Fig. 6

HNF4α reduced expression of c-Myc in the engrafting hepatic oval cells. a Double immunofluorescence staining of ALB and Ki-67 showed no Ki-67-positive cells detected in the engrafting cells derived from either HNF4α-overexpressing hepatic oval cells or EGFP-vector transfected controls. b Engrafting cells derived from HNF4α-overexpressing hepatic oval cells and EGFP-vector transfected controls expressed MMP2. c Engrafting cells around the portal vein, derived from EGFP-vector transfected hepatic oval cells, intensively expressed c-Myc (nuclear staining), while the cells derived from HNF4α-overexpressing cells were weakly positive for c-Myc, although most of them were around the portal vein. When the engrafting cells derived from EGFP-vector transfected hepatic oval cells migrated into the lobule, they no longer express c-Myc. ALB albumin, HNF hepatic nuclear factor (Color figure online)