Bone marrow mononuclear cell transplant therapy in mice with CCl4-induced acute liver failure

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Stem cell transplantation has theoretical potential for the treatment of certain liver diseases. However, the use of bone marrow mononuclear cells as a therapy for liver disease has received little attention. The present study was to examine whether bone marrow mononuclear cells might be useful in the management of acute liver failure in an animal model. MATERIALS AND METHOTS: Bone marrow mononuclear cells were harvested from BALB/c mice and then labeled with the fluorescent dye PKH26. The labeled cells were subsequently infused into the tail veins of mice in which hepatic injury had been induced by CCl4 toxicity. After transplantation, the labeled cells in the liver were studied by fluorescent microscopy, and the levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and albumin were quantified in bone marrow mononuclear cell-treated and untreated groups. Serum aminotransferase activity was also monitored at various time points post-liver injury.

RESULTS

Transplanted bone marrow mononuclear cells labeled with PKH26 were found to populate the damaged liver around the portal and centrolobular regions, and they appeared to differentiate into albumin-producing hepatocyte-like cells. Animals that received bone marrow mononuclear cells also showed a trend toward improved liver enzymes as well enhanced survival rates, relative to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that systemically delivered bone marrow mononuclear cells may relocate to and be retained by the injured liver; transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells showed an overall beneficial effect in a murine model of acute liver failure.

Effect of β -catenin siRNA on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 and HepG-2

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of expression of siRNA β- catenin silent gene on cell cycle and apoptosis of different hepatoma cells.

METHODOLOGY

The effect of the β-catenin-siRNA recombinant plasmid on the growth of different hepatoma cells was observed by MTT assays; and the effect of the recombinant plasmid on proliferation and apoptosis of different hepatoma cells was detected through flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Transfection of the β-catenin-siRNA recombinant plasmid into hepatoma cells significantly inhibited β-catenin expression at protein and mRNA levels (p<0.05) as shown by western blotting and RT-PCR, respectively. The MTT assay showed that β-catenin-siRNA can significantly inhibit growth of hepatoma cells. The results of flow cytometry showed that the growth of different hepatoma cells was blocked at G0/G1 phase and compared with the control group there was a significant difference (p<0.05). Flow cytometry also showed that apoptosis of different hepatoma cells, compared with the control group, was significantly different (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Inhibition of β-catenin in hepatoma cells can inhibit growth and promote apoptosis, and there was difference in the effect on proliferation and apoptosis between different hepatoma cells.