The role of hepatocyte growth factor in the humoral regulation of inguinal hernia closure

Abstract

Background: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is proposed to indirectly cause inguinal hernia closure via hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Studies have shown that CGRP and HGF cause processus vaginalis (PV) fusion in vitro. We localized the HGF receptor in the PV and tested whether CGRP was responsible for HGF release. Method: Hernial sacs collected from 20 children (15 males, 4 females, 1 XY female) undergoing inguinal hernia repair were immunohistochemically stained for HGF receptor (c-met). Parietal peritoneum was stained for comparison. Hernial sacs from another 16 children (12 males, 4 females), with each sac divided into 4, were cultured, with and without CGRP, for 24 and 48 hours...