Effects of protein kinase inhibitors on the mitogenic activity of human hepatocyte growth factor on rat hepatocytes in primary culture.

To evaluate the role of protein phosphorylation reactions in signal transduction of human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF), now known to be the same protein as the scatter factor and tumor cytotoxic factor, we examined the effects of various inhibitors of protein kinases on the mitogenic activity of hHGF on rat hepatocytes in primary culture. Genistein, a specific inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, dose-dependently inhibited the effect of hHGF in stimulating DNA synthesis of hepatocytes. By contrast, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2- methylpiperazine (H7), a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C, potentiated the stimulatory effect of hHGF on DNA synthesis of hepatocytes. H7 was effective at over 2 micrograms/ml and potentiated the effect of hHGF over 2-fold at 20 micrograms/ml. On the other hand, an inhibitor of Ca++/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase inhibited both the basal and hHGF-stimulated DNA synthesis in the cells, whereas an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases had little effect on the action of hHGF. These results suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation is required for stimulation of hepatocyte DNA synthesis by hHGF and that the action of hHGF is negatively regulated by protein kinase C activation.