title: Ex vivo-expanded bone marrow stem cells home to the liver and ameliorate functional recovery in a mouse model of acute hepatic injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stem cell transplantation provides a theoretical approach for liver regeneration medicine; it may promote liver regeneration and self-repair. However, the transplantation of bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells expanded ex vivo as a therapy for liver disease has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to explore whether bone marrow stem cells expanded ex vivo home to the liver and foster hepatic recovery after CCl4 injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bone marrow cells from BALB/c mice were expanded ex vivo by multiple-passage cultivation, characterized by cytoflow immunofluorescence, and pre-labeled with PKH26 before intravenous infusion into animals treated with CCl4. The integration of bone marrow cells into the liver was examined microscopically, and plasma hepatic enzymes were determined biochemically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cultured bone marrow cells exhibited antigenic profiles comparable to those of primary medullary stem cells. Double immunofluorescence showed colocalization of these cells with proliferative activity and albumin expression in the liver of CCl4-treated mice. Densitometry showed increased in situ cell proliferation (50+/-14 vs 20+/-3 cells/high-power field, P<0.05) and albumin expression (149+/-25 vs 20+/-5 cells/high-power field, P<0.05) in the liver, as well as reduced serum aminotransferase levels (P<0.05) and better survival rates (P<0.05) in animals receiving cultured bone marrow cells relative to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ex vivo-expanded bone marrow cells are capable of relocating to and proliferating in the chemically-injured liver. Transplantation of these pluripotent stem cells appears to improve serum indices of liver function and survival rate in mice after CCl4-induced hepatic damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Zhu
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Bing-Rong
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Fu-Lai
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zong-Jing
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xin-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Feng-Hua
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Hong-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ming-Zi
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020127:Recovery of Function; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase