Bone Marrow as a Potential Source of Hepatic Oval Cells

TLDR

Bone marrow stem cells are known to generate hematopoietic and mesenchymal lineages but had not been reported to produce hepatocytes, biliary cells, or oval cells during liver regeneration. Cross‑sex or cross‑strain bone marrow and whole‑liver transplantation, combined with 2‑acetylaminofluorene‑induced hepatocyte arrest and subsequent hepatic injury, allowed tracing of bone marrow‑derived cells using Y‑chromosome, DPPIV, and L21‑6 markers. A fraction of regenerated hepatic cells, including oval cells, were donor‑derived, demonstrating that bone marrow harbors a stem cell capable of epithelial lineage differentiation.

Abstract

Bone marrow stem cells develop into hematopoietic and mesenchymal lineages but have not been known to participate in production of hepatocytes, biliary cells, or oval cells during liver regeneration. Cross-sex or cross-strain bone marrow and whole liver transplantation were used to trace the origin of the repopulating liver cells. Transplanted rats were treated with 2-acetylaminofluorene, to block hepatocyte proliferation, and then hepatic injury, to induce oval cell proliferation. Markers for Y chromosome, dipeptidyl peptidase IV enzyme, and L21-6 antigen were used to identify liver cells of bone marrow origin. From these cells, a proportion of the regenerated hepatic cells were shown to be donor-derived. Thus, a stem cell associated with the bone marrow has epithelial cell lineage capability.