Few studies on the long-term culture of postnatal @entity19 hepatic stem/progenitor cells have been reported. We successfully adapted a serum-free culture system that we employed previously to expand fetal @entity19 hepatic stem/progenitor cells and maintained them in culture over long periods. The expanded postnatal cells contained immature @entity7007 -positive cells along with hepatocytic and cholangiocytic lineage-committed cells. These cells expressed @entity16534 but not @entity8236 , @entity22416 , @entity3512 , @entity17777 , @entity5231 , or @entity11132 , and oncostatin M induced their differentiation. This heterogeneous population contained side population (SP) cells, which express the @entity855 -binding cassette transporter @entity34736 , and @entity17776 + cells. As @entity19 aged, the frequency of SP and @entity17776 + cells decreased along with the ability of cultured cells to expand. Approximately 20%-40% of the SP cells expressed @entity17776 , but only a few @entity17776 + cells were also SP cells. Analysis of colonies derived from single SP or @entity17776 + cells revealed that, although both cells had dual differentiation potential and self-renewal ability, SP cells formed colonies more efficiently and gave rise to SP and @entity17776 + cells, whereas @entity17776 + cells generated only @entity17776 + progeny. Thus, SP cells are more characteristic of stem cells than are @entity17776 + cells. In regenerating livers, @entity34736 + cells and @entity17776 + cells were detected around or in the portal area (the putative hepatic stem cell niche). The expanded cells share many features of fetal hepatic stem/progenitor cells or oval cells and may be useful in determining the mechanisms whereby hepatic stem cells self-renew and differentiate.

Long-term culture of postnatal XXXX hepatic stem/progenitor cells and their relative developmental hierarchy.

@entity8236 :: ('19264(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['CD45'] @entity16534 :: ('16403(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['CD49f'] @entity11132 :: ('16542(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['flk-1'] @entity17776 :: ('20238(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['sca-1'] @entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['mice', 'mouse'] @entity17777 :: ('16590(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['c-kit'] @entity855 :: ('MESH:D000255', 'Chemical') :: ['ATP'] @entity3512 :: ('21838(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['Thy-1'] @entity34736 :: ('26357(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['ABCG2'] @entity5231 :: ('18613(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['CD31'] @entity7007 :: ('11576(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['alpha-fetoprotein'] @entity22416 :: ('12490(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['CD34']
@entity19 :: (10090,Species) :: ['mouse']
