Differentiation of rat bone marrow cells cultured on artificial basement membrane containing extracellular matrix into a liver cell lineage

Background/Aims Bone marrow (BM) cells have been shown to be capable of differentiating into a liver cell lineage in vitro. However, their differentiation and proliferation is poor, and the cell characteristics are poorly understood. Methods We cultured rat BM cells on an artificial basement membrane containing extracellular matrix (ECM) with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). The expression of mRNA for liver-specific genes was analyzed by reverse transcription PCR. The expression of albumin and Musashi-1 by cultured cells was analyzed using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). The proportions of albumin-positive cells when culture was performed with different concentrations of HGF were analyzed by FACS. Results On culture day 21, polygonal cells proliferated and formed cell colonies. These cells expressed mRNA for all the liver-specific genes analyzed, and showed heterogeneous differentiation, some cells expressing albumin, others expressing Musashi-1. Albumin-positive differentiated cells were large and rich in intracellular structures, while Musashi-1-positive undifferentiated cells had the opposite characteristics. Culturing cells with higher concentrations of HGF induced an increased proportion of albumin-positive cells. Conclusions The results suggest that cell culture on an ECM with a high concentration of HGF increases the extent to which BM cells differentiate into a liver cell lineage and proliferate in vitro.