Expression of the novel stem/progenitor cell marker Neighbor of Punc E 11 after acute and chronic liver injury in the adult mouse liver

Background: Regeneration of the liver can be obtained through different cell types depending upon the type and extent of liver injury. While acute liver injury is usually followed by proliferation of differentiated hepatocytes, activation of the stem/progenitor cell compartment occurs only if hepatocytic regeneration is insufficient. We here further investigated the expression pattern of the novel oval cell marker Neighbor of Punc E 11 (Nope) in liver regeneration after chronic (Mdr2 -/- mice) and/or acute liver injury (partial hepatectomy) in adult mice. Methods: Liver tissue was extracted from Balb/c (10 weeks…