title: Differentiation of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells into hepatocytes in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The stem cell based therapy is a potential alternative to liver transplantation. The aim of the study is to investigate the hepatocytic differentiation ability of human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The HUC-MSCs were isolated from Wharton's jelly of human umbilical cord. The cells were identified by assessing the stem cell markers. The HUC-MSCs were characterized by multipotency of differentiation. We modified the hepatogenic differentiation protocol and examine the function of differentiated cell by Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) uptake. The protein expressions of Total protein (TP), Albumin (ALB), Globulin (GLB), Urea (BUN) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) were also detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cells of the hepatogenic differentiation group showed the function of hepatocyte. Protein expressions of TP, ALB, GLB BUN and AFP improve that the HUC-MSCs are able to different into the functional hepatogenic-like cell.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The above founding indicated that the HUC-MSCs are able to different into the functional hepatogenic-like cell by present method.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Center, First People's Hospital of Kunming (Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University), Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Guan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Center, First People's Hospital of Kunming (Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University), Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Center, First People's Hospital of Kunming (Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University), Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Center, First People's Hospital of Kunming (Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University), Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D059631:Wharton Jelly / Q000166:cytology*
keywords: Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs); hepatocytes; hepatocytic differentiation