Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Previous research has demonstrated human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HMSCs) differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells; however, biological characteristics and differentiation mechanism remain unclear, and differentiation system remains immature.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) to induce the differentiation of HMSCs into hepatocyte-like cells.
METHODS: HMSCs were obtained from patients with esophageal cancer and were separated by density gradient centrifugation combined with attachment method. The phenotypes of MSCs were identified by flow cytometry. The third-passage HMSCs were divided into four groups: HGF (adding 20 µg/L HGF), EGF (adding 20 µg/L EGF), HGF + EGF, and blank control groups. Morphology was observed using inverted microscope. At days 7 and 14 after induction, α-fetoprotein and albumin mRNA expressions were detected using RT-PCR assay.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The HMSCs did not express hematopoietic cell CD34 and CD35, but strongly expressed β1-integrin CD29 and matrix receptor CD44. HMSCs changed from long fusiform shape to polygon or similar round shape in the HGF, EGF, and HGF + EGF groups. At days 7 and 14 after induction, α-fetoprotein and albumin mRNA expressions were positive. However, polygon cells were not observed in the blank control group, and α-fetoprotein and albumin mRNA expressions were negative. This suggested that HGF, EGF, and HGF + EGF could induce the differentiation of HMSCs into hepatocyte-like cells; however, their differentiation ability still needs to be further semi-quantitatively analyzed using immunohistochemical staining.