Treatment of acute liver failure by xeno-transplantation of co-microencapsulated Sertoli cells and hepatocytes / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the treatment effect of acute liver failure(ALF) by xeno-transplantation of co-microencapsulated Sertoli cells and hepatocytes and the intraperitoneal immune privilege effects of Sertoli cells on hepatocytes. Methods ALF rats were induced by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine and, thereafter, were treated with physical saline, free hepatocytes, microencapsulated hepatocytes, or co-microencapsulated Sertoli cells and hepatocytes (CMSH), respectively. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bilirubin (TBil) were detected in rats' blood samples from various groups. Expression of Smac/Diablo and caspase-3 were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Fifteen rats in each group were used for survival rate analysis. The intraperitoneal microencapsules were observed and lymphocytes in ascites were counted. The data were analyzed by multi-factor or single factor analysis of variance and the comparison between groups was done by t test. Results In CMSH treatment group, ALT level decreased to (533.7 ± 76.5) U/L, AST level decreased to (381.2 5± 46.7) U/L after 48 h. TBil level reduced to (7.36 ± 2.18) μmol/L after 72 h. Albumin level increased to (28.4±2.5) g/L after 48 h. All these values were significantly different from those in other groups (F=10.7,6.5,12.2,8.4;P＜0.05). The expression levels of Smae/Diablo and caspase-3 mRNA at 48 h and 72 h were lower in CMSH group than in other groups (F=3.7,4.8,3.6,4.2; P＜0.05). Survival rates in microencapsulated hepatocytes group and CMSH group were similar while both of them were higher than other groups. Microencapsules neither in microencapsulated hepatocytes group nor in CMSH group were adhered to intraperitoneal mucosa. Lymphocyte counts in ascites of CMSH group were lower than those in microencapsulated hepatocytes group (t= 4.21, P＜0. 05). Conclusions Intraperitoneal transplantation with CMSH is a promising approach for ALF treatment. Furthermore, Sertoli cells can help reduce lymphocytes' aggregation caused by encapsulated hepatocytes in ascites.