c-Met Confers Protection Against Chronic Liver Tissue Damage and Fibrosis Progression After Bile Duct Ligation in Mice.

Background & Aims The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met) system is an essential inducer of hepatocyte growth and proliferation. Although a fundamental role for the HGF receptor c-Met has been shown in acute liver regeneration, its cell-specific role in hepatocytes during chronic liver injury and fibrosis progression has not been determined. Methods Hepatocyte-specific c-Met knockout mice (c-Met¿hepa) using the Cre-loxP system were studied in a bile duct ligation (BDL) model. Microarray analyses were performed to define HGF/c-Met¿dependent gene expression. Results Two strategies for c-Met deletion in hepatocytes to generate hepatocyte-specific c-Met knockout mice were tested. Early deletion during embryonic development was lethal, whereas post-natal Cre expression was successful, leading to the generation of viable c-Met¿hepa mice. BDL in these mice resulted in extensive necrosis and lower proliferation rates of hepatocytes. Gene array analysis of c-Met¿hepa mice revealed a significant reduction of anti-apoptotic genes in c-Met¿deleted hepatocytes. These findings could be tested functionally because c-Met¿hepa mice showed a stronger apoptotic response after BDL and Jo-2 stimulation. The phenotype was associated with increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-¿ and interleukin-6) and an enhanced recruitment of neutrophils. Activation of these mechanisms triggered a stronger profibrogenic response as evidenced by increased transforming growth factor-ß1, ¿-smooth muscle actin, collagen-1¿ messenger RNA expression, and enhanced collagen-fiber staining in c-Met¿hepa mice. Conclusions Our results show that deletion of c-Met in hepatocytes leads to more liver cell damage and fibrosis in a chronic cholestatic liver injury model because c-Met triggers survival signals important for hepatocyte recovery.