OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of intraperitoneal transplantation of microencapsulated HepG2 cells in rats with hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD).

METHODSHLD was induced by copper-overloaded diet with forage containing 1 g/kg copper sulfate and water with 0.185% copper sulfate for 12 weeks in rats. One hundred and twenty three-month-old male Wistar rats were randomly intraperitoneal injected with normal saline (NS), microencapsulated HepG2 cells or non-microencapsulated HepG2 cells 9 weeks after copper-overloaded diet. Blood or liver samples were obtained at five time points: 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after transplantation (n=8). The other 8 rats receiving normal diet were used as the control group. Serum levels of ALT, AST, albumin and Cu and liver Cu contents were measured.

RESULTSSerum ALT, AST and Cu levels and liver Cu contents in the NS-treated HLD, microencapsulated HepG2 cells and non-microencapsulated HepG2 cells transplantation groups increased significantly at all time points, in contrast, serum albumin levels decreased significantly in the NS-treated HLD and non-microencapsulated HepG2 cells transplantation groups compared with those in the control group at all time points (P<0.05), but serum albumin levels in the microencapsulated HepG2 cells transplantation restored to the level of the control group 28 days after transplantation. Serum ALT, AST and Cu levels and liver Cu contents in the microencapsulated HepG2 cells and non-microencapsulated HepG2 cells transplantation groups were significantly lower, in contrast, albumin levels were higher than those in the NS-treated HLD group on almost time points (P<0.05). Serum levels of ALT, AST and Cu and liver Cu contents in the microencapsulated HepG2 cells transplantation group decreased 7 or 14 days after transplantation, while serum albumin levels increased significantly 14 days after transplantation compared with those in the non-microencapsulated HepG2 cells transplantation group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIntraperitoneal transplantation of microencapsulated HepG2 cells can relieve hepatic damage, reduce serum and liver Cu levels, and improve copper metabolism, therefore it is promising for the treatment of HLD.