Fig. 2

Hepatocytes were the primary cells responsible for the regeneration of liver mass in the AAF/PH injury model. a Scheme illustrating DPPIV-chimeric lineage tracing system subjected to AAF/PH treatment. b Mean proportions of DPPIV(+) hepatocytes in the DPPIV-chimeric liver at the time of PH, 1, 2, and 4 weeks after AAF/PH injury. Within-animal comparison indicated that recovery from AAF/PH injury was associated with a marked increase in DPPIV(+) hepatocytes. * P < 0.05, 4 weeks vs. PH, ANOVA with LSD. Each bar represents the mean ± SD of six rats. c Serial liver sections stained histochemically for DPPIV and gamma-glutamyl- transpeptidase (GGT, a marker of oval cells) at the time of PH and 4 weeks after AAF/PH injury. d Quantification of proliferative activities of DPPIV(+) hepatocytes and oval cells at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after AAF/PH injury. e Representative double-immunofluorescence images for DPPIV/OV6 and DPPIV/Ki67 in serial liver sections at 2 and 4 weeks after AAF/PH injury demonstrate proliferating DPPIV(+) hepatocyte clusters. Original magnification: c 100×; e 2 weeks, 100×; e 4 weeks, 40×/zoom magnification 400×. Scale bars: c 300 μm; e 2 weeks, 100 μm; e 4 weeks, 300 μm