Fetal cells in mother rats contribute to the remodeling of liver and kidney after injury

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Dec 17;325(3):961-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.10.105.

Abstract

Fetal microchimerism indicates a mixture of cells of maternal and fetal origin seen in maternal tissues during and after pregnancy. Controversy exists about whether persistent fetal microchimerism is related with some autoimmune disorders occurring during and after pregnancy. In the current experiment, an animal model in which EGFP positive cells were taken as fetal-origin cells was designed to detect the fetal microchimerism in various maternal organs. Ethanol drinking and gentamicin injection were adopted to induce liver and kidney injury simultaneously. EGFP positive cells were engrafted not only in the maternal circulation and bone marrow, but also in the liver and kidney as hepatocytes and tubular cells, respectively. These results indicate that fetal cells are engrafted to maternal hematopoietic system without apparent injury and they also contribute to the repairing process of maternal liver and kidney.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chimerism / embryology
  • Ethanol
  • Female
  • Fetus / pathology
  • Gentamicins
  • Kidney / drug effects
  • Kidney / embryology
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Kidney / physiopathology
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / chemically induced
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / embryology*
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / pathology*
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / physiopathology
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / embryology
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver / physiopathology
  • Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / embryology*
  • Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / pathology*
  • Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / physiopathology
  • Liver Regeneration
  • Male
  • Maternal-Fetal Exchange*
  • Pregnancy
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Regeneration*

Substances

  • Gentamicins
  • Ethanol