[Differentiation of transplanted mouse c-Kit+lin- bone marrow cells into hepatocytes in vitro].
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain whether mouse c-Kit(+)Lin- bone marrow cells have the potential of hepatic stem cells.


METHODS
c-Kit(+)lin- bone marrow cells were isolated and purified by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) from BALB/C male donor mice, and immediately transplanted into age-matched BALB/C syngeneic female mice with 35-Gy total liver irradiation. The recipients were sacrificed 1 month after the transplantation for pathological observation of the liver morphology. The presence of Y-chromosome was examined in the liver cells of the recipient by in situ hybridization (ISH), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin in the cells were detected by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The hepatocytes positive for Sry gene on Y-chromosome were identified 1 month after transplantation, and immunohistochemistry for AFP and albumin confirmed that the donor mice-derived cells were hepatocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
c-Kit(+)lin- bone marrow cells have the potential of hepatic stem cells, which can reside and differentiate into hepatocytes in the liver after transplantation. c-Kit(+)lin- bone marrow cells can be used as the source cells of cell transplantation for liver disease.
Tang
Hao
H
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Liao
Cai-xian
CX
Zhou
Jie
J
Jin
Hao-sheng
HS
Tan
Yuan-fei
YF
Su
Jun
J
Zhang
Chun-xing
CX
Zhang
Shou-hua
SH
D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit