| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KATO Masako Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Pathology section, Resident, 医学部, 医員
KITAMURA Yukisato Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Pathology (II), Associate professor, 医学部, 助教授 (20204919)
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| Research Abstract |
We investigated the expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin and beta-catenin by immunohistochemistry in human fetuses of various gestational ages. E-cadherin, alpha-catenin and beta-catenin were expressed in primitive biliary cells at various intensity, suggesting that these molecules play a pivotal role in the morphogenesis of human intrahepatic bile ducts. These novel findings were published in J Hepatol (1998 ; 28 : 263-269)
We further investigated the expression of the protein and mRNA of pancreatic alpha-amylase by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. We found that the protein and mRNA were expressed in primitive biliary cells in human fetal livers and also that they were expressed in primitive hepatocytes up to 20 gestational weeks. These results suggest that human intrahepatic bile ducts, hepatocytes and exocrine pancreas have common cell lineage. These novel findings was published in Liver (1998 ; 18 : 313-319)
In addition, we found that c-erbB-2, a oncogene product, and MET protein, the receptor of HGF, were expressed in primitive biliary cells in humans, suggesting that these proteins play an important role in the morphogenesis of human intrahepatic bile ducts. These novel results were published in Hum Pathol, (1998 ; 29 : 175-180) and Histopathology (1993 ; 33 : 325-331).
Furthermore, we have described the present extent of the knowledge of human intrahepatic bile duct development and its abnormalities as a review article in Tohoku J Exp Med (1997 ; 181 : 19-32).
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