Liver regeneration observed across the different classes of vertebrates from an evolutionary perspective

Abstract

The liver is a key organ that performs diverse functions such as metabolic processing of nutrients or disposal of dangerous substances (xenobiotics). Accordingly, it seems to be protected by several mechanisms throughout the life of organisms, one of which is compensatory hyperplasia, also known as liver regeneration. This review is a recapitulation of the scientific reports describing the different ways in which the various classes of vertebrates deal with liver injuries, where since mammals have an improved molecular toolkit, exhibit optimized regeneration of the liver compared to lower vertebrates. The main molecules involved in the compensatory process, such as proinflammatory and inhibitory cytokines, are analyzed across vertebrates with an evolutionary perspective. In addition, the possible significance of this mechanism is discussed in the context of the long life span of vertebrates, especially in the case of mammals.

Keywords

• Liver regeneration
• Compensatory hyperplasia
• Vertebrates
• Cytokines
• Evolution