[Treatment of acute liver injury by intrasplenic transplantation of hepatic stem cells combined with heparin in rats].

OBJECTIVE

To determine the treatment effects of transplanted hepatic progenitor cells (WB-F344 cells) combined with heparin on the acute liver injury in SD rats.

METHODS

A total of 2*10(7) hepatic stem cells (WB-F344) infected with GFP lentivirus and 8 μL heparin were transplanted through the spleen in SD rats with acute liver injury, which was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of CCl4. The liver and spleen tissues underwent fluorescence examination 1 day after the transplantation. The liver functions were tested, and the liver tissues were histopathologically examined on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 28th day of the cell transplantation.

RESULTS

The transfected WB-F344 cells expressed GFP 3 days after the lentivirus infection and were found in the rat liver 1 day after the WB-F344 transplantation. The liver function and histopathological recovery of the liver tissues in the group of WB-F344 transplantation were better than those of the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Transplantation of hepatic stem cells combined with heparin can promote the liver recovery in rats with acute liver injury induced by CCl4.