Liver repair and regeneration after acute liver injury in chronic hepatitis

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K17639
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55020:Digestive surgery-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Konishi Takanori 千葉大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (80865882)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 肝再生 / 肝修復 / マクロファージ / 肝阻血再灌流障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There are originally remarkable accumulation of M2 macrophage observed in the fibrotic liver caused by chronic liver injury, suggesting that fibrotic liver may show specific immunological response after further insults. Indeed, the inflammatory cytokines level in the liver at the onset of liver regeneration decreased in the fibrotic liver. During liver repair and regeneration, there were more macrophage accumulation which phagocyte necrotic tissue in the fibrotic liver than in the normal liver. Furthermore, increase in hepatic stellate cell accumulation, micro vessel density, and liver regeneration caused by ductular reaction were observed in the fibrotic liver. As a result, fibrotic liver showed prompt liver recovery after acute liver injury.

Free Research Field

肝再生

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

障害肝における急性肝障害に対する肝再生・肝修復機構は未だ明らかとされていなかったが、本研究ではその肝修復の概要とメカニズムを炎症細胞浸潤やcytokine/chemokine発現などの観点からin vivoで解明したことに学術的意義がある。社会的意義として、これらの成果は臨床的に慢性肝炎・肝硬変例における手術や外傷に伴う肝障害後の肝再生機構に応用できる可能性がある。