracellular TH metabolism in these cells. Circulating TH levels have a profound effect on neutrophil, macrophage and dendritic cell function. In general, increased TH levels result in an amplification of the pro-inflammatory response of these cells. The mechanisms behind these effects include both genomic and non-genomic effects of TH. Besides a pro-inflammatory effect induced by extracellular TH, the cellular response to pro-inflammatory stimuli appears to be dependent on functional intracellular TH metabolism. This is illustrated by the fact that the deiodinase enzymes and in some cell types also thyroid hormone receptors appear to be crucial for adequate innate immune cell function. This overview of the literature suggests that TH metabolism plays an important role in the host defence against infection through the modulation of innate immune cell function.

Anti-Apoptotic Effects of 3,3',5-Triiodo-L-Thyronine in the Liver of Brain-Dead Rats

Background

Thyroid hormone treatment in brain-dead organ donors has been extensively studied and applied in the clinical setting. However, its clinical applicability remains controversial due to a varying degree of success and a lack of mechanistic understanding about the therapeutic effects of 3,3’,5-Triiodo-L-thyronine (T₃). T₃ pre-conditioning leads to anti-apoptotic and pro-mitotic effects in liver tissue following ischemia/reperfusion injury. Therefore, we aimed to study the effects of T₃ pre-conditioning in the liver of brain-dead rats.

Methods

Brain death (BD) was induced in mechanically ventilated rats by inflation of a Fogarty catheter in the epidural space. T₃ (0.1 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally 2 h prior to BD induction. After 4 h of BD, serum and liver tissue were collected. RT-qPCR, routine biochemistry, and immunohistochemistry were performed.

Results

Brain-dead animals treated with T₃ had lower plasma levels of AST and ALT, reduced Bax gene expression, and less hepatic cleaved Caspase-3 activation compared to brain-dead animals treated with vehicle. Interestingly, no differences in the expression of inflammatory genes (IL-6, MCP-1, IL-1β) or the presence of pro-mitotic markers (Cyclin-D and Ki-67) were found in brain-dead animals treated with T₃ compared to vehicle-treated animals.

Conclusion

T₃ pre-conditioning leads to beneficial effects in the liver of brain-dead rats as seen by lower cellular injury and reduced apoptosis, and supports the suggested role of T₃ hormone therapy in the management of brain-dead donors.

Thyroid hormone in the frontier of cell protection, survival and functional recovery

Thyroid hormone (TH) exerts important actions on cellular energy metabolism, accelerating O2consumption with consequent reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and redox signalling affording cell protection, a response that is contributed by redox-independent mechanisms. These processes underlie genomic and non-genomic pathways, which are integrated and exhibit hierarchical organisation. ROS production led to the activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factors nuclear factor-κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, activating protein 1 and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, promoting cell protection and survival by TH. These features involve enhancement in the homeostatic potential including antioxidant, antiapoptotic, antiinflammatory and cell proliferation responses, besides higher detoxification capabilities and energy supply through AMP-activated protein kinase upregulation. The above aspects constitute the molecular basis for TH-induced preconditioning of the liver that exerts protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury, a strategy also observed in extrahepatic organs of experimental animals and with other types of injury, which awaits application in the clinical setting. Noteworthy, re-adjusting TH to normal levels results in several beneficial effects; for example, it lengthens the cold storage time of organs for transplantation from brain-dead donors; allows a superior neurological outcome in infants of <28 weeks of gestation; reduces the cognitive side-effects of lithium and improves electroconvulsive therapy in patients with bipolar disorders.

Metabolic basis for thyroid hormone liver preconditioning: upregulation of AMP-activated protein kinase signaling

The liver is a major organ responsible for most functions of cellular metabolism and a mediator between dietary and endogenous sources of energy for extrahepatic tissues. In this context, adenosine-monophosphate- (AMP-) activated protein kinase (AMPK) constitutes an intrahepatic energy sensor regulating physiological energy dynamics by limiting anabolism and stimulating catabolism, thus increasing ATP availability. This is achieved by mechanisms involving direct allosteric activation and reversible phosphorylation of AMPK, in response to signals such as energy status, serum insulin/glucagon ratio, nutritional stresses, pharmacological and natural compounds, and oxidative stress status. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) lead to cellular AMPK activation and downstream signaling under several experimental conditions. Thyroid hormone (L-3,3′,5-triiodothyronine, T₃) administration, a condition that enhances liver ROS generation, triggers the redox upregulation of cytoprotective proteins affording preconditioning against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) liver injury. Data discussed in this work suggest that T₃-induced liver activation of AMPK may be of importance in the promotion of metabolic processes favouring energy supply for the induction and operation of preconditioning mechanisms. These include antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, repair or resynthesis of altered biomolecules, induction of the homeostatic acute-phase response, and stimulation of liver cell proliferation, which are required to cope with the damaging processes set in by IR.

