Hepatic lineages isolated from developing rat liver show different ways of maturation.
Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that different hepatic cell types exist during liver development: (i). cells co-expressing the stem-cell marker Thy1 and the hepatic lineage marker CK-18 and (ii). cells only expressing CK-18 (hepatoblasts). In this study we separated the different hepatic cells and analyzed gene-expression and phenotype. Fetal rat livers were digested by collagenase solution. OX43- and OX44-positive hematopoietic cells were depleted and Thy1-positive cells were enriched using Magnetic cell sorting. The different cell compartments were analyzed by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry for Thy1, CK-18, AFP, and albumin. Hepatoblasts expressed albumin at all times and AFP in the early stages. Thy1-enriched cells expressed CK-18 at all times, albumin in the early, and AFP in the late stages. Thy1-positive cells from fetal livers express liver specific genes. The data suggest that Thy1-positive hepatic cells develop towards hepatic stem cells, and hepatoblasts develop towards mature hepatocytes of the adult liver.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. fiegel@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Henning C
HC
Fiegel
Jantjeline
J
Kluth
Michael V
MV
Lioznov
Stephanie
S
Holzhüter
Boris
B
Fehse
Axel R
AR
Zander
Dietrich
D
Kluth
D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D000418:Albumins; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D007633:Keratins