Enhanced PRL-1 expression in placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells accelerates hepatic function via mitochondrial dynamics in a cirrhotic rat model.

Background: Placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PD-MSCs) have been highlighted as an alternative cell therapy agent that has become a next-generation stem cell treatment. Phosphatase of regenerating liver-1 (PRL-1), an immediate early gene, plays a critical role during liver regeneration. Here, we generated enhanced PRL-1 in PD-MSCs (PD-MSCs, PRL-1+) using lentiviral and nonviral gene delivery systems and investigated mitochondrial functions by PD-MSC transplantation for hepatic functions in a rat bile duct ligation (BDL) model.

Methods: PD-MSCs were generated by lentiviral and nonviral AMAXA gene delivery systems and analyzed for their characteristics and mitochondrial metabolic functions. Liver cirrhosis was induced in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats using common BDL for 10 days. PKH67+ naïve and PD-MSCs using a nonviral sysyem (2 × 10 cells/animal) were intravenously administered into cirrhotic rats. The animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, 3, and 5 weeks after transplantation and engraftment of stem cells, and histopathological analysis and hepatic mitochondrial functions were performed.

Results: PD-MSCs were successfully generated using lentiviral and nonviral AMAXA systems and maintained characteristics similar to those of naïve cells. Compared with naïve cells, PD-MSCs improved respirational metabolic states of mitochondria. In particular, mitochondria in PD-MSCs generated by the nonviral AMAXA system showed a significant increase in the respirational metabolic state, including ATP production and mitochondrial biogenesis (*p < 0.05). Furthermore, transplantation of PD-MSCs using a nonviral AMAXA system promoted engraftment into injured target liver tissues of a rat BDL cirrhotic model and enhanced the metabolism of mitochondria via increased mtDNA and ATP production, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy.

Conclusions: Our findings will further our understanding of the therapeutic mechanism of enhanced MSCs and provide useful data for the development of next-generation MSC-based cell therapy and therapeutic strategies for regenerative medicine in liver disease.