Objective To investigate the effect of hepatocyte-l ike cells induced by CD34+ cells in vitro on the repair of the injured hepatic tissues of mice in vivo. Methods Mononuclear cells were isolated from umbil ical blood by density gradient centrifugation and enriched CD34+ cells were obtained. The cells were (1 × 105 cells/mL) cultured in serumfreemedium containing stem cell factor (SCF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), EGF, oncostatin M (OSM), bFGF (the concentration were 50, 20, 20, 10, 10 ng/mL respectively) in vitro for 10 days. Forty-eight 6-week-old female ICR mice werechosen to prepare l iver injury model by injecting carbon tetrachloride and 2-acetylamionoflu-orene. The mice were randomly divided into two groups (n=24 per group): the experimental group, the cultured cells were injected into the mice through the tail vein; the control group, the equivalent serum-free medium was injected. Six mice from each group were killed at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after operation to receive HE staining, PCR gel electrophoresis, immunohistochemistry staining, and hepatic function detection. Results HE staining: the morphology of injured hepatic tissues in the control group recovered to normal 28 days after operation, while in the experimental group, it recovered to normal 14 days after operation. PCR gel electrophoresis and immunohistochemistry staining: the cells expressing human serum albumin were detected in the hepatic tissue of the experimental group at each time point after operation; while in the control group, no such cells were detected within 28 days after operation. Hepatic function detection: the activity of alanine aminitransperase in the control group recovered to normal 14 days after operation; the mean activity of aspartate aminotransferase of two groups failed to recover within 28 days. Conclusion The hepatocyte-l ike cells induced by CD34+ cells in vitro can promote the morphological and functional recovery of the injured hepatic tissue in mice. Moreover, it can be transformed into human-derived hepatic cells in l iver-injured mice.
【Abstract】 Objective To observe the effect of cytokines and combinations in the inducement of human umbil icalcord blood-derived CD34+ cells into hepatocyte-l ike cells. Methods The mononuclear cells (MNCs) were derived by density gradient centrifugation and the CD34+ cells were sperated from MNCs. The human umbil ical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells were cultivated through 49 different combinations of cytokines including leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF), oncostatin M, bFGF, aFGF, hepatocyte growth factor, EGF and stem cell factor for 28 days, and the concentrations of the cytokines were 10, 10, 10, 10, 20, 20 and 50 ng/mL, respectively. The mRNAs of cytokeratin 19 (CK-19), CK-18, glutamine synthetase (GS), human albumin (ALB) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) were detected every seven days. The ALB secretion abil ity, detoxification abil ity and hepatin synthesis abil ity of the induced cells were detected by immunofluorescence assay, indocyanine green (ICG) and periodic acid-schiff assay, respectively. The fresh umbil ical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells were detected at the same time as a control. Results The mRNAs of CK-19, CK-18 and GS could be transcribed in all the induced cells, but the transcription of the mRNAs of ALB and AFP which was the special mark of mature hepatocyte and l iver stem cell, respectively, was not found. All the mRNAs could not be found in freshly isolated umbil ical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells. All the cells induced in vitro could not release ALB, and not help the detoxification of ICG which was the fundamental function of mature l iver cells. These results were the same in the control group. The hepatin synthesis abil ity of all the induced cells increased by comparison to the fresh ones. Conclusion Though some mRNAs of proteins which are transcribed in hepatocytes can be found in the induced cells, umbil ical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells could not be transdifferentiated into hepatocyte-l ike cells through cytokines in vitro.