Constitutive androstane receptor induced-hepatomegaly and liver regeneration is partially

ABSTRACT

The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR, NR3I1) belongs to nuclear receptor superfamily. It was reported that CAR agonist TCPOBOP induces hepatomegaly but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a potent regulator of organ size. The aim of this study is to explore the role of YAP in CAR activation-induced hepatomegaly and liver regeneration. TCPOBOP-induced CAR activation on hepatomegaly and liver regeneration was evaluated in wild-type (WT) mice, liver-specific YAP-deficient mice, and partial hepatectomy (PHx) mice. The results demonstrate that TCPOBOP can increase the liver-to-body weight ratio in wild-type mice and PHx mice. Hepatocytes enlargement around central vein (CV) area was observed, meanwhile hepatocytes proliferation was promoted as evidenced by the increased number of KI67