AÇÃO DA PROGRANULINA E HNF4-ALFA NA PROLIFERAÇÃO E DIFERENCIAÇÃO CELULAR NO DESENVOLVIMENTO EMBRIONÁRIO EM RATTUS NORVEGICUS

Abstract

The transplant is the only effective therapy for the treatment of liver diseases in advanced stage, such as cirrhosis. Bridge transplant with stem cells from hepatic bud could be an alternative of treatment, once these cells have greater potential of proliferation and differentiation in adult hepatocytes. Thus, the challenge is to identify methods that promote their differentiation in adult specific and functional strains. The present work aimed to evaluate the action of the growth factor progranulin (PGRN) and HNF4-alpha during the liver development of rats F344, as well as, compare the peaks of positivity to those of the PCNA. Five embryos from each embryonic period (E12.5; E13.5; E14.5; E15.5, and E16.5) were collected, fixed in Metacarn and included in paraplast. Posteriorly, it was carried out immunohistochemistry with anti-PGRN, anti- HNF4-alpha and anti-PCNA, following the standard protocols procedure. The anti-PGRN was positive in all stages observed, however, in E12.5 and 15.5 demonstrated a lower positivity. The anti-HNF4-alpha showed high positivity during stages E12.5-E14.5, presenting its peak of positivity in synchrony with that of the PGRN (E13.5). The anti-PCNA had its peak of positivity in E12.5 and less positive in E13.5. It can be concluded that PGRN is present in hepatogenesis in different embryonic stages of F344 rats, and that it seems to be involved in the differentiation of hepatoblast into hepatocytes after activation by HNF4-alpha, however, PGRN does not seem to assume a function of cell proliferation during hepatogenesis, because its peak of positivity is out of synchrony with that of the PCNA.