Recent advances in liver preconditioning: Thyroid hormone, n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and iron

Liver preconditioning (PC), defined as an enhanced tolerance to injuring stimuli induced by previous specific maneuvers triggering beneficial functional and molecular changes, is of crucial importance in human liver transplantation and major hepatic resection. For these reasons, numerous PC strategies have been evaluated in experimental models of ischemia-reperfusion liver injury, which have not been transferred to clinical application due to side effects, toxicity and difficulties in implementation, with the exception of the controversial ischemic PC. In recent years, our group has undertaken the assessment of alternate experimental liver PC protocols that might have application in the clinical setting. These include thyroid hormone (T(3)), n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA), or iron, which suppressed liver damage due to the 1 h ischemia-20 h reperfusion protocol. T(3), n-3 LCPUFA and iron are hormetic agents that trigger biologically beneficial effects in the low-dose range, whose multifactorial mechanisms of action are discussed in the work.

Thyroid hormone-induced cytosol-to-nuclear translocation of rat liver Nrf2 is dependent on Kupffer cell functioning

L-3,3′,5-triiodothyronine (T₃) administration upregulates nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in rat liver, which is redox-sensitive transcription factor mediating cytoprotection. In this work, we studied the role of Kupffer cell respiratory burst activity, a process related to reactive oxygen species generation and liver homeostasis, in Nrf2 activation using the macrophage inactivator gadolinium chloride (GdCl₃; 10 mg/kg i.v. 72 h before T₃ [0.1 mg/kg i.p.]) or NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin (1.5 mmol/L added to the drinking water for 7 days before T₃), and determinations were performed 2 h after T₃. T₃ increased nuclear/cytosolic Nrf2 content ratio and levels of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), catalytic subunit of glutamate cysteine ligase, and thioredoxin (Western blot) over control values, proteins whose gene transcription is induced by Nrf2. These changes were suppressed by GdCl₃ treatment prior to T₃, an agent-eliciting Kupffer-cell depletion, inhibition of colloidal carbon phagocytosis, and the associated respiratory burst activity, with enhancement in nuclear inhibitor of Nrf2 kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/Nrf2 content ratios suggesting Nrf2 degradation. Under these conditions, T₃-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) response was eliminated by previous GdCl₃ administration. Similar to GdCl₃, apocynin given before T₃ significantly reduced liver Nrf2 activation and HO-1 expression, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor eliciting abolishment of colloidal carbon-induced respiratory burst activity without altering carbon phagocytosis. It is concluded that Kupffer cell functioning is essential for upregulation of liver Nrf2-signaling pathway by T₃. This contention is supported by suppression of the respiratory burst activity of Kupffer cells and the associated reactive oxygen species production by GdCl₃ or apocynin given prior to T₃, thus hindering Nrf2 activation.

Hormetic responses of thyroid hormone calorigenesis in the liver: Association with oxidative stress

Thyroid hormone (L-3,3',5-triiodothyronine, T(3)) exerts calorigenic effects by accelerating mitochondrial O(2) consumption through transcriptional activation of respiratory genes, with consequent increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In the liver, ROS generation occurs at different sites of hepatocytes and in the respiratory burst of Kupffer cells, triggering the activation of the transcription factors nuclear factor-kappaB, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and activating protein 1. Under these conditions, the redox upregulation of Kupffer cell-dependent expression of cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6] is achieved, which upon interaction with specific receptors in hepatocytes trigger the expression of antioxidant enzymes (manganese superoxide dismutase, inducible nitric oxide synthase), antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl-2), and acute-phase proteins (haptoglobin, beta-fibrinogen). These responses and the promotion of hepatocyte and Kupffer cell proliferation observed represent hormetic effects re-establishing redox homeostasis, promoting cell survival, and protecting the liver against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. It is proposed that hormesis underlying T(3) action may constitute a novel preconditioning strategy for IR injury during liver surgery in man or in liver transplantation using reduced-size grafts from living donors, considering that (i) with the exception of the controversial ischemic preconditioning, all other studied strategies have failed to reach the clinical setting and (ii) T(3) is a well-tolerated therapeutic agent that either lacks major adverse effects or has minimal and controlled side effects.

