Role of hepatic stellate cell/hepatocyte interaction and activation of hepatic stellate cells in the early phase of liver regeneration in the rat

Background/Aims Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are known to play a role in hepatic regeneration. We investigated hepatocyte/HSC interaction and HSC activation at various times after 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) in the rat. Methods The hepatic microcirculation was studied using intravital fluorescence microscopy (IVFM). Desmin and α-SMA within liver tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry. In isolated parenchymal liver cells (PLCs) and HSCs, double immunostaining was used to identify activated HSC. Results Using IVFM, hepatocyte-clusters were often seen in vivo at 3 days after PHx (PHx3). Distance between HSC fell from 61.7±2.1 μm in controls to 36.1±1.4 μm (P<0.001) while the HSC/hepatocyte ratio rose (0.71±0.01 to 1.08±0.03; P<0.001). In >80% of in vivo microscopic fields in the PHx3 group, clusters of HSCs were observed especially near hepatocyte-clusters. At PHx1 and PHx3, >20% of cells in the PLC-fraction were HSCs which adhered to hepatocytes. At PHx3, in addition to desmin staining, isolated HSCs were also positive for BrdU and α-SMA, and formed clusters. HSCs in the HSC-fraction were only positive for desmin which indicated that adherence to hepatocytes is required for HSC activation. Conclusions Our data suggest that HSCs are activated by adhering to hepatocytes in the early phase of liver regeneration.