Effect of HGF-induced Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Improving Steatohepatitis Complicated with Hepatic Fibrosis in Rats via TGF- β/Smad Pathway
ZHANG Bo, TAN Yan-fang, ZHANG Feng-hao, et al
Department of Hepatology,The School of Pediatrics,Hengyang Medical School,University of South China,Children's Hospital of Hunan Province,Changsha Hunan 410007
Abstract：【Objective】 To discuss the mechanism of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) induced by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in ameliorating steatohepatitis complicated with liver fibrosis in rats through transforming growth factors β (TGF-β)/ Smad pathway.【Methods】SPF Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group and experimental model group (model blank group, model treatment group 1 and model treatment group 2). The rats in the experimental model group were fed with high-fat diet and subcutaneously injected with 40% carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) olive oil solution; The normal control rats were fed with ordinary diet and subcutaneously injected with olive oil solution. After 6 weeks of modeling, the normal control group and the model blank group were injected with PBS buffer through tail vein; The model treatment group 1 was injected with hUC-MSCs; In the model treatment group 2, hUC-MSCs containing HGF were injected. All rats were killed after 3 weeks of observation. The body weight and liver wet weight were weighed and the liver index was calculated;The serum AST, ALT and ALB levels were detected; The liver tissue was taken for HE and Masson staining to evaluate the pathological condition of liver tissue and observe the liver injury and fibrosis; By immunohistochemical method, the expression level of TGF-β1 and Smad3 in liver tissue was detected. 【Results】 Compared with the model blank group, the liver wet weight, liver index, ALT and AST levels of rats in the normal control group, model treatment group 1 and model treatment group 2 were significantly decreased; The level of ALB increased significantly (P<0.05). In the model blank group, there were obvious bullous steatosis, accompanied by obvious liver fibrosis, and even the formation of false lobules without normal structure in the model blank group; The degree of liver fibrosis and the number of adipocytes in the two model treatment groups were significantly reduced compared with the model blank group, and the degree of steatosis and fibrosis in the model treatment group 2 was slightly reduced compared with the model treatment group 1. Compared with the model blank group, the expression of the TGF-β1 and Smad3 of rats in the normal control group, the model treatment group 1 and the model treatment group 2 was significantly down regulated (P<0.05).【Conclusion】hUC-MSCs have a certain effect on the treatment of steatohepatitis and hepatic fibrosis in rats. The effect of hUC-MSCs induced by HGF is better than that of hUC-MSCs, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.
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