Simultaneous or delayed administration of hepatocyte growth factor equally represses the fibrotic changes in murine lung injury induced by bleomycin. A morphologic study

Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1997 Dec;156(6):1937-44. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.156.6.9611057.

Abstract

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a humoral mediator of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, acting on a variety of epithelial cells as mitogen, motogen, and morphogen. Exogenous HGF acts as a hepatotrophic factor and a renotrophic factor during experimental injury. To investigate whether HGF has a pulmotrophic function, human recombinant HGF was administered to C57BL/6 mice with severe lung injury by bleomycin (BLM). Low dose simultaneous and continuous administration of HGF (50 micrograms/mouse/7 d) with BLM (100 mg/mouse/7 d) repressed fibrotic morphological changes at 2 and 4 wk. Ashcroft score showed a significant difference in lung fibrosis with and without HGF at 4 wk (3.7 +/- 0.4 versus 4.9 +/- 0.3, p < 0.05). Furthermore, either simultaneous or delayed administration of high dose HGF (280 micrograms/mouse/14 d) equally repressed fibrotic changes by BLM when examined at 4 wk (Ashcroft score: 2.6 +/- 0.4 and 2.4 +/- 0.2 versus 4.1 +/- 0.2, p < 0.01). Hydroxyproline content in the lungs was significantly lower in mice with either simultaneous or delayed administration of high dose HGF as compared to those administered BLM alone (121.8 +/- 8.1% and 113.2 +/- 6.2% versus 162.7 +/- 4.6%, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that exogenous HGF acts as a pulmotrophic factor in vivo and prevents the progression of BLM-induced lung injury when administered in either a simultaneous or delayed fashion. HGF may be a potent candidate to prevent or treat lung fibrosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bleomycin / administration & dosage
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Female
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor / administration & dosage*
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor / physiology
  • Lung / drug effects
  • Lung / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Recombinant Proteins / administration & dosage
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / chemically induced
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / pathology*

Substances

  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Bleomycin
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor