Elevation of serum albumin levels in Nagase analbuminemic rats by allogeneic bone marrow cell transplantation

We investigated the feasibility of correcting the congenital absence of albumin in Nagase analbuminemic rats ( NARs) by allogeneic bone marrow cell transplantation ( BMT). Seven- week- old male NARs were used as recipients, and 6- to 8- week- old male Sprague- Dawley ( SD) rats were used as allograft donors. NARs were divided into three groups: a BMT group ( n = 10) in which bone marrow cells were infused into the liver; a hepatocyte transplantation ( HCT) group ( n = 8) in which hepatocytes were transplanted into the liver, and a control group ( n = 8) in which PBS was injected into the portal vein. Serum albumin levels were measured as an indicator of the function of the grafted cells, and the phenotypic characteristics of the engrafted cells in the recipient's liver were assessed with immunohistochemical and immuno-fluorescence techniques. At 8 weeks after cell transplantation, the serum albumin levels of the BMT group and HCT group were significantly higher than in the control group. The hepatocyte- like cells derived from bone marrow cells expressed albumin in liver of the NARs. According to this result, bone marrow cells can differentiate into hepatocyte- like cells in vivo. The results show that BMT is an effective treatment for congenital analbuminemia in a rat model and suggest that allogeneic BMT can be used as an efficient therapy for hereditary metabolic diseases. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.