Hepatotropic growth factors protect hepatocytes during inflammation by upregulation of antioxidative systems

Figure 1 Pre-stimulation with growth factors significantly reduces cellular damage induced by lipopolysaccharide-containing cytokine mixture. Primary rat hepatocytes (N = 5, n = 3) treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-containing cytokine mixture (CM) for 24 h showed a slight increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) leakage into the culture supernatant. Co-incubation with the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, individually or in combination, did not reduce AST leakage significantly (empty bars). However, preincubation with these hepatotropic growth factors resulted in a significant reduction in AST leakage (grey bars). ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.005 vs corresponding rat hepatocytes treated with LPS-containing CM alone.