RESUMEN
UNLABELLED: TCBOPOP (1,4-bis [2-(3,5-dichaloropyridyloxy)] benzene) an agonist of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), produces rapid hepatocyte hyperplasia and hepatomegaly in the absence of hepatic injury. In this study we demonstrate that integrin-linked kinase (ILK), which is involved in transmission of the extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling by way of integrin receptors, plays an important role in regulating TCPOBOP-induced proliferation of hepatocytes and hepatomegaly. Hepatocyte-specific ILK knockout mice (ILK/liver-/- mice) and wildtype mice (WT) were given a single dose of TCPOBOP (3 mg/kg) by oral gavage. Mice were sacrificed at days 1, 2, 5, and 7 after TCPOBOP administration. WT mice showed maximum proliferation on days 1 and 2, which came back to baseline levels by days 5 and 7 after TCPOBOP administration. The ILK/liver-/- mice, on the other hand, showed a prolonged and a sustained proliferative response as evident by an increased number of proliferative cell nuclear antigen assay (PCNA)-positive cells even at days 5 and 7 after TCPOBOP administration. At day 7 the WT mice showed close to a 2.5-fold increase in liver weight, whereas the ILK/liver-/- mice showed a 3.7-fold increase in liver weight. The prolonged proliferative response in the ILK/liver-/- mice seems to be due to sustained induction of CAR leading to sustained induction of c-Myc, which is known to be a key mediator of TCPOPOP-CAR induced direct liver hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that ECM-mediated signaling by way of ILK is essential for adjustment of final liver size and proper termination of TCPOBOP-induced proliferation of hepatocytes.