Long-Term Survival of Transplanted Autologous Canine Liver Organoids in a -Deficient Dog Model of Metabolic Liver Disease.

The shortage of liver organ donors is increasing and the need for viable alternatives is urgent. Liver cell (hepatocyte) transplantation may be a less invasive treatment compared with liver transplantation. Unfortunately, hepatocytes cannot be expanded in vitro, and allogenic cell transplantation requires long-term immunosuppression.

Innovative application of an implantable venous access system in the portal vein: technique, results and complications in three dogs.

Background: Vascular access port (VAP) systems are widely used in human medicine to provide long-term venous access. However, in veterinary medicine the use of VAP systems is not common practice and publications on their potential applications have been limited. A VAP system was used as part of an experimental study on liver regeneration and implanted in the canine portal vein to create direct access to the portal venous circulation of the liver.

Immunohistochemical characterisation of the hepatic stem cell niche in feline hepatic lipidosis: a preliminary morphological study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the cellular and stromal components of the hepatic progenitor cell niche in feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL).

Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for the progenitor/bile duct marker (K19), activated Kupffer cells (MAC387), myofibroblasts (alpha-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA]) and the extracellular matrix component laminin were used on seven liver biopsies of cats with FHL and three healthy cats. Double immunofluorescence stainings were performed to investigate co-localisation of different cell types in the hepatic progenitor cell (HPC) niche.

DYRK1A Is a Regulator of S-Phase Entry in Hepatic Progenitor Cells.

Hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are adult liver stem cells that act as second line of defense in liver regeneration. They are normally quiescent, but in case of severe liver damage, HPC proliferation is triggered by external activation mechanisms from their niche. Although several important proproliferative mechanisms have been described, it is not known which key intracellular regulators govern the switch between HPC quiescence and active cell cycle.

Cellular characteristics of keratin 19-positive canine hepatocellular tumours explain its aggressive behaviour.

The expression of the hepatic progenitor cell marker keratin 19 (K19) in canine hepatocellular carcinomas is linked with a poor prognosis. To better understand this aggressive behaviour, K19-positive hepatocellular carcinomas (n=5) and K19-negative hepatocellular adenomas (n=6) were immunohistochemically stained for proteins involved in malignant tumour development. The K19-positive carcinomas showed marked positivity for platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha polypeptide (PDGFRα), laminin, integrin beta-1/CD29, B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukaemia virus Integration site 1, glypican-3 (GPC-3) and prominin-1/CD133, in contrast with K19-negative hepatocellular adenomas.