Therapeutic Effect of Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in rats ( Experimental Clinico-pathological and pathological study)

Abstract

Stem cells' therapy provides a novel therapeutic strategy for treatment of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and can be considered as an alternative to liver transplantation. The concept of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in carbon tetrachloride induced liver fibrosis in rats. S/C administration of carbon tetrachloride to Wistar rats for six weeks at a dose of 0.2 ml/100 gm body weight altered hematological and biochemical parameters. It induced significant leukocytosis, elevated the activities of hepatic enzymes (AST, ALT and ALP), increased serum bilirubin concentration and induced significant hypoproteinemia and hypoalbumemia. Moreover, it increased the percentage of fibrous tissue in liver parenchyma. Administration of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells at a dose of 3×106 cells per rat alleviated alterations in the previously mentioned hematological, biochemical and histopathological parameters. The obtained results suggested that bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells can be a potent cellular therapy for liver fibrosis.

Keywords: Liver fibrosis – Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells – Carbon tetrachloride – Rat.