Differential cytokeratin and alpha-fetoprotein expression in morphologically distinct epithelial cells emerging at the early stage of rat hepatocarcinogenesis.

作者：Lucie Germain, René Goyette, Normand Marceau · 发表于：PubMed · 年份：1985 · 被引用次数：72 · 研究领域：Liver physiology and pathology、Renal and related cancers、Digestive system and related health

The various liver cell populations emerging during the transitory reappearance of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in serum of 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-ingesting rats were analyzed in situ and in vitro on isolated cell preparations in terms of their cytokeratin and AFP expression using single and double indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. A polyclonal guinea pig antibody raised against cow hoof prekeratin, which recognized a Mr 52,000 cytokeratin, was found to react with bile ductular epithelial cells and oval cells but not with hepatocytes. A monoclonal antibody against a Mr 55,000 cytokeratin reacted not only with bile ductular and oval cells but also with hepatocytes. In contrast, a polyclonal antibody against porcine eye lens vimentin reacted with sinusoidal cells and stroma cells. To assess further the heterogeneity of the emerging cell populations, liver cells were isolated after 4 weeks of treatment and fractionated according to cell size and ploidy level into 4 fractions (I to IV) by velocity sedimentation at 1 X g. A cell-type analysis using AFP and albumin as functional markers revealed the presence of AFP-producing cells in Fraction IV at a mean velocity equivalent to that of newborn diploid rat hepatocytes, whereas most of the albumin-producing cells were distributed in Fractions I to III at velocities similar to those of adult tetraploid rat hepatocytes. A similar analysis based on the differential expression of Mr 52,000 and Mr 55,000 cytokeratins and vime...