Potential neural progenitor cells in fetal liver and regenerating liver.
From unfractionated embryonic mice liver cells, appreciable amount of spherical bodies containing nestin-positive cells were generated in the presence of neuronal growth factors. Following cultivation on poly-D: -lysine/laminin-coated slips, approximately 70% of the cells expressed neuronal markers, and 16% had long processes. Functional analysis of these long-process-bearing cells with the whole-cell patch clamp method showed an inward current in response to glutamate, GABA, and serotonin as the neuronal characteristics. Furthermore, regenerating liver in adult mice also contained nestin-positive cells to the same extent as fetal liver. Regenerating liver could have potential as a source of neural cells for autologous transplantation.
Komatsu
Fuminari
F
Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, Noyori-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8124, Japan, fkomatsu@fukuoka-u.ac.jp.
Farkas
Imre
I
Akatsu
Hiroyasu
H
Kojima
Kiyohide
K
Fukushima
Takeo
T
Okada
Hidechika
H