Hepatocyte transplantation into diseased mouse liver - Kinetics of parenchymal repopulation and identification of the proliferative capacity of tetraploid and octaploid hepatocytes

To examine the process of liver repopulation by transplanted hepatocytes, w e developed transgenic mice carrying a mouse major urinary protein-urokinas e-type plasminogen activator fusion transgene. Expression of this transgene induced diffuse hepatocellular damage beginning at 3 weeks of age, and hom ozygous mice supported up to 97% parenchymal repopulation by healthy donor hepatocytes transplanted into the spleen. Using this transplantation model, we determined that 1) a mean of 21% of splenically injected hepatocytes en graft in liver parenchyma; 2) a mean of 6.6% of splenically injected hepato cytes (or one-third of engrafted cells) can give rise to proliferating hepa tocyte foci; 3) transplanted cells in proliferating foci display an initial cell-doubling time of 28 hours, and focus growth continues through a mean of 12 cell doublings; 4) hepatocytes isolated from young and aged adult mic e display similar focus repopulation kinetics; 5) the extent of repopulated parenchyma remains stable throughout the life of the recipient mouse; and 6) tetraploid and octaploid hepatocytes can support clonal proliferation.