Several identifyed substances are involved with liver proliferative process, somatomedines (growth factors) among them. The most of them show different actions, stimulating or inhibiting cell division, depending on their concentrations. The following factors play important role on the liver: HGF; EGF; TGF-alpha; TGF b ; Interleucin-6; IGF; FGF; VEGF; KGF; HSS e ALR. The combined action of HGF, TGF-alpha, IL-6, TNF-alpha, norepinephrin and EGF, allows insulin, glucagon and also EGF to express their effects. HGF seems to be essential and constitutes, maybe, the main trigger of this process, generating endocrine signal wich strongly ativates mitogenesis in the hepatocytes primmed by EGF, IL-6, insulin, remainig matrix matriz and others, leading to DNA synthesis. EGF probably participates of initial events imediately after partial hepatectomy. Besides their actions upon the liver, FGF, VEGF and KGF propably play role in the tissue recovering processes.
Liver regeneration; Somatomedins; Epidermal growth factor-urogastrone; Interleukin-6