A selective tropism of transfused oval cells for liver.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the biological behaviors of hepatic oval cells after transfused into the circulation of experimental animals.


METHODS
Oval cells from male SD rat were transfused into the circulation of a female rat which were treated by a 2-AAF/CCl(4) program, through caudal vein. Sex-determining gene sry which located on Y chromosome was examined by PCR and in situ hybridization technique in liver, kidney and spleen of the experimental animals, respectively.


RESULTS
The results of the cell-transplant experiment showed that the sry gene was detectable only in the liver but not in spleen and kidney of the experimental rats, and no signals could be detected in the control animals. It can be also morphologically proved that some exogenous cells had migrated into the parenchyma of the liver and settled there.


CONCLUSIONS
The result means that there are exogenous cells located in the liver of the experimental animal and the localization is specific to the liver. This indicates that some "signal molecules" must exist in the circulation of the rats treated by 2-AAF/CCl(4). These "signal molecules" might play an important role in specific localization and differentiation of transfused oval cells.
Chen
Jian-Zhi
JZ
Department of Pathology, Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Rd., Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China. gqzhao@gzsums.edu.cn
Hong
Hai
H
Xiang
Jin
J
Xue
Ling
L
Zhao
Guo-Qiang
GQ
D000818:Animals; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D024282:Genes, sry; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000502:physiology