title: Retinoic Acid as the Stimulating Factor for Differentiation of Wharton's Jelly-Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Hepatocyte-like Cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wharton's Jelly-Mesenchymal Stem Cells (WJ-MSCs) are pluripotent cells with differentiation capability into most cell lineages. The aim of the current work was to examine the role of Retinoic Acid (RA) in differentiation process of these cells into hepatocyte-like cells and determine the morphological and functional patterns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human WJ-MSCs were extracted, cultured and expanded; after approximately 95% of confluence, the cells were treated with hepatogenic media containing RA. The cells were subsequently analyzed for morphological changes, glycogen storage, albumin production, and specific gene expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WJ-MSCs expressed high levels of CD90 (93.6%) and CD105 (90.7%), but low levels of CD34 (0.3%) and CD45 (0.8%). Albumin production had significant difference in the two groups (p≤0.05). The data showed specific characteristics in favor of considering the differentiated cells as hepatocyte-like cells such as obtaining morphologic, functional, and αFP and HNF1-α expression patterns which in turn were higher in cells exposed to RA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the data of present study, RA is an effective molecule in inducing differentiation of WJ-MSCs into hepatocyte-like cells; therefore, it may be considered as a promising factor for targeting therapy of liver disorders.
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Keywan
authors: K
authors: Mortezaee
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Bagher
authors: B
authors: Minaii
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Sabbaghziarani
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Iraj
authors: I
authors: Ragerdi Kashani
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Gholamreza
authors: G
authors: Hassanzadeh
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Parichehr
authors: P
authors: Pasbakhsh
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Barbarestani
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mostafa
authors: M
authors: Latifpour
keywords: Glycogen; Pluripotent stem cells; Retinoic acid; Wharton's jelly-mesenchymal stem cell