Hepatocyte growth factor-induced differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells toward hepatocyte-like cells occurs through nuclear factor-kappa B signaling in vitro

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is multifaceted cytokine that regulates proliferation, differentiation, morphology, and motility within numerous stem cells. More recently, HGF has been reported to induce the differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into mature hepatocytes, but the underlying biochemical and molecular signaling is largely unknown. We isolated BMSC from the bone marrow of rats, which were then cultured and exposed to HGF for 15 days. We subsequently assayed these cells for liver functionality and markers, and blocked NF-kB signaling at various stages of the pathway. The present results demonstrate that HGF induces the differentiation of BMSCs toward hepatocyte-like cells through the NF-kB signaling. More specifically, HGF upregulated the translocation of NF-kB to the nucleus.