title: Foetal hepatic progenitor cells assume a cholangiocytic cell phenotype during two-dimensional pre-culture.
abstract: Liver consists of parenchymal hepatocytes and other cells. Liver progenitor cell (LPC) is the origin of both hepatocytes and cholangiocytic cells. The analyses of mechanism regulating differentiation of LPCs into these functional cells are important for liver regenerative therapy using progenitor cells. LPCs in adult livers were found to form cysts with cholangiocytic characteristics in 3D culture. In contrast, foetal LPCs cannot form these cholangiocytic cysts in the same culture. Thus, the transition of foetal LPCs into cholangiocytic progenitor cells might occur during liver development. Primary CD45(-)Ter119(-)Dlk1(+) LPCs derived from murine foetal livers formed ALBUMIN (ALB)(+)CYTOKERATIN (CK)19(-) non-cholangiocytic cysts within 3D culture. In contrast, when foetal LPCs were pre-cultured on gelatine-coated dishes, they formed ALB(-)CK19(+) cholangiocytic cysts. When hepatocyte growth factor or oncostatin M, which are inducers of hepatocytic differentiation, was added to pre-culture, LPCs did not form cholangiocytic cysts. These results suggest that the pre-culture on gelatine-coated dishes changed the characteristics of foetal LPCs into cholangiocytic cells. Furthermore, neonatal liver progenitor cells were able to form cholangiocytic cysts in 3D culture without pre-culture. It is therefore possible that the pre-culture of mid-foetal LPCs in vitro functioned as a substitute for the late-foetal maturation step in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.|Department of Gastroenterology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anzai
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chikada
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Kota
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuruya
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Kinuyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ida
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Tesuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mine
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamiya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001649:Bile Duct Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003560:Cysts / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005333:Fetus; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D053683:Oncostatin M / Q000494:pharmacology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D053683:Oncostatin M; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor