Abstract:

BACKGROUND: How to promote the transformation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into hepatocytes to effectively improve the structure and function of diseased hepatic tissue will become a key part of future studies.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possibility of cordyceps polysaccharide inducing the differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro.
METHODS: Wistar rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured by adherence method and then randomized to three groups. In the cordyceps polysaccharide group, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were induced with 0.15 g/L cordyceps polysaccharide. In the positive control group, hepatocyte growth factor (20 μg/L) and epidermal growth factor (10 μg/L) were added. In the blank control group, DMEM containing 10% fetal bovine serum was added.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Flow cytometry showed that the isolated and purified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were negative for CD34 but positive for CD44. In the cordyceps polysaccharide and positive control group, α-fetoprotein expression appeared at 7 days, peaked at 14 days and was attenuated at 28 days. α-fetoprotein expression was higher in the positive control group than that in the cordyceps polysaccharide group at each time point. In the positive control group, cytokeratin 18 expression appeared at 7 days and was enhanced at 14 days. In the cordyceps polysaccharide group, cytokeratin 18 expression appeared at 14 days and continued thereafter. In the cordyceps polysaccharide and positive control groups, albumin expression was negative at 7 days, but it turned positive at 14 days. In the cordyceps polysaccharide and positive control groups, glycogen staining appeared positive at 14 days but it was attenuated at 28 days, and there was no positive glycogen staining throughout the experimental period   in the blank control group. These findings suggest that cordyceps polysaccharide can induce rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells.