Fig. 5

In-vivo engraftment of human biliary tree stem cells (hBTSCs) after intrasplenic transplantation in mice. a Four weeks after hBTSC injection into the spleen, the livers were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) utilizing anti-human (h) mitochondria. Expression of human mitochondria antigen in liver parenchyma of SCID mice indicated that a higher proportion of liver murine parenchyma was repopulated by human cells in mice transplanted with HA-coated hBTSCs in comparison with mice injected with uncoated cells. No positive cells have been found in control groups. b Signs of differentiation toward mature hepatocyte were revealed in anti-mitochondria positive cells within the livers of mice injected with HA-coated hBTSCs. In particular, human cells showed glycogen storage (PAS positivity, arrows), Hep-Par-1 expression (arrow), and the expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp-2) in a canalicular pattern. Original magnification (OM) = 40×. c Anti-human mitochondria positive cells within the livers of mice injected with HA-coated hBTSCs showed positivity for anti-human albumin (arrows). OM = 40×. d RT-qPCR expression of human albumin in the livers of mice transplanted with HA-coated versus uncoated hBTSCs. After 30 days, human albumin gene expression in the livers of mice transplanted with HA-coated cells was markedly higher than in mice transplanted with uncoated hBTSCs. e Human serum albumin in mice transplanted with HA-coated and uncoated hBTSCs. Human albumin concentration measured in the serum of mice transplanted with HA-coated hBTSCs was double that of mice transplanted with uncoated hBTSCs. HA hyaluronan, PAS Periodic Acid–Schiff