Transplanted endothelial cells repopulate the liver endothelium and correct the phenotype of hemophilia A mice
J. Clin. Invest. Antonia Follenzi, et al. 118:935 doi:10.1172/JCI32748 [Go to this article.]

Figure 1
Properties of isolated FVB/N-Tie2–GFP LSECs and fate of transplanted LSECs. Flow cytometry showing GFP-positive LSECs selected with anti-LSECs after CD45-positive cells were depleted. LSECs selected showed native GFP expression in 77% (A); 96% stained for the endothelial marker CD31 (B), and only 3% stained for CD45 (C). Moreover, CD31-containing LSECs coexpressed additional endothelial markers, Flk-1 (D) and endoglin (E). (F and G) SEM showing sieve plates with fenestrae on LSEC surface (arrowheads), another feature of sinusoidal ECs. (H) Donor FVB/N-Tie2–GFP mouse liver showing GFP staining (green) in LSECs, along with a portal vein radicle (asterisk). (I–K) FVB/N mice after LSEC transplantation. (I) Two transplanted cells identified by GFP staining (green) in liver sinusoids. (J) Increased engraftment of transplanted LSECs 1 week after cell transplantation in FLP-treated mouse. (K) Significantly increased engraftment of transplanted LSECs 1 week after cell transplantation in MCT-treated mouse. (L–S) GFP fluorescence in transplanted LSECs to indicate cell proliferation 3 months after transplantation in MCT-treated mice. (L and P) Nuclear staining with DAPI (blue). (M) Kupffer cells immunostained with F480 antibody (red). (Q) Endothelial cells immunostained with CD31 antibody. (N and R) GFP immunostaining. (O and S) Merged images from all 3 panels. Original magnification, ×2,500 (F); ×12,500 (G); ×200 (H–K); ×400 (P–S); ×200 (L–O). Scale bars: 2 μm (F); 0.4 μm (G).