Kupffer-cell activity is essential for thyroid hormone rat liver preconditioning

We studied the role of Kupffer cell functioning in T3 liver preconditioning against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury using the macrophage inactivator gadolinium chloride (GdCl3) previous to T3 treatment. Male Sprague-Dawley rats given a single i.p. dose of 0.1 mg T3/kg were subjected to 1 h ischemia followed by 20 h reperfusion, in groups of animals pretreated with 10 mg GdCl3/kg i.v. 72 h before T(3) or with the respective vehicles. IR resulted in significant enhancement of serum aspartate aminotransferase (3.3-fold increase) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (93% increase) levels, development of liver damage, and diminished nuclear factor-kappaB DNA binding over control values. These changes, which were suppressed by the T3 administration prior to IR, persisted in animals given GdCl3 before T3 treatment, under conditions of complete elimination of ED2+ Kupffer cells achieved in a time window of 72 h. It is concluded that Kupffer cell functioning is essential for T3 liver preconditioning, assessed in a warm IR injury model by hepatic macrophage inactivation.

Oxidative stress signaling underlying liver disease and hepatoprotective mechanisms

Oxidative stress is a redox imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants in favour of the former ones, leading to different responses depending on the level of pro-oxidants and the duration of the exposure. In this article, we discuss the damaging or cytoprotective signaling mechanisms associated with oxidative stress by addressing (1) the role of prolonged and severe oxidative stress and insulin resistance as determinant factors in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with obesity, which, with the concurrence of nutritional factors, may determine the onset of fatty liver and its progression to steatohepatitis; and (2) the development of an acute and mild pro-oxidant state by thyroid hormone administration, which elicits the redox up-regulation of the expression of proteins affording cell protection, as a preconditioning strategy against ischemia-reperfusion liver injury.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-2-mediated DNA synthesis and proliferation in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes: The involvement of endogenous transforming growth factor-alpha

We investigated the effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha on DNA synthesis and proliferation, and its signal transduction pathways in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes. TNF-alpha induced time- and dose-dependent increases in hepatocyte DNA synthesis and proliferation. The hepatocyte proliferation stimulated by 30 ng/ml TNF-alpha was significantly inhibited by anti-TNF receptor 2 antibody, but not by anti-TNF receptor 1 antibody. TNF-alpha-induced hepatocyte DNA synthesis and proliferation were blocked by AG1478 (10(-7) M), PD98059 (10(-6) M), LY 294002 (10(-7) M), and rapamycin (100 ng/ml). TNF-alpha at 30 ng/ml significantly increased phosphorylation of receptor tyrosine kinase (175 kDa) and p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. This data suggests that the proliferative signal for primary cultured hepatocytes induced by TNF-alpha is mediated by TNF receptor 2 and the receptor tyrosine kinase/MAP kinase pathway. In addition, TNF-alpha-induced hepatocyte mitogenesis was significantly blocked by somatostatin (10(-6) M), adenylate cyclase inhibitor dideoxyadenosine (10(-7) M), protein kinase A inhibitor H-89 (10(-7) M), and neutralizing antibody to transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha in culture. Indeed, 30 ng/ml TNF-alpha was found to rapidly stimulate secretion of TGF-alpha, and this secretion was also blocked by anti-TNF receptor 2 antibody. Moreover, TGF-alpha secretion induced by TNF-alpha was suppressed by dideoxyadenosine, H-89, and somatostatin. Together, these results indicate that stimulation of TNF receptor 2 by 30 ng/ml TNF-alpha induces autocrine secretion of TGF-alpha via the adenylate cyclase/protein kinase A pathway, after which TGF-alpha induces hepatocyte DNA synthesis and proliferation through the TGF-alpha receptor-linked tyrosine kinase (175 kDa)/MAP kinase signaling system.