Pericentral regeneration after liver injury

Liver injuries are often zoned, but the regenerative mechanisms acting at molecular and cellular level in these injuries are not clearly understood. Here, the researchers studied liver regeneration after acute pericentral injury. They found that pericentral regeneration was initially compensated for by expansion of the remaining pericentral hepatocytes, followed by expansion of the periportal hepatocytes. The researchers then demonstrated that up-regulation of the expression of the mTOR/4E-BP1 axis and lactate dehydrogenase A in hepatocytes contributed to pericentral regeneration. In contrast, activation of TGF-β1 signaling in the injured area mediated fibrotic responses and inhibited hepatocyte proliferation.