Abstract: Objective To comparative study the effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and mononuclearcells(MNCs) from mice bone marrow in liver damage of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated rat, and to provide a new method for bone marrow stem cells transplantation to care liver disease. Methods Bone marrow was collected from male BALB/c mice under sterile condition. MNCs were isolated, and MSCs were cultured, purified and identified by using flow cytometry. Female Wistar rat were challenged with CCl4 to make liver damage models. The rat with liver damage were randomly divided into MSCs transplanted group, MNCs transplanted group and liver damage control group. MSCs or MNCs were infused immediately through the tail veins after CCl4 treated in these cells transplanted mice. After six weeks, we assessed liver damage and mice cell engraftment. Results According to flow cytometry assay, MSCs were positive for CD29, CD44 and CD90, while negative for CD34 and CD45; Liver function and Histological examination suggested that liver damage recovery was much better only in these MSCs transplanted mice; PCR analysis revealed that mice Y-chromosome-positive cells only can be founded in these MSCs transplanted rat. Conclusions Mice MSCs can be isolated, cultured and expanded in vitro. Transplanted to CCl4-treated rat, they can improve liver damage.

Key words: mesenchymal stem cells, mononuclearcells, heterogenic transplantation, liver damage