title: [Differentiation of rat bone marrow derived Thy-1+ beta2M- cells into hepatocytes].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the differentiation of bone marrow derived Thy-1(+)beta(2)M(-) cells (BDTC) into mature and functional liver cells and its mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  BDTC were cocultured with allyl alcohol (AA)-injured hepatocytes and cultured alone in conditional medium containing HGF and bFGF, respectively. BDTC morphologic transformation was observed with phase-contrast and electron-microscopy. Hepatocyte-specific gene expression in cultured BDTC was identified by immunocytochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Indocyanine green (ICG) ingestion/excretion and urea, albumin production were carried out to evaluate hepatocyte-related function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some BDTC derived hepatocyte-like cells with high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio containing mono- or multi-nuclei and abundant mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and glycogenic granules appeared after 7-day culture in both the two culture systems. These cells expressed hepatocyte-specific genes (AFP, OV-6, CK18, etc.), and possessed functions of ICG uptake, albumin production and ammonium metabolism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rat BDTCs could differentiate into mature and functional liver cells in special stimulation systems. Moreover, these differentiations were realized by "transdifferentiation", and might dispense with "cell fusion".
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China.
authors.forename: Yun-fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nan
authors.forename: Yan-hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Xue-tao
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Pei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D053538:Keratin-18 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020005:Propanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D053538:Keratin-18; D020005:Propanols; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; C006463:allyl alcohol; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor