Background: Macrophages play a key role in liver regeneration. The fates of resident macrophages after 70% resection are poorly investigated. In this work, using the MARCO macrophage marker (abbreviated from macrophage receptor with collagenous structure), we studied the dynamics of mouse liver resident macrophages after 70% resection.
Methods: In BALB/c male mice, a model of liver regeneration after 70% resection was reproduced. The dynamics of markers CD68, TIM4, and MARCO were studied immunohistochemically and by using a Western blot.
Results: The number of MARCO- and CD68-positive macrophages in the regenerating liver increased 1 day and 3 days after resection, respectively. At the same time, the content of the MARCO protein increased in the sorted macrophages of the regenerating liver on the third day.
Conclusions: The data indicate that the number of MARCO-positive macrophages in the regenerating liver increases due to the activation of MARCO synthesis in the liver macrophages. The increased expression of MARCO by macrophages can be regarded as a sign of their activation. In the present study, stimulation with LPS led to an increase in the expression of the Marco gene in both Kupffer cells and macrophages of bone marrow origin.
Keywords: Kupffer cells; MARCO; TIM4; liver; macrophages; regeneration.