Table 3.
Experimental liver fibrosis and endothelial progenitor cells.
| Cells/Dose/Route | Fibrosis Model | Main Results and Mechanisms of Action | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat BM-EPCs,3 × 106 cells—single or four-repeated doses once a week for 4 weeks, tail vein | CCl4 or thioacetamide (intraperitoneal) twice a week for 10 weeks (Wistar) | Increased survival rates, liver fibrosis and fibrogenesis reduction (HSC suppression and enhanced MMP activity), increased hepatocyte proliferation and HGF, TGF-α, EGF, and VEGF expression in liver | [58] |
| Rat BM-EPCs, 5 × 105 cells, portal vein | CCl4 by gavage twice a week for 16 weeks (Sprague-Dawley) | Increased survival rates, reduced levels of AST, ALT, and TBIL, albumin levels restoration, liver fibrosis and fibrogenesis reduction (HSC suppression), increased liver cell proliferation | [59] |
| Rat BM-EPCs, 3 × 106 cells—once weekly for four weeks, tail vein | Dimethylnitrosamine (intraperitoneal) three times a week for eight weeks (Sprague–Dawley) | Liver fibrosis and fibrogenesis reduction (HSC suppression), increased hepatocyte proliferation, vascular density and HGF, TGF-α and EGF expression in liver | [60] |
| Rat BM-EPCs, 3 × 106 cells—once a week for four weeks, tail vein | CCl4 (intraperitoneal) twice weekly for 10 weeks (Wistar) | Liver fibrosis and fibrogenesis reduction (HSC suppression), reduced portal venous pressure, increased vascular density and hepatic blood flow | [61] |
| Fibrotic rat BM-EPCs, 2 × 105 and 2 × 106 cells—once a week for three weeks, tail vein and portal vein |
CCl4 (subcutaneous) twice a week for six weeks (Wistar) | Liver fibrosis suppression, improved liver function (lower ALT, AST, APTT), increased liver mRNA levels of HGF and VEGF, increased liver cells proliferation | [62] |
BM-EPCs: Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells; HSC: hepatic stellate cells; MMP: matrix metalloproteinase; HGF: hepatocyte growth factor; TGF-α: transforming growth factor-α, EGF: epidermal growth factor; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; TBIL: total bilirubin; APTT: activated partial thromboplastin time.