Effect of mesenchymal stem cell conditioned medium on hepatocyte matrix implant to alleviate liver cirrhosis in rats

BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte transplantation has gained importance as an alternative treatment to orthotopic liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease. This study explores the modification of the hepatocyte matrix implant (HMI) procedure by replacing islet cells with conditioned medium (CM) derived from human umbilical cord-MSC (hUC-MSC) supplementation to alleviate liver cirrhosis in a rat model. METHODS: The male Sprague Dawley rats were induced liver cirrhosis using thioacetamide for 11 weeks, and implanted with matrices on the small bowel mesentery, according to the groups. Four groups were assessed: blank matrix (cell-free), hepatocytes seeded-matrix (Hep), hepatocytes+islets co-seeded-matrix (Hep:Islet), and hepatocytes seeded-matrix supplemented with CM (Hep+CM). RESULTS: study further confirmed that the implanted hepatocytes remained viable and were able to produce albumin for at least 4 months post-implantation. Liver function parameters were shown to be improved in Hep:Islet and Hep+CM groups. Notably, collagen deposition in the liver was lower in Hep:Islet and Hep+CM groups compared to other groups. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that CM can effectively replace islet in supporting hepatocyte proliferation and function, enhancing the therapeutic potential of HMI procedure. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript or liver cirrhosis treatment.