Ex vivo-expanded bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells facilitate recovery from chemically induced acute liver damage

To investigate the feasibility and mechanism of liver damage repair using BMSCs, we investigated the potential for BMSCs in recovery from liver damage, using the CCl4-induced rat model for liver damage.

Phenotypings of BMSCs of the third generation were analyzed by flow cytometry. BMSCs labelled by BrdU were infused via the tail vein of CCl4-induced rat model. The labeling yields ob-served were detected by flow cytometry and liver samples were taken for immunohistochemistry. Concentration changes of AST, ALT and AKP were observed by a serum enzymology test after transplantation.

The BrdU' cells in recipient livers were detect-ed on day 7 after BMSCs transplantation and engraft-ed cells were found in the peri-portal regions of the hepatic lobule and on day 14 more of them spread throughout the lobules. BMSCs engraftments were detected on whole hepatic parenchyma. The serum lev-els of ALT, AST and AKP in group 3 were all lower than those of group 2 from the 7h to 28th day.

Ex vivo-expanded BMSCs were capable of relocating to the chemically-injured liver. Transplantation of these pluripotent stem cells appeared to improve serum indices of liver function.