title: Down-regulation of Wnt signaling could promote bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into hepatocytes.
abstract: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been demonstrated to be able to differentiate into hepatocytes, but the precise mechanisms controlling this process are unclear. Our aim is try to explore the role of Wnt signaling on the differentiation of BMSCs into hepatocytes. Our study demonstrated that BMSCs could successfully differentiate into hepatocytes under in vitro induction of the tissue extract of damaged liver. The mRNA level of Wnt-1, Wnt-5a, Frizzled1, DSH (disheveled), GSK-3beta (glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta) and beta-catenin on day 21 when the differentiation direction was determined, was lower than that on days 0, 7, and 11. Furthermore, blocking Wnt-1 signaling by treating BMSCs with Dkk1 could induce BMSCs to express albumin earlier and up-regulation of Wnt signaling by treating BMSCs with Wnt-1 could inhibit BMSCs to differentiate into hepatocytes. Above results indicated that inhibition on Wnt signaling can promote BMSCs to differentiate into hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical School of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan 2nd Road 74, Guangzhou 510080, Province Guangdong, PR China.
authors.forename: Zunfu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Liantang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shaohong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xinjuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guoqiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051153:Wnt Proteins