Small hepatocytes (SHs), which are known to be hepatic progenitor cells, were isolated from
an adult rat liver. SHs in a colony sometimes change their shape from small to large and …

Studies were carried out to analyze how different extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules
regulate hepatocyte growth and differentiation. Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were …

Laminin-rich extracellular matrix, EHS-gel, has been demonstrated to keep a high level of
liver-specific gene expression in cultured rat hepatocytes. To obtain information about the …

The liver is one of the few organs that is capable of completely regenerating itself without
using a stem cell population. When damaged, growth factors and cytokines are released …

Culturing hepatocytes on different extracellular matrix (ECM) substrata including tissue
culture plastic, type I collagen, Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) gel and poly-Np-vinylbenzyl …

Recently, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to represent a feature
of dedifferentiating hepatocytes in vitro. Three-dimensional soft collagen gels can …

In liver development, a number of growth factors (GFs) and components of the extracellular
matrix (ECMs) lead to differentiation of liver parenchymal cells. As the liver contains many …

Basement membrane (BM) is a highly specialized extracellular matrix (ECM), which is
associated with epithelia and endothelia. BM provide epithelia with structural support and …

Distribution of fibronectin, laminin, and collagens type I, III, IV, and V in the lobular regions of
regenerating rat liver was studied by indirect immunofluorescence. Little or no laminin was …

Nearly pure populations of small hepatocytes (SHs), parenchymal hepatocytes (PHs), and
nonparenchymal cells (NPCs) were prepared from the adult rat, and cocultures of …