[High cholesterol diet modifies the repairing effect of the hepatocyte growth factor].

Currently, fatty liver represents a serious public health problem in the Western world. In our country, a large amount of food rich in cholesterol is consumed. Cholesterol is an important component in lipid rafts, where many receptors for growth factors are localized, so its functionality could be altered in the presence of high cholesterol concentration. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor c-Met are known to promote repair after an injury. The aim in the present work was to study the effect of a high cholesterol diet in the molecular repair process mediated by HGF in hepatocytes and liver tissue. Data show a delay in the activation of the HGF-mediated signaling cascade which results in a deficient repair process, that in the case of a continuous aggression could favor the progression of liver damage.