Therapeutic Effects of CD133+ in the Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4) Induced Chronic Liver Dysfunction in Rat Model

Regenerative medicine using bone marrow cells is noteworthy therapy for the improvement of patients with severe liver disease. Bone marrow stem cells can participate to liver regeneration. However, conflicting results have been reported. Twenty five, 12 week old albino-wistar male rats were randomly assigned into five groups. In treatment groups CD133(+) cells in both differentiated and non-differentiated form were transplanted in rat models of CCl4-induced chronic liver dysfunction. All rats were killed 4 weeks after transplantation. Transplantation of the differentiated and non differentiated hematopoietic stem cells into the blood of rats significantly restored their serum albumin level. These effects were not seen in CCl4 rats. However, fibrotic liver lesions with severe inflammation were decreased in CCl4-treated following hematopoietic stem cells transplantation. Effective migration of transplanted hematopoietic stem cells was limited to persistently injured liver in CCl4-treated rat, where they may be effective in resolving inflammatory fibrotic lesions. These results suggest that differentiated Hematopoietic stem cells are an effective cell source for liver regeneration.