title: Transplantation of insulin-producing cells from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although diabetes mellitus (DM) can be treated with islet transplantation, a scarcity of donors limits the utility of this technique. This study investigated whether human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical cord could be induced efficiently to differentiate into insulin-producing cells. Secondly, we evaluated the effect of portal vein transplantation of these differentiated cells in the treatment of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  MSCs from human umbilical cord were induced in three stages to differentiate into insulin-producing cells and evaluated by immunocytochemistry, reverse transcriptase, and real-time PCR, and ELISA. Differentiated cells were transplanted into the liver of diabetic rats using a Port-A catheter via the portal vein. Blood glucose levels were monitored weekly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Human nuclei and C-peptide were detected in the rat liver by immunohistochemistry. Pancreatic β-cell development-related genes were expressed in the differentiated cells. C-peptide release was increased after glucose challenge in vitro. Furthermore, after transplantation of differentiated cells into the diabetic rats, blood sugar level decreased. Insulin-producing cells containing human C-peptide and human nuclei were located in the liver.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, a Port-A catheter can be used to transplant differentiated insulin-producing cells from human MSCs into the portal vein to alleviate hyperglycemia among diabetic rats.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Pei-Jiun
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Hwai-Shi
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Shyr
authors.forename: Zen-Chung
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Ling-Chen
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Jia-Fwu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Shyu
authors.forename: Tien-Hua
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002096:C-Peptide; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D011169:Portal Vein; D051381:Rats; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin