Fig. 1
SHED differentiate into human hepatocyte-like cells in recipient livers of CCl4-treated mice. a Schema of CCl4 treatment and SHED transplantation in mice. C57BL/6 mice intraperitoneally received CCl4 (0.5 ml/kg) or olive oil only twice a week (red arrows). Four weeks after the treatment, SHED (1 × 106) were transplanted into the CCl4-treated mice through the spleen. Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was infused as the control for the transplantation. b In vivo monitoring of transplanted DiR-labeled SHED in CCl4-treated mice 1 hour (1h) or 24 hours (24h) after the infusion. Dorsal position. c Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of human albumin (hALB) in the recipient serum. d–f Distribution of transplanted SHED in recipient livers. Immunohistochemistry with anti-human HLA-ABC, anti-hepatocyte paraffin 1 (Hep Par1), or anti-hALB antibody. Representative images. d Counterstaining with hematoxylin. The human HLA-ABC, hepatocyte paraffin 1, or hALB antibody positive area. Immunopositive area shown as the ratio to e the total area or f the fibrous area. c, e, f n = 5 for all groups. *P <0.05 and ***P <0.005. ns no significance. Graph bars show mean ± SD. Control, olive oil-injected group; CCl4, CCl4-treated group; CCl4 + SHED, SHED-transplanted CCl4-treated group. Ab antibody, CCl 4 carbon tetrachloride, HLA human leukocyte antigen, SHED stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth