Functional kupffer cells migrate to the liver from the intraperitoneal cavity

Wen-Ling Lin; Mizuki Mizobuchi; Mina Kawahigashi; Otoki Nakahashi; Yuuki Maekawa; Takashi Sakai

doi:10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101103

Functional kupffer cells migrate to the liver from the intraperitoneal cavity

Biochem Biophys Rep. 2021 Aug 17:27:101103. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101103. eCollection 2021 Sep.

Authors

Wen-Ling Lin¹, Mizuki Mizobuchi¹, Mina Kawahigashi¹, Otoki Nakahashi¹, Yuuki Maekawa¹, Takashi Sakai¹

Affiliation

¹ Institute for Health Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, 180 Nishihama-bouji, Yamashiro-cho, Tokushima, 770-8514, Japan.

Abstract

We established a method of KC transplantation by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection using EGFP-expressing cells (EGFP-KCs) and normal KCs. The novel method is easier and less invasive than conventional methods so that it is not only technically advantageous but also ethically preferable for experiments using animals. We demonstrated that KCs migrated to the liver following i.p. Injection. Engraftment in the liver was not observed for peritoneal macrophages (pMPs). This suggests that KCs migrate to the liver via a sorting mechanism. KC injection decreased the KC number at 24 h and then recovered the KCs at 10 days to a normal level. Additionally, recovery to the normal level by KC injection was observed in mice with KC depletion induced by GdCl₃. These results suggest that a regulatory mechanism exists for controlling the number of KCs.

Keywords: EGFP; Intraperitoneal injection; KCs, Kupffer cells; Kupffer cells; Liver macrophage; Transplantation; i.p., intraperitoneal; pMP, peritoneal macrophages.