METHODS AND MATERIALS: Hyperuricemia model was performed in male Swiss Webster mice. Intraperitoneally injection of uric acid (125mg/kg body weight) was done for 7 and 14 days (UA7 and UA14 groups). Meanwhile, the UAL groups were injected with uric acid and followed by the administration of allopurinol (UAL7 and UAL14 groups). On the due date, mice were sacrificed, and liver was harvested. Uric acid, SGOT, SGPT, and albumin level were measured from the serum. The mRNA expression of TLR4, MCP1, CD68, and collagen1 were assessed through RT-PCR. Liver fibrosis was quantified through Sirius red staining, while the number of hepatic stellates cells (HSCs) and TLR4 were assessed through IHC staining.
RESULTS: Uric acid induction for 7 and 14 days stimulated an increase of both SGOT and SGPT serum levels. Followed by enhanced inflammatory mediators: Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR- 4), Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) and Cluster of Differentiation 68 (CD68) mRNA expression in the liver (p<0.05). The histological findings showed that the UA7 and UA14 groups had higher liver fibrosis scores (p<0.05), collagen I mRNA expression (p<0.05), and the number of HSCs (p<0.05) compared to Control group. Administration of allopurinol showed amelioration of uric acid and liver enzymes levels which followed by inflammatory mediators, liver fibrosis and collagen1, and hepatic stellate cells significantly.
CONCLUSION: Therefore, uric acid augmented the liver fibrosis by increasing the number of hepatic stellate cells.
METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with CCl4 for 8 weeks to induce irreversible liver fibrosis. Ex-vivo expanded, pooled human MSCs obtained from BM and WJ were intravenously administered into rats with liver fibrosis at a dose of 10 × 106 cells/animal. Sham control and vehicle-treated animals served as negative and disease controls, respectively. The animals were sacrificed at 30 and 70 days after cell transplantation and hepatic-hydroxyproline content, histopathological, and immunohistochemical analyses were performed.
RESULTS: BM-MSCs treatment showed a marked reduction in liver fibrosis as determined by Masson's trichrome and Sirius red staining as compared to those treated with the vehicle. Furthermore, hepatic-hydroxyproline content and percentage collagen proportionate area were found to be significantly lower in the BM-MSCs-treated group. In contrast, WJ-MSCs treatment showed less reduction of fibrosis at both time points. Immunohistochemical analysis of BM-MSCs-treated liver samples showed a reduction in α-SMA+ myofibroblasts and increased number of EpCAM+ hepatic progenitor cells, along with Ki-67+ and human matrix metalloprotease-1+ (MMP-1+) cells as compared to WJ-MSCs-treated rat livers.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that BM-MSCs are more effective than WJ-MSCs in treating liver fibrosis in a CCl4-induced model in rats. The superior therapeutic activity of BM-MSCs may be attributed to their expression of certain MMPs and angiogenic factors.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were injected intravenously into the tails of mice of the Institute of Cancer Research strain that had been treated with carbon tetrachloride for 4 weeks. Survival rate, migration, and proliferation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the liver were observed by histochemistry, fluorescent labeling, and serological detection.
RESULTS: At 1, 2, and 3 weeks after adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell injection, liver fibrosis was significantly ameliorated. The injected adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells had hepatic differentiation potential in vivo, and the survival rate of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells declined over time.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study confirmed that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells derived from the Bama pig can be used in the treatment of liver fibrosis, and the grafted adipose-derived mesenchy-mal stem cells can migrate, survive, and differentiate into hepatic cells in vivo.