Open AccessImmunohistochemical Localization of Hepatocyte Growth Factor Protein in Pancreas Islet A‐Cells of Man and Rats
Author(s) -
Tsuda Hiroyuki,
Iwase Teruhiko,
Matsumoto Kazuyuki,
Ito Mitsuya,
Hirono Iwao,
Nishida Yoshihisa,
Yamamoto Masami,
Tatematsu Masae,
Matsumoto Kunio,
Nakamura Toshikazu
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
japanese journal of cancer research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 0910-5050
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1992.tb02756.x
Subject(s) - glucagon , pancreas , hepatocyte growth factor , medicine , somatostatin , endocrinology , paracrine signalling , biology , islet , enteroendocrine cell , hepatocyte , pancreatic polypeptide , immunohistochemistry , growth factor , hormone , endocrine system , insulin , in vitro , biochemistry , receptor
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a potent mitogen for adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture, has previously been shown to be primarily expressed in the nonparenchymal cells of the liver. Using polyclonal antisera against human and rat HGFs we studied the tissue distribution of HGF immunohistochemically and found the most intense staining in the pancreas islet cells in both man (autopsy cases) and the rat. Differential localization of 4 pancreas islet hormones, glucagon, insulin, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide, revealed HGF to be preferentially expressed within the glucagon‐positive cells. The results indicate that HGF is primarily produced or stored in A‐cells and may act as a growth factor in a paracrine and an endocrine fashion, like various other hormones.