PubMed2001
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether removing the compartments of hemopoietic stem cells by immunoadsorption would improve the proliferation of fetal hepatocytes after transplantation. METHODS: The purification of fetal hepatocytes was performed by immunoadsorption, and the proliferative capability of fetal hepatocytes after intrasplenic transplantation was evaluated by image analysis and flowcytometry analysis. RESULTS: The yield of fetal hepatocytes after immnoadsorption was (2~3)+/-10(7) in total per fetal liver and the viability is over 85%. The square densities of fetal hepatocytes with image analysis at 3, 7, and 14 days after transplantation were (1603+/-337), (3788+/-605), (8129+/-1025) micrometer(2)/mm(2), and the adult hepatocytes were (1007+/-128), (2013+/-242), (3780+/- 772) mum(2)/mm(2) accordingly. The S phase rates of fetal hepatocytes by flowcytometry analysis were (14.25+/-4.11)%, (16.07+/-5.35)%, and (17.32+/-5.17)%, and the rates of adult hepatocytes were (5.66+/-1.02)%, (4.98+/- 0.74)%, and (6.83+/-1.37)% correspondingly. The S phase rates and the square densities of fetal hepatocytes were significantly higher than those of adult hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal hepatocytes are highly proliferative and potentially suitable as donor cells in hepatocytes transplantation after immunoadsorption.