Hepatocytes From Fibrotic Liver Possess High Growth Potential in Vivo
Hepatocyte transplantation is effective for treating liver failure, but healthy donors as a source of hepatocytes are quite limited. The livers of patients with hepatic fibrosis could be an alternative source; however, few reports have examined the nature of hepatocytes from fibrotic
livers (f-hepatocytes). In this study, we compared the growth of f-hepatocytes and hepatocytes from normal livers (n-hepatocytes). Hepatocytes were isolated from normal and CCl4-treated wild-type Fischer rats that express dipeptidyl dipeptidase IV (DPPIV) gene (DPPIV+).
The n- and f-hepatocytes proliferated in culture at similar rates. Both types of hepatocytes were transplanted into DPPIV− mutant Fischer rats that had been treated with retrorsine to injure the liver and were partially hepatectomized (PHx) before transplantation. Both n-
and f-DPPIV+-hepatocytes proliferated and formed colonies. The colony sizes of f-hepatocytes 21 days posttransplantation were approximately three times those of n-hepatocytes. The hepatocytes were analyzed using a fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). The FACS profile differed
between f- and n-hepatocytes: f-hepatocytes were less granular, less autofluorescent, and smaller than n-hepatocytes. These characteristics of f-hepatocytes resembled those reported for small-sized n-hepatocytes (SHs), which are highly proliferative and preferentially express a unique set
of 10 SH genes. However, f-hepatocytes preferentially expressed only five of the SH genes. The expression profile of f-hepatocytes was rather similar to that of proliferating n-hepatocytes in the regenerating liver after PHx. The f-hepatocytes were morphologically normal and did not show any
preneoplastic phenotype. These normal and proliferative natures of f-hepatocytes in vivo suggest the fibrotic liver as a source of hepatocytes for transplantation.
Keywords: Carbon tetrachloride; Hepatectomy; Hepatocyte proliferation; Hepatocyte transplantation; Liver regeneration; Retrorsine
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Yoshizato Project, CLUSTER, Hiroshima Prefectural Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Hiroshima 739-0046, Japan; Department of Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama 700--8558, Japan
Publication date: 01 May 2009
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