title: Bone marrow cells ameliorate liver fibrosis and express albumin after transplantation in CCl₄-induced fibrotic liver.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the effect of bone marrow-derived stem cell (BMSC) transplantation on carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced liver fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  BMSCs of green fluorescent protein (GFP) mice were transplanted into 4-week CCl 4 -treated C57BL/6 mice directly to the liver, and the mice were treated for 4 more weeks with CCl 4 (total, 8 weeks). After sacrificing the animals, quantitative data of percentage fibrosis area and the number of cells expressing albumin was obtained. One-way analysis of variance was applied to calculate the significance of the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GFP expressing cells clearly indicated migrated BMSCs with strong expression of albumin after 28 days post-transplantation shown by anti-albumin antibody. Double fluorescent immunohistochemistry showed reduced expression of αSMA on GFP-positive cells. Four weeks after BMSC transplantation, mice had significantly reduced liver fibrosis as compared with that of mice treated with CCl 4 assessed by Sirius red staining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mice with BMSC transplantation with continuous CCl 4 injection had reduced liver fibrosis and a significantly improved expression of albumin compared with mice treated with CCl 4 alone. These findings strengthen the concept of cellular therapy in liver fibrosis.
authors: National Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Punjab University Lahore, Pakistan. jabranalisheikh@yahoo.com
authors: Gibran
authors: G
authors: Ali
authors: Muhammad S
authors: MS
authors: Masoud
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D005260:Female; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000418:Albumins; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases