Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)-9 ist ein Mediator von akuten und chronischen Antworten der Wundheilung der Leber und interagiert mit Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-ß signalling

BMP-9 represents a relatively new member of the TGF-β superfamily of cytokines and although it is highly expressed in the liver its possible functions in liver cells are not well identified yet. This prompted us to investigate its expression and downstream signalling in primary mouse hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSC) in vitro as well as in acute and chronic CCl-4 mediated liver damage in vivo in mice. Within 3h after acute liver injury (single injection of CCl4 in mice) expression of BMP-9 and phosphorylation of its signal transducer, Smad-1, were strongly enhanced implying that BMP-9 participates in…