Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is well recognized as a potent mitogen, and appears to trigger liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy or after acute liver cell necrosis caused by chemicals in vivo. [1][2][3][4] The response of adult rat hepatocytes to EGF has also been extensively investigated with respect to DNA synthesis and proliferation in vitro. EGF is now known to be a potent hepatocyte mitogen and induces multiple biological activities in a wide variety of cell types. [5][6][7][8] More recently, we reported that EGF rapidly stimulates hepatocyte DNA synthesis and proliferation during short-term (e.g., 4 h) culture.9) In addition, the hepatocyte DNA synthesis and proliferation induced by EGF was inhibited depending on the initial plating density. Furthermore, we found that EGF-induced hepatocyte DNA synthesis and proliferation were potentiated by b 2 -adrenergic agonists.
9)The signal transduction pathways activated in response to EGF in hepatocytes and other cell types are now more clearly understood. [10][11][12] Using specific inhibitors of signal transducers, we pharmacologically demonstrated that EGF-receptor tyrosine kinase and ribosomal p70 S6 kinase activities, but not phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), are essential for EGFinduced DNA synthesis and proliferation in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes. 9) PI3K is considered to be involved in hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signal transduction.
13)In addition, extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, also known as mitogen-activated protein kinase (p42/44 MAPK), is now known to be activated in response to a large number of mitogenic stimuli, and this enzyme is a key participant in the response to various growth factors and cytokines.14,15) In order to better understand the EGF-mediated signaling pathway, we investigated whether activation of the ERK isoforms, ERK1 and ERK2, is involved in EGFinduced DNA synthesis and proliferation in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes.Catecholamines (e.g., norepinephrine and its analogs) have been shown to be involved in the regulation of liver function (e.g., lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and cell growth). There are several types of catecholamine receptors, b 1 -and b 2 -receptors, that stimulate adenylate cyclase (AC), while a 2 -receptor inhibits its phosphorylation. 5,16) a 1 -Receptor is involved in phospholipase C activation and subsequent increases in inositolphosphate turnover and diacylglycerol production.17,18) However, some investigators have reported that a 1 -and b-adrenergic responses are involved in adrenergic regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in the liver of normal adult rats and in cultured hepatocytes. 19,20) There are few studies regarding the adrenergic regulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by growth factors in liver cells. Therefore, in the present study, we examined whether a 1 -, a 2 -and b 2 -adrenergic agonists can modulate EGF-induced ERK1/2 isoform activities. The physiological significance of crosstalk between the EGF pathway and a 1 -, a 2 -and...