ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many studies have demonstrated that transition duct cells (TDC) are facultative liver stem cells. Our laboratory established TDC32300 cell lines with hepatic progenitor markers. The authors proposed that cell culture using sodium butyrate (NaBut) and acidic fibroblast growth factors (aFGF) may support the differentiation of TDC32300 cells along the hepatic lineage. METHODS: TDC32300 cells were cultured in four different conditions 1) STON media alone; 2) STON with NaBut in 3 different concentrations, 1 mM, 3.75 mM and 5 mM; 3) STON with aFGF; and 4) STON with aFGF and dexamethasone. After day 5, the cultured cells were fixed and stained with monoclonal antibodies to rat liver antigens and anti-proliferating nuclear antigen (PCNA). RESULTS: Proliferation of TDC32300 cells cultured in the high concentration of NaBut (3.75 and 5 mM) was inhibited. This phenomenon was confirmed by the reduction in cell number and decrease in PCNA expression. Irrespective of the concentration, NaBut did not alter the phenotype of the TDC32300 cultured cells. aFGF with or without dexamethasone also did not alter the phenotypic characteristic of TDC32300 cells. CONCLUSION: TDC32300 cells may not be the hepatic progenitors or that their differentiation may require other culture conditions.