19 Moreover, the increase in Cx26 and Cx32 levels in hepsin−/− mice was correlated with an increase in hepatocyte size in vivo, and this phenomenon was reversed by the GJIC blocker, oleamide. In addition to forming gap junctions, Cx26 and Cx32 also form hemichannels, which, when opened in a reduced-calcium environment, can lead to an increase in cell size because they form a nonselective leak pathway to permit free ions into the cytoplasm,

Napabucasin order followed by water uptake to maintain isoosmotic conditions.18 Such changes in cell size do not occur in connexin-deficient cells and can also be inhibited by oleamide and other gap-junctional blockers.20 A similar phenomenon might have occurred in our hepsin−/− mice, with increased hepatocyte size induced by excessive GJIC/hemichannels derived

from overexpression of connexins on the cell surface. We propose that HGF/c-Met may regulate connexin expression in hepatocytes in vivo. The detailed mechanism(s), however, VX-809 chemical structure remains to be elucidated. Using isolated primary rat hepatocytes in vitro, Ikejima et al.23 showed that down-regulation of Cx32 protein amounts by HGF occurs very quickly, starting at 3 hours after exposure to HGF, most likely by post-transcriptional modifications. In our study, HGF and NK4 affected Cx26 and Cx32 protein levels in vivo as early as 1 hour after exposure

(Fig. 7), a result which further supports post-transcriptional mechanisms. Moreover, in rat hepatocytes, the reduction in connexins caused by HGF is prevented by genistein, an inhibitor of c-Met, which also indicates that c-Met signaling is likely to mediate this process.23 There are several modification pathways downstream of c-Met (i.e., the mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK], phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathways) that are coupled to HGF/c-Met.25 Although there is no direct evidence demonstrating which of these pathways is responsible for the decrease of Cx32 and Cx26, previous findings for connexin 43 (Cx43) may provide some clues. Turnover of Cx43 is regulated by endothelial growth factor (EGF) at multiple MycoClean Mycoplasma Removal Kit levels, including enhancing phosphorylation, ubiquitination, internalization, and degradation of this protein.26 Moreover, these EGF-induced modifications of Cx43 may be caused by the MAPK pathway.26 Because both Cx3227 and Cx2628 proteins turn over with a short half-life (1.5-5.0 hours), similar to that of Cx43,29 and because Cx32 and Cx43 have comparable responses to proteasome inhibitors,30 it is possible that similar signaling pathways or post-transcriptional modification mechanisms may be involved in the down-regulation of the levels of Cx32 and Cx26 by HGF/c-Met.