Mesenchymal stem cell applications on the chronic liver disease

Abstract

Objective The aim was to evaluate the effect of application of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) after transplantation into mice with carbon tetrachloride-induced chronic liver. Background Chronic disease causes hepatocyte fibrosis, with subsequent morbidity and mortality. Stem cells have emerged an alternative therapy for liver fibrosis, which can be harvested from different sources, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Materials and methods This study was conducted on 55 mice and 18 human bone marrow samples. Primarily, liver fibrosis was induced in five mice, and after the fourth week of CCl4induction, they were killed, and liver biopsy was done to estimate fibrosis occurrence. The remaining 50 mice were classified as 25 mice injected with 0.9% saline to be used as control (group I) and 25 mice were infused intravenously with 1 × 106 human BMMSC (group II) after continuous CCl4administration in both groups. After 4 weeks of MSCs infusion, serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, albumin, and total bilirubin were determined for all 50 mice. Moreover, liver histology was performed to determine the fibrosis degree as well as α-fetoprotein immunohistochemistry, and RT-PCR was done for α-smooth muscle actin expression. Human BMMSCs were collected and isolated by bone marrow culture and evaluated by flow cytometric characterization of MSCs using CD45-negative and CD90-positive cell markers. Results MSCs-treated group revealed significant lower alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and albumin; higher total bilirubin levels; decreased histopathological fibrosis; diffuse α-fetoprotein immunostaining; and lower α-smooth muscle actin gene expression when compared with the control group. Conclusion MSCs could be used as a therapeutic tool in end-stage liver disease.