Transient expression of bone morphogenic protein-2 in acute liver injury by carbon tetrachloride

Acute liver injury induced by administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was shown to be a model of wound-repair in rat liver. Albumin gene expression was significantly reduced at 24 h post injection with CCl4, but recovered at 48 h. We also observed significant and transient expression of bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2) at 6-24 h post treatment. This expression was also shown with depletion of Kupffer cell by GdCl3, and immunostaining with anti-BMP-2 antibody showed BMP-2-producing cells interspersed in intralobular spaces of injured liver. These observations suggest that BMP-2 secreted from oval-like cells plays important roles in the wound healing response of injured liver.