title: [Conversion of human umbilical cord blood-derived cells into hepatocyte-like cells in a culture system mimicking hepatic injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of the microenvironment induced by damaged mouse hepatic cells on the conversion of human umbilical cord blood-derived cells into hepatocyte-like cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  A hepatic injury-like microenvironment was mimicked using carbon tetrachloride damaged mouse hepatic cells, where mononuclear cells (MNC) from human umbilical cord blood were cultured in a compartment separated by trans-well membrane. Histochemical staining, reversed transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and gene sequencing were performed for the information on the conversion of human umbilical cord blood MNC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A number of PAS positive stained cells in MNC co-cultured with damaged mouse hepatic cells were observed after 72 h. Cells expressing mature hepatocyte markers, human albumin (hALB) and human GATA-4 (hGATA-4) mRNA were detected by RT-PCR, which was further confirmed with sequencing. Relevant control groups, MNC co-cultured with normal mouse hepatic cells and MNC cultured alone remained negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The culture system using damaged mouse hepatic cells as stimulator could be a potential in vitro system for the conversion of human umbilical cord blood-derived cells into hepatocyte-like cells.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Fang-ting
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hui-juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Jia-zhi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride