Gene Transcriptional Variation of Hepatic Progenitor Cells after TGF-𝛽1-Induced EMT Transition and EGF-Induced MET Reversion

TGF-b1 induces hepatic progenitor cells experience an epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and EGF could reverse this process via mesenchymal-epithelial transition. Yet, the mechanism underline these EMT and MET processes are not clear. The aim of this study is to reveal the genes with significant difference during these EMT and MET process in hepatic progenitor cells. In vitro cultured rat hepatic progenitor cells were incubated with TGF-b1 (1ng/mL) for 16 days as EMT cells, and EGF (1ng/ml) was administrated for 7 days to reverse the phenotype of 16-day TGF-b1-treated cells as MET cells.