Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of augmenter of liver regeneration on the proliferation of HepG2
cells, and its mechanism of action; to provide a suitable liver cell line for the bio-reactor of bio-artificial liver
support system. Methods HepG2 cells transferred with expression vector pcDNA3.1(-)hALR were screened
by G418. After in vitro culture and subculture, the expression of hALR were detected by Western blot and
immunofluorescence assay in two HepG2 cell lines transferred with or without expression vector. The
secretion of hALR in the culture fluid of the two HepG2 cell lines were detected by ELISA. Ki-67 in two
HepG2 cell lines were detected by flow cytometry to understand the proliferation of HepG2 cells transferred
with or without expression vector. Results The function of HepG2 cell line transferred with expression
vector pcDNA3.1(-)hALR was stable. HepG2 cells transferred with expression vector pcDNA3.1(-)
hALR expressed and secreted more hALR than HepG2 cells, and with the extension of culture time, the
content of hALR in the culture fluid of HepG2 cells transferred with expression vector pcDNA3.1(-)hALR
increased more rapidly than those of HepG2 cells. The Ki-67 positive cells in HepG2 cells transferred with
expression vector pcDNA3.1(-)hALR were significantly more than those of HepG2 cells, which indicated that
the proliferation of HepG2 cells became more active by transfection of expression vector pcDNA3.1(-)hALR.
Conclusion This study indicated that the HepG2 cells transferred with expression vector pcDNA3.1(-)hALR can express more hALR, and the proliferation of the cells was very active.