Abstract: Abstract：Objective To study the survival and differentiation into hepatocytes of hAECs in vivo. Methods hAECs were isolated from human amnion treated with trypsin, and the phenotype and characteristics of immunocytochemistry were analyzed by FCM and immunofluorescence staining. Healthy and clean grade female SD rats were administered intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine diluted in normal saline at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight, to establish liver injury model. Rats were then devided into hAECs group and control group stochastically, with twenty in each group. Twenty-four hours after modeling, 50μl cell suspension (approximately 1 × 106 cells suspended in L-DMEM) of hAECs was injected slowly into the left, middle and right lobe respectively with micro-syringe, while equivalent volume of L-DMEM injected into the control group. Results ⑴Freshly isolated hAECs expressed CD29 and CD166; immunofluoresce staining showed that cytokeratin 19 was positive in hAECs, while vimentin was negative. ⑵hAECs transplanted into injured liver were located in hepatic lobules at 48h, and expressed AFP at 1w, CK18 at 2w, and Alb at 4w after transplantation. Conclusion hAECs xenografted to rat injured liver can differentiate into hepatocytes, suggesting that hAECs may have the potential for treating clinical liver injury diseases.

Key words: human amnion epithelial cell, transplantation, differentiation, hepatocyte, liver injury