Icariin-treated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells decrease chronic liver injury in mice

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUMSCs) have been shown to have multiple differentiation potentials. However, a key problem is that only a small number of hUMSCs can migrate to damaged tissue after transplantation. According to The Theory of Kidney Essence in Traditional Chinese Medicine, some traditional Chinese medicines used for tonifying the kidneys can be applied in promoting the differentiation and migration of stem cells in vivo. Our previous study demonstrated that icariin (ICA) could up-regulate the pluripotent genes of hUMSCs in vitro and induce cell migration in mice in an acute kidney injury model in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ICA-induced hUMSCs in chronic liver injury (CLI) caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). CLI was induced by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4. ICA-treated hUMSCs were transplanted via intra-venous injection. The animals were followed for survival, biochemistry analysis and pathology. The results show that ICA-treated hUMSCs accelerate the recovery of liver function in mice with CLI. In addition, ICA-treated hUMSCs increase the anti-oxidant activities in liver and prevent the progression to hepatic fibrosis. Moreover, ICA induces the migration of hUMSCs to the injured liver tissue. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that ICA-treated hUMSCs exhibit recovery and protective properties in the mice model of CCl4-induced CLI.